Georgia - 2012 Master Gardener Training Class, Starts Jan. 24th

For those who love gardening whether a novice or an experienced plant lover, the Master Gardener training class begins January 24th. Classes will be held at the Lake Mayer Community Center and the Bamboo Farm. The class meets from nine to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays and concludes May 24th. The course is open to Chatham and surrounding county residents.

The Master Gardener class is sponsored by the University of Georgia Extension Office and covers a wide range of topics such as soils, turf, fertilizers, organic farming, xerospace methods, herbs, vegetable gardening, plant propagation, native plants and habitats, irrigation, mulching, pruning and features guest speakers from throughout the State. The course includes field trips and hands on experiences.

Cost: $145.00 – Covers all books and materials
Registration information can be found for all area residents below:
For more information about registration, contact Dave Linville, Chatham County Cooperative Extension Horticulture Agent at 912 652 7981 or dlinville@uga.ed
Bryan County Extension - http://www.bryanextension.org/ or call (912) 653-2231
Liberty County Extension - 912-876-2133
Effingham County Extension - 912-754-8040
UGA Extension (main site) http://extension.uga.edu/

Graduates may become a member of the Coastal Master Gardeners Association who provide volunteer hours for projects such as Habitat for Humanity landscaping, caring for old camellias at Bonaventure Cemetery, working for the Botanical Garden on Eisenhower Drive, teaching at the “Roots and Shoots” program for area school children at Bamboo Farms, and other gardening venues benefitting the community. The Association meets throughout the year with informative gardening presentations and to socialize and swap plants with other gardeners.

Master Gardeners Graduates 26 New Members

Applications for 2012 course now available; deadline to enroll is Jan. 2 (Link to more info)

COLTS NECK, NJ – Twenty-six Monmouth County residents became certified Master Gardeners at a graduation ceremony Nov. 18 at Hominy Hill Golf Center.

The 2011 graduates are: Fran Ambio, Millstone; Lou Ambio, Millstone; John Connors, Ocean; Lucille Coviello, Spring Lake Heights; Kristen (K) Dasenbrock, Marlboro; Lee Deedmeyer, Freehold; Frank DiBella, Howell; Luba Durnya, Middletown; Pat Eisemann, Manalapan; Denise Fredericks, Tinton Falls; Carolyn Giovanniello, Marlboro; Cheryl Grant, Rumson; Barb Hindin, Colts Neck; Linda Honymar, Long Branch; Alka Lothe, Little Silver; Jennifer Marston, Atlantic Highlands; Jill Niehaus, Shrewsbury; Paula Padavano, Long Branch; Luisa Paster, Asbury Park; Maureen Puricelli, Morganville; Barbara Schinkel, Eatontown; Jackie Sharpe, Asbury Park; Cyndi Skove, Eatontown; Greg Sturgis, Freehold; Maria Veit, Cream Ridge, and Brenda Wilson, Aberdeen.

The Master Gardeners are now certified gardening experts because they have completed a course of classroom and hands-on training in plant biology, propagation, soil science and disease and pest control. The trainees then began sharing their knowledge with others by conducting garden lectures, demonstrations, school and community gardening projects, and answering calls on the county’s “horticulture helpline.”

The Master Gardener program, conducted throughout the United States and Canada, is a two-part educational effort in which avid gardeners are provided many hours of intense home horticulture training. In return, they “pay back” local university extension agents through volunteerism.

In New Jersey, the program is a cooperative effort of Rutgers University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the county Boards of Chosen Freeholders. Monmouth County’s program involves the county office of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Brookdale Community College and the county Park System.

The program is accepting applications for 2012. There is a $250 fee to cover material and program costs. Applications can be downloaded from the county Web site at www.visitmonmouth.com and are also available from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Service at 4000 Kozloski Rd. in Freehold Township, or by calling 732-431-7260.  The deadline to apply is Jan. 2, 2012.

Link to full press release: Atlanta Highlands Herald

2012 Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Training

A few slots are open for the 2012 Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener volunteer training.

Beginning Feb. 7, training will be offered for Licking County residents. The Master Gardener Volunteer Program provides an extensive course in horticulture in exchange for a donation of volunteer hours to share gardening knowledge with others through OSU Extension-sponsored activities.

Training will be 10 consecutive Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Information is available at licking.osu. edu under the Master Gardener Volunteers tab. You can print an application and mail it or drop it off.

The address is: Lori Swihart, Licking County Master Gardener Coordinator, Ohio State University Extension, 771 E. Main St., Suite 103, Newark, OH 43055.

Iowa Master Gardener Program Accepting Applications for its Spring 2012 Class

Training for the Spring 2012 Master Gardener class is being offered jointly by the Benton and Black Hawk County Extension Offices in January, February and March on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm. If you are interested in becoming an Iowa Master Gardener, contact the Benton County Extension Office at phone: 319-472-4739 for an application or to find out more information. Applications will be accepted until December 20 and interviews will be scheduled later in December to select participants for classes that begin in January.

The requirements to become a Master Gardener include a $150 fee to cover the cost of educational materials and a commitment to do 40 hours of extension service. Individuals receive instruction in a wide range of horticulture and related areas: houseplants, herbaceous ornamentals, turf grass, vegetables, woody landscape plants, plant propagation, fruits, soils, wildlife management, pesticide safety, integrated pest management, plant pathology, entomology and garden design.

Source: http://www.vintoniowa.org/articles/News/article105243.html

Haywood County Cooperative Extension Center - Master Gardener Program

The Haywood County Cooperative Extension Center is now accepting applications for the popular Master Gardener program.

The Master Gardener training class will begin in January and run through April. The class meets from 9 a.m. till noon on Wednesdays. The cost of the program, including training materials, is $85.

To become a Master Gardener, volunteer participants must complete the entire class and participate in 40 hours of volunteer work through the N.C. Cooperative Service Extension center.

There are currently 120 active Master Gardeners in Haywood County. These Master Gardeners contribute thousands of hours each year through Cooperative Extension programs, and by answering gardening questions through a plant clinic hotline.

Contact phone number: 828.456.3575.

Arizona Master Gardener Manual - Online

The online version of the Arizona Master Gardener Manual is available at this link: Arizona Master Gardener Manual.

An essential reference for gardening in the United States desert southwest. Produced by the Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture, The University of Arizona.

Iowa State University Master Gardener Training

Master Gardener training for the ISU Extension Region 7 (Hamilton, Humboldt, Webster and Wright counties) will begin January 17.

To register for the training, contact Yvonne McCormick at 832-9597 or e-mail her at Yvonne@iastate.edu for further information on the program.

Missouri: Master Gardener program open to anyone with interest in gardening

BY Barbara Michael

Have you ever wondered what a Master Gardener really is? Is it just an expert gardener? How would you like to be one yourself?

Master Gardeners are simply people who have participated in the Master Gardener volunteer program through MU Extension. Masters volunteer their time and talents in their communities, offering up-to-date horticulture information and gardening help. Some are novice gardeners, some are veterans of gardening, some of them live in the country and others live in town condos, but all share one thing in common: a love for gardening.

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Master Gardener - Train to become a Pender County Master Gardener

Would you like to be a more successful gardener? Do you want to understand the science of gardening? Are you interested in sharing your knowledge with others? If so, become a Master Gardener volunteer. Master Gardener volunteers enjoy gardening and desire to share their passion and knowledge with others. Master Gardeners volunteer with their local Cooperative Extension’s horticulture outreach program. The first step in becoming a Master Gardener is to attend Master Gardener training, which begins Aug. 18 for Pender County residents. Read more>

Master Gardener classes offered

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service - Aransas County Office is offering Master Gardener certification classes beginning in August. The Master Gardener classes are held most Tuesdays from Aug. 11 through Tuesday, Dec. 1. Some classes will be held in Corpus Christi. Read more>

North Dakota: Garden classes starting

The 2009 Master Gardener Program will begin Aug. 28 and will be every Friday until Oct. 6. Each session will start at 8:30 a.m. and finish at noon. The classes will be in the lower level of the law enforcement center in Jamestown. This course is offered by NDSU Extension and will be taught via IVN. Read more:

Garden walk

By Joan Morris
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 07/24/2009 05:47:39 PM PDT

Finding ways to landscape your yard — without a lawn — is the highlight of this year's Contra Costa County Master Gardener "Garden Walk." Most gardens selected for this year's Garden Walk demonstrate how to have a vibrant and useful garden without extensive turf.
T
he walk is planned for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 12 and includes six gardens owned and tended by Contra Costa Master Gardeners in Walnut Creek, Martinez and Pleasant Hill.

Master Gardeners will be on hand at each garden to answer questions about the gardens as well as other horticultural concerns. In addition, Master Gardener subject matter experts will provide demonstrations and exhibits in the areas of bio-intensive gardening, composting, propagation and bees. The ticket also includes admission to a plant sale featuring drought tolerant plants in 4-inch and 1-gallon sizes.

Tickets are $15, no children younger than 12. Deadline to purchase tickets is Aug. 31. Mail a check made out to the CCMG Association to the CCMG Garden Walk, c/o 221 Virginia Circle, Martinez, CA 94553. Ticket and map to the tour gardens will be sent upon receipt of payment.

Penn State Cooperative Extension will hold Master Gardener classes in September at Peters Township Library

Training will cover basic plant and soil science, plant propagation, integrated pest management, pruning and more. Master gardeners are gardening enthusiasts who volunteer for a variety of educational gardening projects. Fee for the class, including a training manual, is $225. Those interested should request an application from the Washington County Extension office, 724-228-6881.

Dyersburg State Gazette: Story: Farmer's Market 'Ask the Experts' begins this Saturday

Thursday, July 9, 2009 The Master Gardeners will join the Main Street Farmers Market this Saturday to offer advice and recommendations for backyard gardeners in the area. Master Gardeners members are scheduled to help at the Northwest Tennessee Horticulture and Garden Expo at Dyer County High School on July 18, but plan on manning a booth at the Farmer's Market on Saturdays throughout the season. The table will also offer flowers, shrubs, trees and vegetable plants at the table, with funds benefiting the non-profit group's activities in the community.
Dyersburg State Gazette: Story: Farmer's Market 'Ask the Experts' begins this Saturday Source: stategazette.com

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New to gardening? Learn from Master Gardeners. | csmonitor.com

As a horticultural extension agent, Bobby Wilson is often approached by beginner vegetable gardeners who want to know if they should water every day.

“You don’t need to water every day,” he says. “I tell them to water Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”

What he’s really telling them is that they should soak the soil and water again only when the top three inches has dried out, determined by using that most accurate of probes, your finger.

“That’s the proper way to do it, but people need a number,” said Mr. Wilson, who works in Atlanta and is also president of the American Community Gardening Association.

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New to gardening? Learn from Master Gardeners. csmonitor.com

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Novice Vegetable Gardeners Can Learn From the Masters

www.washingtonpost.com
By Adrian HigginsMonday,
June 29, 2009; 7:34 PM

As a horticultural extension agent, Bobby Wilson is often approached by beginner vegetable gardeners who want to know if they should water every day.

"You don't need to water every day," he says. "I tell them to water Monday, Wednesday and Friday."

What he's really telling them is that they should soak the soil and water again only when the top three inches has dried out, determined by using that most accurate of probes, your finger.

"That's the proper way to do it, but people need a number," said Wilson, who works in Atlanta and is also president of the American Community Gardening Association.

Like a lot of us in the gardening world, Wilson has been astonished and thrilled by the sudden interest in vegetable gardening, particularly among younger adults.

Seed producers have reported sales increases of typically 30 percent over last year, itself a banner year. In an April survey by the Pew Research Center, 21 percent of those polled said they were planning to grow their own vegetables this year because of the recession.

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Master gardeners are an invaluable resource to university systems

By Joe Lamp'l, Scripps Howard News Service

If you really want to get those gardening questions answered, ask a master gardener. We've all heard the reference before and many of us have used this valuable free service. But just what is a master gardener, and how does one achieve such a designation?

Master gardeners are volunteers. Above all, they have one thing in common: They're passionate about gardening and horticulture and want to share their time and knowledge. Most are not professional gardeners or horticulturists. In fact, many come into the program as novices.

Others have been gardening all their lives.

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Master Gardeners set open house

Bern Township, PA - Reading Eagle

Berks County Master Gardeners will hold a free open house at their demonstration gardens at the Berks County Ag Center, Bern Township, on Saturday, July 11, from 9 a.m. until noon.

The theme this year will be "Behind the Scenes with the Master Gardeners." Visitors will be able to interact with Penn State Master Gardeners at work in the garden. Several different garden areas will be featured - the native plant garden, the rock garden, the perennial and shrub garden, the herb garden, a pollinator garden and a working compost site.

Several informal talks will be given about specific gardening skills. Among the topics will be propagation, drying herbs and flowers, caring for iris, composting, correct use of mulch and encouraging and recognizing pollinating insects. One Master Gardener will be constructing a rain barrel and will share techniques, tools and procedures for homeowners to construct their own collection barrels.

Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions.

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Garden programming at Tate House Museum continues with a lecture and demonstration - July 1

Released 6/28/09

The Tate House Museum “Year of the Garden” series continues Wed. July 1 at 10:00AM with a talk on “Pre-Revolutionary Life in Portland.” The speaker, Christina White, is Executive Director of the Freeport Historical Society and Master Gardener. Ms. White is also the founder of Spirits Alive, an advocacy group for Portland’s Eastern Burial Ground. Admission to this lecture is $8.00.

Then at 1:00 PM, Barbara Bardack will demonstrate plant propagation techniques. This will include seed saving, starting plants from seeds and cuttings, plus ground layering techniques.

Ms. Bardack has been a Master Gardener and school and urban garden developer for several years, and her own personal garden was chosen for tours by the Federated Garden Clubs of Ohio. On Wednesday, she will concentrate on actual plants in the garden at the Tate House Museum. This event is free, and you do not have to attend the morning session to attend the afternoon session.

2009 is the Year of the Garden at Tate House Museum with garden-related workshops, demonstrations, and lectured being offered every Wednesday through August 19. July 8 features a lecture on colonial housekeeping and a workshop for making colonial sweetbags (room freshners and moth protectors).

The Tate House, built in 1755, is the only colonial house in Portland open to the public. The museum is open this summer for tours of the house Wednesday through Saturday 10:00AM-4:00PM and Sundays 1:00-4:00PM.For further information, please call the museum at 774-6177.

Tate House Museum1267 Westbrook StreetPortland, Maine 04102Tate House Museum“Connecting people to our colonial roots and them discover, imaine, and value the relevance of this history to our lives.”

Hometown: Children plant garden for food shelf in Jericho

By Lynn Monty • Free Press Staff Writer • June 24, 2009

After working as a physical education teacher for 30 years, Susan Adams of Underhill decided to retire and take up gardening. She took a Master Gardening course at the University of Vermont this winter and is sprucing up the Deborah Rawson Memorial Library with the help of Underhill ID School students. This is the first year the library will be a Master Gardening site.

The third- and fourth-graders in Tracy Walker and Pam Bloch’s classes planted a vegetable garden for the local food shelf at the library June 1. Students implemented a composting program at the school last year as a fourth grade initiative to promote leadership. They started with one composter for snack trash and have now filled four composters that will be used for the garden at the library.

“We thought it would be fun because the school is adjacent to the library and this really connects with their science unit,” Adams said.

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