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Master Gardener classes planned for 2004

April Reese

University of Georgia

For people who love gardening and enjoy helping others, the chance to glean from the best gardening minds' knowledge should be intensely appealing.

For those who want to be Master Gardeners or for current Master Gardeners who want to brush up on their skills, the State Botanical Garden will offer training in Athens, Ga., Jan. 8 through Mar. 25.

Check with the University of Georgia Extension Service office in your county to see if a Master Gardener training is offered closer to you.

Applications for the Athens training must be in by Nov. 1. Space is limited. Classes will meet Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:45 to 11:15 a.m. The cost is $130. Certified Master Gardeners can attend sessions for $5 each.

Now in its 13th year, the 22-session Master Gardener program provides intensive classes in horticulture principles and practices and pest management.

Topics include soils and plant nutrition, insects, plant diseases, landscape design, vegetables, woody ornamentals, turf grasses, weeds, organic gardening, wildflowers, trees, small fruits, composting, mulching and more.

Master Gardeners must pass a final exam and agree to return 50 hours of volunteer service in the first year. The service may be answering questions in the extension office, helping conduct gardening clinics, working on community beautification projects or helping at the State Botanical Garden.

Nearly 2,500 active Georgia Master Gardeners gave more than 103,000 hours of service in 2000.

To learn more about the program or get an application, call Andrea Fischer at (706) 542-6195, or email her at (sbgvol@uga.edu). Or visit the Master Gardener Web site (www.gamastergardener.org).

The Georgia Master Gardener Volunteer Program is run by the UGA Extension Service and the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The Athens-Clarke County program is sponsored by the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and the county extension office.

(April Reese is a news writer with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)

Experts/Sources:
Andrea Fischer
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