Got accepted into Master Gardener's program!

[catherine]

We have a great Master Gardner's program that's part of Rutgers. It's a steal of a program: For $475 books/materials fee you get a year's training in gardening: one 3-hour class every week. Then you are expected to perform 60 hours of volunteer work in various places like Rutgers Gardens, as well as answer questions from the public.

I'm so excited because I have been bumbling along in the garden for years. I'm not a scientist or biologist and I don't have the breadth and depth of experience of many of you, so I'm anxious to actually add to my shot-in-the-dark experiences with some real good knowledge. We also do hands-on learning in the summer in the vegetable and herb gardens.

Totally psyched to get started!!

[iris lilies]

That is great news. The Master Gardener programs are a good addition to the American gardening culture.

[razz]

You will really enjoy it and that is a really modest cost.
I discovered how little I knew so found it quite humbling but very satisfying to complete the MG program course and then to volunteer. It helped define parameters for learning about gardening that I needed to know. I focused on heritage plants especially the Carolinian varieties as well as pollinator plants. Each member of our MG seemed to choose a preferred focus which worked well as it was too challenging to be able to cover everything. I still focus on them but did step out of the MG program as my life got too busy and it seemed that the public was more interested in the newest plant in the horticultural world rather than native varieties. I wonder what you will discover.

[pinkytoe]

Once I get more settled in here, I intend to take the local Master Gardener course. I did something similar back in TX called Habitat Stewards which was more about native plants in public areas. Got a lot of enjoyment and knowledge from it.

[Tybee]

That is wonderful! My sister-in-law did this in Texas, and boy it was extensive--there was interning involved, too, but she learned so much.

[Float On]

Wow, that's wonderful and one of my life goals.

[Tenngal]

We have a great Master Gardner's program that's part of Rutgers. It's a steal of a program: For $475 books/materials fee you get a year's training in gardening: one 3-hour class every week. Then you are expected to perform 60 hours of volunteer work in various places like Rutgers Gardens, as well as answer questions from the public.

I'm so excited because I have been bumbling along in the garden for years. I'm not a scientist or biologist and I don't have the breadth and depth of experience of many of you, so I'm anxious to actually add to my shot-in-the-dark experiences with some real good knowledge. We also do hands-on learning in the summer in the vegetable and herb gardens.

Totally psyched to get started!!

I did this several years ago through State of TN classes at the local library.

It was so much fun.

Have a great time.

[SteveinMN]

Congratulations, catherine! Sounds like it will be a wonderful experience!

[Geila]

Congrats Catherine! My DH did a volunteer stint with Our City Forest and he learned all about trees and then did plantings in the community for a few years after that and he loved it. Would the year-long weekly classes be doable on your traveling schedule? And it seems that this is the perfect thing to use your newfound pension money on!

[Tradd]

Excellent!