August 7, 2002
Woodbury Bulletin
Betsy Halden

How to become a master gardener

Have you wondered what the Washington County Master Gardener program is? Perhaps you have asked what Master Gardeners do. Does it mean you must be an expert in horticulture before you enter the program? Does it mean your yard and garden have to be state-of-the-art? Many Washington County gardeners have asked these same questions.

The University of Minnesota Extension Service Master Gardener organization is a community service organization. It is not a garden club. Washington County Master Gardener volunteers serve their communities in structured and prescribed ways that are compatible with the organization’s mission statement.

Washington County Master Gardeners volunteer their hours in many projects, especially in those designated as "core activities". Core activities are those areas that best fit the mission statement of the University of Minnesota Master Gardener program. They also provide opportunities for first year interns to learn and work with the public. The five central core activities for the Washington County Master Gardener are as follows:

1. Staffing information booths at garden centers 2. Answering ôYard & Garden Lineö telephone calls 3. Serving the public in the Plant Diagnostic Clinic 4. Teaching courses in community education 5. Volunteering at the Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens at the Washington County Fairgrounds, Wilder Forest, or Carpenter Nature Center. The MG’s are responsible for the design and care of the garden areas. They have also developed teaching opportunities for each site.

The Washington County Master Gardener program offers its members opportunities for continuing education. Monthly meetings are normally held on the 4th Thursday of each month from 7 to 9:30 p.m. They usually feature a speaker or presentation of timely interest to members.

What does it mean to be a Washington County Master Gardener? I asked several active Master Gardeners from Woodbury. Winnie Williams said, “It’s an opportunity to be educated and to educate the public about gardening. I enjoy learning about the cutting edge research that University of Minnesota researchers share with those in the Master Gardener program.”

Karen Thielman said that she enjoys the interactions with a wide range of people. Karen teaches gardening courses for South Washington County Community Education. She will teach a class on fall gardening in September. Karen has also served as a Master Gardener volunteer for local garden tours.

Marti Nettleton enjoys sharing her love of gardening with others. “It’s a way to do something for the community that you love doing. It is a way to be helpful.” The requirements to apply to the Master Gardener program are simple. You must have an active interest in plants and gardens. You must be willing to share this interest as well as research-based information from the University with others. You must be able to attend the classroom training (core course) sessions, and complete an internship of 50 hours of volunteer time plus eight continuing education hours the first year.

For those accepted into the Master Gardener program, the course fee is $125 plus a signed commitment for a minimum return of 50 volunteer service hours in the Washington County Master Gardener Program during the year 2003. Forty of those 50 volunteer hours must be spent in the five core activities central to the Washington County Master Gardener mission.

Here are the specifics for applying to the Washington County Master Gardener program. Enrollment in the Washington County Master Gardener Program is open to Washington County residents only. Residents of other counties should apply to their home county. The purpose and mission of the program is to share research-based gardening information with the public to enhance their quality of life and the environment. The University of Minnesota Extension Service Washington County office will mail out applications for the 2003 Master Gardener Core Course on August 16, 2002. If you are interested, please call as soon as possible and request an application. The deadline for return of the applications is September 16, 2002.

Volunteers will be accepted into the program based on information provided in the written application, an oral interview, and on a written application.

Each year the Washington County Master Gardener office receives more applications than the program can assimilate. The Washington County Master Gardener program can accept a maximum of 8 new volunteers for 2003.

If you are interested in applying for the Master Gardener program, please call Washington County Extension Service office, 651.430.6803 or FAX your request to 651.430.6801.

The Metro Master Gardener Core Course will he held on the University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus, January 2 through January 18, 2003. Classes will meet Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 9:00 am û 4:00 pm,. Course topics include fruits, herbaceous plants, home landscaping, house plants, insects, lawns, pesticide safety issues, plant diseases, pruning, soils, structure and function of plants, trees, shrubs and vines, vegetables, and wildlife.

If you are interested in taking the course for University of Minnesota credit without making the commitment to volunteer activities, you should register for Horticulture 1003 directly with the University of Minnesota College of Continuing Education. For registration information, please call 612.624.4000.

Betsy Halden is a resident of Woodbury. University of Minnesota Extension Service and Iowa State University Extension Service materials were consulted in the preparation of this column. You can reach Betsy Halden at eahalden@comcast.net