Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Sunshine and a Taste of Master Gardener Training

Don't worry you all, spring is near and soon we'll be seeing the sunshine-lots of it. The above picture was taken last summer, and it reminds us all the sun is still here, and coming closer each day. Just look at how long the days have gotten already!

Today's post is a public service announcement for local residents,
and it has everything to do with the sunshine and spring and gardening! The Montgomery County Master Gardeners are sponsoring a Beginner's Master Gardener Course next month.

What is a Beginner's Master Gardener Course you ask? Well it is an abbreviated version of some of the lessons you will learn in the full master gardener course. It is a fun course that gives you a taste of gardening without the pressure of having to do anything but listen and learn and have fun with fellow garden enthusiasts. Delona, hosta collector and gardener extraordinaire is in charge of this year's course, but you must sign up with the extension office. They can be reached at: (931)6485725. Ask for Karla.

The course begins March 4, 2009 and will end March 24, 2008. The classes will be taught at the Madison Street Methodist Church and the time of the classes are from 6:30-8:30 pm each Tuesday in March, with the 31st being held in reserve in case a make-up class is needed.

There will be a variety of instructors teaching a wide range of subjects. I will be teaching landscape design, and I plan to make it as fun as possible. Okay folks-we're talking landscape design here! How much more fun can that get? It's already near and dear to our hearts but a few principles and practical matters might be in store for you during my class. So come on out and meet some fellow gardeners for the Beginning Master Gardener Course scheduled to start in a few short weeks. The cost is $40 payable to Montgomery County Master Gardener Association.

in the garden....working on a landscape design class.

39 comments:

  1. Interesting concept Tina. Our extension office has a Horticulture Extravaganza on the 14th of March. So do your participants in the beginner's class get 'credit' towards the full course if they decide to go on?
    Janet

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  2. I hope you get a lot of participants. I know I can't wait to retire because then I can take a Master Gardener Course. I wish that the course could be offered occasionally at night so working gardeners could join in.

    Jan
    Always Growing

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  3. Hi Tina, this is a good announcement for the locals near you who are blog readers. Some day I hope to do this too.
    Frances

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  4. Cool picture the way you caught the sun

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  5. Wow, Tina, you have so much energy.

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  6. I am so jealous! Our Master Gardener class here is taught on Tuesday--during the day!! If they had it at night, I could go. If I ever get to retire..it's the first thing I want to do.

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  7. Hi Guys! Good morning. Lovely day today.

    Janet, That is an interesting question indeed. I will ask Delona as I am not sure if they do or not. There is usually really good participation and it might help to up the numbers on the regular class if it did.

    Jan, That is a definitely drawback. The one and only night class offered here since I've lived here was cancelled due to lack of participation. Frustrating indeed. I like the night ones better but folks have their nights so full now a days. Maybe at one point before you retire they'll offer a night class.

    France, The classes are fun. Lots of book learning but interesting. The nice thing is garden talk!

    Dawn, Thanks! It is my two sunshine ray picture. In the summer the sun goes so far north so it was a rare occasion to get it thru the greenhouse like I did.

    Donna, I wish! Just getting a bit more organized. I want to get the garden up and going before summer so I can then relax. The garden class will be fun-it's local!

    Linda, I find it so weird the Master Gardener classes are almost always offered at night. Very frustrating in this day and age of everyone working, but it seems nights are filled. When I took it back in 97 I was a shift worker. Still I had to get permission from my boss to take it during the day as I missed most of my shift on days I went AND drove an hour to get to class. It was a tough class. You will seriously enjoy it.

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  8. Tina .. I had to stop and make a comment about this gorgeous picture .. Spring will not be soon for me but seeing even last year's picture ? like this is lovely .. thanks girl !

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  9. Tina,

    What a wonderful course for your local gardeners!

    There is no Master Gardeners class in my county and I don't pay taxes in the adjacent counties where the courses are offered. I need to take time to find out if there's a way to cross county lines. The Master Gardeners here do community service in the county to pay back for the training.

    Cameron

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  10. Joy, Glad you like the picture. A little sunshine is good on a bad day. I do hope the snow melts and it warms up for you soonest!

    Cameron, If your adjoining county is like ours, they will beg for you to take their class because there doesn't seem to be much interest in committing to the cause. Talk to the extension agent and maybe find out. They are very good folks to know and ours is a real help around here. All of you bloggers though should be teaching classes, rather than taking them but the classes do have so much information in them. We too have to do community service and obtain training as well as give it in order to be recertified and certified each year. Blogging is part of it for me. All voluntary on my part:) As is teaching classes too.

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  11. Hi Tina,

    A good post announcement! Wish I had remembered to sign up for the Davidson County classes! Maybe next year...I wish they offered classes in the fall, too.

    Take care, Gail

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  12. Sounds like a good introduction! I think I'll be doing our local MG course starting at the end of Feb.

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  13. I've been considering taking our Master Gardener course for some time now. Just need to get off my butt and do it! ;)

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  14. Great picture with the lighting in the green house! Sounds like a great way to meet new garden talking buds....

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  15. Hi Tina, First, thanks for your nice comment you left on my blog:) Are you sure you don't want to participate? :) :)

    You captured a great shot here!!! As far as your topic, we have a County Extension Service that offers similar programs. I've never participated but I'm sure it's a great way to meet gardeners and learn a lot!

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  16. I'm glad you reminded me that the days are getting longer. I'd totally not thought of it that way. A prelude to spring!
    Brenda

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  17. Sounds like fun and I love the picture, great shot.

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  18. Gail, Thanks!

    Dave, Great! It will be fun!

    Racquel, Getting started is most of the battle:)

    Jan, You're welcomed. I get all you new posts on Blotanical and try so hard to comment on them all. I always hate to be the first though. I'm very backlogged here so I first must clear this soon.

    Brenda, The change is very noticeable now. I love it!

    Tattered Spinner, Hello and welcome! I really enjoyed reading about your garden trials. A super fun read. Soon you'll get it all just like the Oregon soil and garden. I have been blessed with good soil here-all by accident-thankfully!

    Mom, Good morning and thanks! The pool really captures the sun in the summer. Can't wait for it. It's spitting snow here now-cold. Time to stay in and do the taxes:(

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  19. Whoa Tina! I envy you. You guys have such a great community to have fun with other fellow gardeners. Wish I could attend it too. :( Have fun!
    The sun's already here even though they call this a dewy season. lol!

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  20. Ooh, tempting. Wish I lived close enough to participate. I've thought about taking MG training, but thinking is all I've done. Don't you have any photos of your former gardens? Mine aren't very good photos, but at least I have them. I miss that garden so much! I don't care much about the house, but the garden, I didn't want to leave!

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  21. Lucky, lucky participants!! Gardening class is an alien concept here. I'm so envious!!

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  22. Good Afternoon All,
    Great post Tina for the info for your local gardeners. Loved the pix of the sun coming through.
    Hope you don't get much snow. We are to have cold weather for next 3/4 days. Thursday morning will be the worst---expected to be around 22º. Oopps there go the rest of the plants.

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  23. Chandramouli, Thanks! Enjoy that sun. We have some but it is brrrrrr! And windy too.

    MsRobin, Interesting question on my former gardens. I have at least one from the early 80s, but that is about all. I moved so many times in my career that gardening was not a big priority, nor picture taking. It is okay though. I will dig those pics out and maybe post on them. Your pics did bring memories of former gardens.

    Kanak, No gardening classes in India? Maybe garden clubs? They are so fun to meet like minded folks (like blogging:)

    Lola, I am with you. It is cold! Just when you think it is behind you Mother Nature throws you for a loop. One more month for us then spring! Yahoo. Do move in your plants.

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  24. Tina,
    What's your city & state?
    lynn

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  25. Hi Lynn, I am in Clarksville Tennessee.

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  26. Beautiful garden! Enjoy the first feeling of spring in your heart :), it will be come sure soon :)) - dear greetings Kessi

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  27. I'm jealous too! Sounds like exactly my kind of course. Maybe I should see if something similar is offered near me? Wish I could sign up and take it with you!

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  28. That sounds great. I've debated taking Master Gardener classes before. This would be perfect to start with. I'll have to see if anything like this is offered around here.

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  29. Where do I sign up?:) Actually, I gave some serious thought to signing up for our local Master Gardener's course, but I wasn't sure I could spare that much time. I wish our extension office offered a beginner's course like this for those of us not quite ready for a large time commitment.

    I know that spring will get here eventually, although today with the wind howling and blowing snow across the roads, it's a little hard to believe. In six months I will no doubt be complaining about the heat:)

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  30. Oh, I'm just a little envious. We got back to FL a little too late for me to sign up for this year's local offering of the MG class. I hope you get someone to take pictures of you or maybe record your presentation. Will you be posting about some of the highlights?

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  31. I had to click on your pic to make it larger and see the details. Those are bowling balls! Now, I know 2 people who have them in their yards. LOL I like yours in the stands you have for them.

    I was going to sign up for a master gardening course a year ago, but it was not offered because the person who taught it changed positions. It is being offered this year, but now that we have our grandson every Saturday, I feel I don't have time to take it. Besides, I don't know how I'm going to keep up with both gardening and blogging.

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  32. I read this post on the blotanical picks list - since the title of the post was long it read - Sunshine and a taste of master gard.

    I read the last part as master card !
    Priceless?

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  33. Kessi, Danke!

    Kathleen, That would be most fun!!!

    Catherine, Yes, it is a good way to find out what is offered before committing. Check it out, they may do it in your area.

    Rose, You are so right, in 6 months we'll be wishing for the winter. Ironic I think. The Master Gardener organization is great fun-lots of gardeners to meet and know! Like blogging.

    W2W, Maybe you can sign up next year? I hope so as it is most fun. I might post on my class. I haven't done a learning class on here for about a year (my last ones were a series on winter gardening), I might need to do a landscape post. Each presentation I do I change a bit, but we'll see.

    Sue, Oh yes! Lots of bowling balls in the garden. About 50-60. These ones are mounted on a metal stand and have been there for two years now. I like them very much. You have some too? I bet your grandson enjoys playing with them very much. I can't wait until mine comes down. Time is tricky now adays.

    Niels, Priceless! Yes indeed, and wewlcome back to the blogging world. You were missed. I do hope all is well and like what you said about changing your blog look and how it is a reflection of the blogger. Truer words I've not heard.

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  34. I like the way you placed the spheres in the garden, they look really nice!

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  35. A beginner MG course; I think that's an idea I might suggest to our group.

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  36. TC, It is fun and not as big a deal so yes-go for it!

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