| GARDEN COLUMN FOR THE SALISBURY POST Darrell Blackwelder November 17, 2005 Cooperative Extension is now accepting applications for the 2006 Master Gardener Volunteer Program. If you want your thumb to be a little greener and have the desire to volunteer then you may want to consider being a Rowan County Master Gardener Volunteer. Even thought volunteering hours to the organization is a mandatory part of the program, the benefit of learning about horticulture greatly out-weighs the volunteer commitment. The program consists of 45 hours of classroom instruction on varied aspects of urban and commercial horticulture. The 2006 Master Gardener course outline includes: plant growth and development, soils and fertilizers, basic entomology, plant disease and control, lawn establishment and maintenance, vegetable production, home fruit production, urban pest management, landscape design and maintenance, perennials in the landscape plant propagation and organic gardening. Computer skills and utilization will be a plus for those that participate. Classroom instruction is augmented with field trips to local nurseries, public gardens, greenhouse operations and area producers. There is no tuition fee for the course, but there is an initial fee for printing costs and materials used in class. Participates must volunteer 45 hours of service back to the Cooperative Extension horticulture program as payment for the instruction. Volunteer hours will focus on existing Master Gardener Volunteer educational programs, namely the demonstration gardens at the West End Garden on Brenner Avenue, Xeriscaping Project at Rowan Public Library, Master Gardener Writer's Forum and other educational programs. The program consists of 15 classes scheduled to meet on Wednesday afternoons, beginning January 18th, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Outdoor laboratories and field trips may be a part of the learning exercises recommended for the course. Applications for the Rowan County Master Gardener Volunteer Spring program are due in the Extension Office by 5:00 p.m., January 9th , 2006. An application and other information about the program can be downloaded from the Master Gardener site at www.rowanmastergardener.com ; click on:"HOW TO BECOME A MASTER GARDENER". Those that want more information about the program should attend a question and answer session on January 6th, 1:30 p.m. to discuss the program. Darrell Blackwelder is an agricultural agent in charge of horticulture with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County. For archived garden columns or other information, visit the Rowan County Master Gardener web site at www.rowanmastergardener.com , e-mail Darrell_Blackwelder@ncsu.edu |