Urban Horticulture is gaining strong interest as a growing audience for the Cooperative Extension Service. The Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a popular volunteer program providing intensive training to those interested in urban horticulture. Cooperative Extension provides 45 hours of instruction of various horticultural topics including soils, insect and diseases of plants, lawn care and maintenance, vegetable production, tree fruit production and perennial gardening. There is no cost for the course; the payment is volunteering hours back to the community by participating in the Writers Forum, Xeriscaping, and the West End Horticultural Demonstration Garden. There are also special projects such as Arbor Day for all of the local elementary schools, Plant Propagation Class, Hypertufa Workshops and Field Days. Students must volunteer 45 hours of service back to the community to become a certified Master Gardener. Graduating students are encouraged to join the Rowan County Master Gardener Association, which meets on a monthly basis for educational programs. The association has 44 members and continues to grow and become a valuable asset to the community. For more information about the Master Gardener Program, contact Darrell Blackwelder at 704-216-8981 or e-mail at {darrell_blackwelder@ncsu.edu}.
|
