Master Gardener Training Offered in September

If you have an interest in gardening and would like to volunteer in your community, consider joining the Iowa Master Gardener program. Whether you are a long-term veteran of gardening or a novice, you will find this training very informative.

Washington County Extension is offering Master Gardener training classes from Sept. 17 through Nov. 17 on Tuesdays and several Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. There is a fee for the course.

Training consists of 40 hours of Web-based broadcasting and face-to-face instruction at the Extension office and one class on the ISU campus. Each class focuses on a different aspect of gardening and includes: soils and botany; plant pathology and entomology; turfgrass; houseplants; animal ecology; landscape plants; weed management, IPM, and pesticides; fruit culture; ornamentals; and home landscape design.

In exchange for training, Master Gardeners share their time and knowledge on approved projects within their local communities. After training, participants must complete a one-year Master Gardener internship consisting of 40 hours of volunteer service. Additional volunteer hours and ongoing training are required in subsequent years to maintain the Master Gardener status.

In 2014, over 105,000 volunteer hours in Iowa were logged by Iowa Master Gardeners. The Master Gardener program is unique both for its community emphasis and because it directly utilizes the broad research-based resources of Iowa State University.

The Washington County Master Gardeners are an active group that meets monthly. They provide educational opportunities as well as tour local gardens and areas of interest. In addition they maintain the gardens at the Washington County Fairgrounds, have an annual plant sale, and offer a horticulture scholarship. They also have a speaker?s bureau which offers programs to groups.

If you are interested in becoming an Iowa Master Gardener, contact Washington County Extension at 319-653-4811 to find out more information about the upcoming training. Registrations are due by Sept.1.