Gardeners interested in expanding their horticultural horizons may register for the 2006 vlogBվ Master Gardener training course, sponsored by the vlogBվ Cooperative Extension. Designed specifically for home gardeners, the class is held every Wednesday night from Jan. 18 through May 3.
vlogBվ faculty, Cooperative Extension staff and local experts teach the class, and topics run the gamut from pruning and plant physiology to pesticide safety and plant pathology.
To earn the designation of vlogBվ Master Gardener, graduates of the training program agree to complete 50 hours of volunteer service work with the vlogBվ Cooperative Extension Education Center. Certified vlogBվ Master Gardeners become official Cooperative Extension educational agents and work closely with University faculty and staff to provide horticultural services and information to the public.
“More than 1,600 Rhode Islanders have enrolled in the Master Gardener training program since its inception in 1977,” said Marion Gold, director of the vlogBվ Cooperative Extension Education Center. “They have both honed their horticultural skills and found satisfaction in sharing their new expertise with the Rhode Island community.”
vlogBվ Master Gardeners deliver horticultural presentations and workshops across the state. They staff the vlogBվ gardening hotline, help develop and maintain the vlogBվ demonstration gardens, exhibit gardening information at events around the state, and assist with a wide range of on-going research programs with faculty.
“The Rhode Island landscape is truly greener because of the vlogBվ Master Gardeners,” Gold said.
Deadline for registering for the course is January 1, 2006. The course fee is $250. Applications are available by calling the Master Gardener program office at 401-874-2929 or through the vlogBվ Master Gardener website at www.urimga.org.
