Master Gardener Program

I took on the Oregon State University (OSU) Master Gardener Training back in Bend, OR in 2003. I spent 75 hours in classroom training, and over 80 hours volunteering as a Master Gardener in the community. Many of the 80 volunteer hours involved answering the MG hotline. This number 541-548-6088 is permanently stuck in my head!

This was a great way for the knowledge I had just acquired to "take root" (I'm sorry!). People could call and ask any question they wanted about gardening (and sometimes not), and I would find the answer for them. One day we had three people call about beekeeping-a kind of neat example of the collective consciousness thing! I also had a man bring in a coiled, but frozen rattlesnake. My other hours were spent working gardening seminars, teaching entomology lessons to kids in Madras, and working at the demonstration gardens. I loved it!

Now I am in the process of having my certification transferred over to The Ohio State University (OSU, again!) Master Gardener Program. They are another wonderful resource for the community and here is their website:

http://mastergardener.osu.edu/

"Working with county Extension personnel, Master Gardener Volunteers provide such educational services to their communities as: answering gardening questions from the public; conducting plant clinics; gardening activities with children, senior citizens, or disabled persons; beautifying the community; developing community or demonstration gardens; and other horticultural activities."

A good link for your resources:
http://plantfacts.osu.edu/