With my innate brown thumb, I have been helped many a time by Master Gardeners – or more specifically, the Washington State University Extension Master Gardeners of King County. When I killed shrubs with liberal applications of nitrogen fertilizer (too much of a good thing) or hacked away at my rose bushes too enthusiastically (only to suffer rose deficiency afterwards), I turned to these dedicated volunteers for help. Just as a cave stalagmite grows incrementally from exposure to drops of liquid from above, I have gradually acquired some gardening awareness from these Master Gardeners. I no longer react to insects eating my garden veggies with pesticide but consider other control measures that don’t involve chemicals, for example.
Who are these Master Gardeners? They are trained para-professionals who serve as advisors to the community on plant disease, insect identification, and general gardening tips. Free advice is offered via neighborhood clinics, a phone clinic, demonstration gardens, speakers, and workshops. The program in King County, founded in 1972, has been emulated in all fifty states across the country as well as in several foreign countries. This program has promoted sustainable gardening for almost forty years.
There are over 700 Master Gardeners in King County, and you may become one of them if you complete the training course starting in January of 2011. Topics covered will include botany, soil composition, plant pathology, entomology, and horticultural techniques.
To learn more about the Master Gardener program, you can view its Environmentally Friendly Gardening exhibit on the sixth floor of the Central Library through September 27th. Also check out its informative Web site at http://kingcountymg.org/
Here’s to enlightened gardening!
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