submitted by Gail Reynolds 9/24/18
The UConn Master Gardener Program is now accepting applications for the Tuesday morning class beginning in January 2019 at the Middlesex County Extension Office in Haddam.
Students enrolled in this program receive training in an extensive range of horticultural and environmental topics, including botany, plant pathology, entomology, integrated pest management (IPM), herbaceous and woody ornamentals, edibles, turf grass, invasive plants, and diagnostic techniques for the home gardener.
Program requirements:
• 100+ class hours. Classroom training includes approximately three hours of on-line material as well as one half-day per week for 16 weeks, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, January – April 2019
• 30 hours of supervised weekday in-office service answering the public’s horticultural questions and researching gardening problems at one of nine locations (County Extension Offices or the Bartlett Arboretum) and 30 hours outreach on approved educational outreach and/or community project(s); both to be completed by the end of September 2019
• Subject quizzes and graded mid-term exam
• Tree/Shrub/Vine identification and research project due by the end of August 2019
• Attendance at one of five summer diagnostic practice sessions
• Final diagnostic exam at the end of in-service training
• Final essay due at the end of September 2019
Most UConn Extension Master Gardeners find the class to be a life-changing experience!
“Gardening and the study of it is something we can do our whole lives,” says Karen Linder, a 2015 graduate of the UConn Extension Master Gardener Program at the FANs garden, Bartlett Arboretum, in Stamford. “There is always something new to learn – we can get deeper into a subject. Our instructors truly brought subjects to life that I thought could not be made exciting. Who knew soil had so much going on? It has truly changed the way I think and observe the world around me. That is pretty amazing!”
“Individuals become master gardeners because they are interested in gardening and, most importantly, learning more about the science behind good gardening practices. In addition, the collegiality of master gardeners allows us to share our knowledge with the public at many outreach venues,” according to Ken Sherrick, 2013 graduate of the UConn Extension Master Gardener Program in Middlesex County.
For additional information on the program and to apply online or download the application, please visit https://mastergardener.uconn.edu/?p=1005
Gail K Reynolds, MFS
UConn Master Gardener Program Coordinator
UConn Extension
Middlesex County Extension Center
1066 Saybrook Road, PO Box 70
Haddam, CT 06438
gail.reynolds@uconn.edu
