Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - 33

Gardens maintained by Master Gardeners support native
pollinators in more ways than one. The Extension garden in
Bogart features bee hives crafted from reclaimed materials.
been overwhelmingly positive, and Dorn hopes the event will
become a regular feature on the Master Gardener calendar.
" Visitors saw things that they wanted to put in their own
'Master Gardeners are
constantly learning and
desire to share [their
knowledge] with other
people.'
The group also maintains a
" plant-a-row " garden, where group
members grow fruits and vegetables for
local food banks and low-income seniors.
The Master Gardener program began in 1979 in Georgia.
The concept originated in Washington state in 1973, when an
overwhelmed Extension agent enlisted volunteers to help field
the public's gardening questions.
Dorn says that skillful gardening takes training, knowledge
and understanding of insects and diseases, how plants grow and
how ecology works.
" Master Gardeners have dedicated a lot of their time to
understanding that, " she says. " They're constantly learning and
desire to share [their knowledge] with other people. "
Houston County Master Gardeners highlighted four
gardens during Open Garden Days: a large public garden at
Hafley Park in Perry, a native garden at Perry Library in Perry,
the Sacred Heart Catholic Church St. Isadore vegetable garden
in Warner Robins and the therapeutic Hope Garden at Robins
Air Force Base.
The 72 active Master Gardeners also teach homeowner
classes and help with site visits around the county, says Morgan
Grizzle, Houston County Extension agriculture and natural
resources agent.
" Our Master Gardeners are very involved in the county and
a lot of help to what we do here at Extension to help get good
research-based information out to the public, " she says.
In Bartow County, Master Gardeners put their heirloom
roses on display at the historic Rose Lawn Museum in
Cartersville. The festival-like atmosphere of Open Garden Days
also featured hands-on demonstrations by the Georgia Native
Plant Society and guided tours by a UGA horticulturist.
Dorn borrowed the Open Garden Days concept from
similar events in Great Britain, where private gardens are
opened to the public as fundraisers. Feedback from visitors has
garden, and they felt like what they saw they could do at home, "
Dorn says. " That's the whole point. These are very simple things
you can do at home to improve your garden, enjoy plants and
make your space brighter. "
Participation ranged from some of the state's largest Master
Gardener programs-such as those in Fulton
County and Chatham County, which have
hundreds of members who maintain numerous
gardens-to its smallest, which have a handful
of volunteers who do an enormous amount
of work.
Glynn County, which has one of the smaller
- Sheri Dorn
Master Gardener programs, opened its Madge
Merritt 4-H Teaching Garden in Brunswick. The
space is a former school playground where Master
Gardeners invite the public to participate in
gardening events and get the kids involved through 4-H activities.
" They are just a very small but mighty group of Master
Gardeners, but they put their heart and soul into this garden and
open it up to the community, " Dorn says.
" I've always had a high regard for Master Gardeners because
they are so dedicated in so many ways. It's important for our
community to have people [who] can and are willing to step up
and be involved. And to combine that with Extension's
educational mission, it's just a real value for everybody. "
Laura Berrios is a freelance writer based in Alpharetta.
How to become a Georgia Master Gardener
Interested in becoming a Georgia Master Gardener Extension
volunteer? Here's how:
* Check your local program: Contact your local county
Extension offi ce to see if a Master Gardener program is active.
Classes typically form in spring or fall.
* Apply early: Space is often limited, so apply as soon as
possible. If your county's program is full or inactive, you may
be able to join a neighboring county's program, though
preference is usually given to local residents.
* Complete the training: Accepted volunteers must complete
42 hours of classroom training on topics such as landscape
design, plant propagation and wildlife control. Training
occurs once or twice a week, with midterm and fi nal exams.
* Volunteer commitment: Upon completing training,
volunteers are expected to assist their local Extension offi ces
with community education.
For more details, contact your county Extension offi ce at
(800) 275-8421.
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Georgia Magazine - November 2024

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