When a reader from Smith County (Carthage) emailed asking about classes where she could learn more about growing flowers and techniques for maintaining them, the various public education classes available through Master Gardeners in Cookeville (Putnam County) came to mind. I recommend visiting the Putnam County Master Gardener (PCMG) web page www.pcmg-tn.org to learn about their Saturday Series of classes. Topics include lawns, square foot gardening, plant propagation, and Spring bulbs. This group also educates through demonstration gardens in the area. One example is the ‘Healing Garden’ on the Cookeville Regional Medical Center campus at the Cancer Center. Another possibility is the more extensive training offered by UT Extension for those wishing to become Master Gardeners. This option is suitable for home gardeners who have both a thirst for horticultural knowledge and a desire to share that information with others.
The Master Gardener concept started in Washington state in 1972. Washington State University (WSU) Extension agents in metropolitan/suburban counties already had their hands full answering questions on crops, farm animals and rural issues when a upsurge of public interest in home vegetable gardening, flower gardening, landscape and flowering plants (urban horticulture topics) became overwhelming. Economic times were tough so hiring more agents to respond to the demand for urban horticulture education and requests for diagnoses of yard and garden problems wasn’t practical. Plant clinics which became prototypes for Master Gardener training, presented gardening information to members of the public willing to pass along what they learned to their neighbors. Publicity for these events called for “Expert Gardeners to Become Master Gardeners”. As the program gained popularity in Washington, other states and some provinces in Canada jumped on the Master Gardener bandwagon. Today Master Gardener (MG) volunteers are an international community resource providing good university-based horticultural information and thousands of service hours to local horticulture-related projects.
Training and direction for Tennessee Master Gardeners is through the University of Tennessee (UT) Extension Service. The website http://mastergardener.tennessee.edu/ answers the questions “Who are Tennessee Master Gardeners (TMGs)?” and “What does a Tennessee Master Gardener do?”. There are approximately 2,000 active TMGs. All get 36-40 hours of horticultural training and return 40 hours of volunteer community service through their Extension office to earn the title ‘Certified Tennessee Master Gardener’. MGs who continue participation in the program after certification give back at least 25 hours of service and must earn a minimum of eight continued education hours annually.
Those who want to take classes and become a certified TMG should contact their county UT Extension office to add their names to the waiting list for Master Gardener training. A notice of upcoming MG classes is typically sent to all on the list. When class space is limited, first responders have the best chance of getting a spot. In counties without an active TMG organization, like Smith County, residents should contact their local UT Extension office to learn which neighboring counties offer this training. Would be Master Gardeners living in Smith County may attend Master Gardener training in either Lebanon (Wilson County, 615-444-9584) or Cookeville (Putnam County, 931-526-4561 & 931-526-8377). Wilson County classes start in mid-February. Putnam County MG training begins in January.