The pandemic has produced a bumper crop of gardeners – people who finally have time to cultivate fruits and vegetables, flowers, bushes and trees. Now, Virginia’s master gardener program is gearing up to train anyone who’s serious about making things grow.
Becoming a master gardener is no small goal. Cooperative extension offers 55 hours of classes, a test and 50 hours of relevant volunteer work. The goal is to train an army of people committed to green practices and landscapes.
“We want to take care of the environment,” says master gardener Bev Thierwechter. “We want to make sure that we’re not putting undue amounts of chemicals in our water. We’re trying to protect wildlife and the birds and the pollinators + We’re just trying to take care of the planet. We only have one planet.”
Graduates are eligible to staff a help desk, write for a newsletter, advise Virginians on growing healthy lawns, school yard and demonstration gardens. Once they’re certified, Thierwechter adds, master gardeners are obliged to keep up with the times.
“After completing the class and the exam, the extension master gardener interns must volunteer fifty hours to achieve their full certification,” Thierwechter explains. “Then after that 20 hours a year plus eight hours of continuing education to maintain their certification.”
The program costs about $200, but an introduction to master gardening is available on Zoom free of charge on October 8th, 15th and 22nd. Those dates are for the Piedmont master gardeners program.
Click here for more information or to find training in your part of Virginia
