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UF/IFAS Extension Services will be cultivating a new group of Master Gardener Volunteers when the next course of classes begins Sept. 14, both online and once a week at Osceola Heritage Park. PHOTO UF/IFAS -
UF/IFAS Extension Services will be cultivating a new group of Master Gardener Volunteers when the next course of classes begins Sept. 14, both online and once a week at Osceola Heritage Park. PHOTO UF/IFAS
Would you like to have a garden or beautify your lawn, but your thumbs aren’t green? Or do you already enjoy gardening, but would like to deepen your understanding about native plants, or how to attract pollinators like bees and butterflies to your garden?
Do you like sharing your knowledge with others? Whether you’re a novice or an avid gardener, now is your opportunity to apply for the upcoming Master Gardener Volunteer Program training class at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) at Osceola Heritage Park Extension Center in Kissimmee.
You can learn the answers to these and many more questions pertaining to horticulture in Central Florida and, then, as a Master Gardener Volunteer, share your newfound knowledge with members of the community.
UF/IFAS Residential Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Coordinator Eva Pabon said Master Gardener Volunteers come to the program from all walks of life with varying degrees of previous horticultural knowledge (no specific prior knowledge or training is required to apply) and serve the community in a number of ways. Historically they have served as educators for community garden members, as well as for individuals with lawn and garden inquiries. They answer questions at the plant clinic in person at the Osceola Extension Center (call or visit the website for current hours and on-site availability). Though COVID restrictions have limited the availability of in-person community education in 2020 and 2021, Pabon says that the Master Gardener Volunteers have still been actively supporting the community. For example, this year they have cultivated vegetables from the Extension Center’s vegetable garden, which were then donated to the St. Cloud Food Pantry.
They also continue to answer questions from the community via phone and email inquiries. Pabon says that, additionally, they are busy preparing for the annual plant sale event to be held in early 2022.
The annual training class for 2021 is set to begin on Sept. 14. Pabon said this year the class consists of pre-recorded lessons that students can watch from home each week, and one in-person class on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with an hour for lunch. The Tuesday classes will alternate locations between the Osceola and Orange County Extension Centers. In exchange for the tuition-free training (there is a course materials cost of $180 per student), upon certification, Master Gardener Volunteers serve 75 volunteer hours during their first year, and 35 volunteer hours each year thereafter to maintain their status, along with continuing education.
While the training involves hands-on activities, and Master Gardener Volunteers do work to cultivate the Extension Center’s demonstration gardens (three main sections include a native plant garden, an ornamental plant garden, and a vegetable garden), their primary focus is on educating community members about caring for their own lawns and gardens.
“The Master Gardeners can help you to identify plants, advise you what horticultural practices to use, and what changes you can make to improve your garden,” Pabon said. “They are not going to go to your house physically and do the job for you, but they will be there to educate you and then you can make the best decisions for your garden. They also do some physical work once in a while because it’s hard to keep a gardener out of the dirt!”
Master Gardeners are trained to provide sound, reliable information when providing support and responding to inquiries.
“Master Gardeners are trained to use our university system, and when they receive questions they provide research-based information to the community, said Cindy Rutherford, the program’s administrative secretary.
For additional information on becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer, or to contact a Master Gardener with law or gardening questions, call 321-697-3000, or email Pabon at epabon5@ufl.edu. Applications are currently being accepted online at https://tinyurl.com/mgvuf. For general information about this and other programs offered to the community by UF/IFAS Extension Osceola, visit http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/osceola.
