DEWAYNE HOLLOWAY
montcnews2@windstream.net
Montgomery County Master Gardeners will join horticulture enthusiasts from across the state in celebrating the 29th anniversary of the Master Gardeners program next month.
The state Master Gardener program will celebrate their 29th year of service the week of October 8-12.
The Arkansas Master Gardeners program began in 1988 with 40 members in Garland, Jefferson, Pulaski and Saline counties. They now have 3400 volunteers in 67 counties. They reported 89,910 education hours and 163,876 service hours in 2016. They also coordinate over 20 county and regional horticulture events each year.
Montgomery County Master Gardeners began in 1995 and has grown to incluce 34 members, nine of which have achieved lifetime status. Lifetime status is achieved when members have been active for at least 15 years.
Active members volunteer at least 20 hours annually to Montgomery County sanctioned projects.
Projects include:
Montgomery County Courthouse landscape
Extension Annex flower bed
Caddo Gap Indian monument
Caddo Gap High School Memorial Walkway
Montgomery County Library rose bushes
Heritage House Museum landscape
Montgomery County Nursing Home and Rehab resident garden
Garden Buds (residents of nursing home and rehab) visits to their garden
Tasty Acre teaching garden which produces food for the local food pantry
Annual plant sale
Montgomery County Master Gardeners would like to invite everyone to their October meeting, Wednesday, October 3, at 11 a.m. at the Montgomery County Annex.
Anyone interested in joining Master Gardeners can pick up an application form online at uaex.edu and bring it to the meeting where you can begin to learn what it means to be a Master Gardener.
As membership numbers grow opportunities for an increase in sanctioned projects grow. Future projects could include the plaza square in Norman, as well as helping create Tasty Acre garden co-ops at area churches.
The speaker for this month’s meeting is Janet Carson, Cooperative Extension Horticulture Specialist and State Master Gardener Program Coordinator.
Master Gardeners is supported by the University of Arkansas and coordinated through the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
You can go to Facebook for more information regarding the Montgomery County Master Gardeners, or call the local extension office at (870) 867-2311.
