Originally published March 31, 2016 Forsythia and hyacinths were blooming during an unseasonably warm December 2015. Home gardeners phoned the Horticulture Help Desk at Penn State Extension, Franklin County, wanting to know if there was anything they should do. Master Gardeners who answered the calls were able to tell them not to worry. Plants that were tricked into blooming as if winter was over may have fewer blooms this coming spring but will most likely survive. Penn State Extension, a part of Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, is an educational network that gives people in Pennsylvania's 67 counties access to the University's research-based resources, information and expertise. The Penn State Master Gardener volunteer program supports the outreach mission of Penn State Extension by using that information to educate the public and our communities on best practices in horticulture and environmental stewardship. “We are not trying to sell a particular product or service,” said Extension Educator for Cumberland County Annette MaCoy in an interview at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. “We are trying to give the … home gardener … good solid information from an environmentally sound point of view. We try to give them all the options and steer them toward what are the best recommendations to produce a healthy productive garden.” According to Nancy Knauss, State Coordinator for the Master Gardener program, there are currently more than 3,100 Master Gardeners in Pennsylvania. In 2015 they volunteered over 187,000 hours, reaching 250,405 adults and 44,219 youth. In Franklin County there are 74 certified Master Gardeners this year plus six Apprentices who have finished their 18 weeks of training classes. They are trained by Penn State University faculty and Extension staff, learning about gardening from a research-based point of view. To maintain their certification they are required to volunteer a minimum of 20 hours of work and take 10 hours of advanced training each year. Covering the Help Desk is one way Master Gardeners help Extension. After training, they volunteer their time to provide horticulture outreach and education to the residents of the county in which they live. They serve the home gardening public by answering questions, giving classes and workshops, speaking to groups, maintaining demonstration gardens and in many other ways. On January 15, the Pennsylvania Farm Show Master Gardener Pesticide Education booth assisted more than 1,300 visitors. The Master Gardener program was initiated in 1972 in Seattle, Washington. David Gibby, an Extension Agent in King County, is credited for designing the program to meet the demand for reliable home gardening information. It was so successful in the state of Washington that it was adopted by all 50 States, Korea and three Canadian provinces. Each month local calendars and bulletin boards advertise classes and workshops presented by Master Gardeners. For 2016 the full-year schedule of over 50 classes and workshops runs the gamut of gardening topics with repeats of popular annual ones such as Herbs, Simply Succulents, Turfgrass, Cornhusk Wreaths and Dolls, and Composting plus Hypertufa: Mud Pies for Grown-ups, the hands-on “make and take” workshop to create garden pots. New offerings include Daylilies, Butterfly Garden Design, Pesticides for Home Gardeners, Crafting with Succulents and more. "This year we are presenting new offerings suggested at last year's programs," said Donna Scherer, Master Gardener Coordinator for Franklin County. "The few family-friendly programs last year were successful, and parents requested more, so we added six new programs." Family-friendly programs are opportunities for parents to work and learn along with their children. While some programs are for ages 8 and up, several are planned for younger ages. There is a workshop making flower seed balls in April, Bug ID class in June and Worms Ate My Homework (Worm Composting) in the fall. The Victory Garden, a hands-on vegetable gardening workshop for the public, runs from April to October. This program is a combination of weekly classes plus hands-on work in the garden. Participants take home garden-grown produce and the know-how to grow their own. This is also an excellent opportunity for groups that want to establish community garden programs to take the workshop and learn from the ground up. Container gardening is among the most popular speaker topics requested by county groups along with information on pollinators and butterflies. Master Gardeners with special interest and information about topics attend meetings and give presentations. The historic and local significance of the Gass Garden is another topic of interest. Presentations and demonstrations are also provided to libraries, school classes and home-school groups on other topics. "I always find the groups who invite me to speak ask great questions, are enthusiastic and appreciative,” said Master Gardener Laurie Collins. “My favorite part is when people approach afterwards and tell me what they learned from my presentation. That's when I know I've achieved my goal; to educate." In Franklin County, Master Gardeners are fortunate to have space for eight different demonstration gardens. The Victory Garden workshop and the 4-H Garden Club have designated areas for their programs. There are also Herb, Sun Perennial and Drought-Tolerant gardens plus the Woodland Meadow Native Habitat area. The Pollinator Friendly Garden is part of a state-wide network established to regularly document which bees and pollinating insects are visiting the plants. The data is sent to the College of Agricultural Sciences where researchers collate the information for research on pollinators. This garden is now an official Monarch Waystation that provides resources necessary for Monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. Our newest garden is the historical Gass Garden, celebrating a native son who played a leading role in the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Located near the entrance of the Extension office it features plants found during the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Archaeological finds unearthed during work in the garden include coins dating back to the 1600's plus arrowheads and a small knife. Special Events: Spring Plant Sale and Tomato Day To support the Franklin County Master Gardeners’ demonstration gardens, programs and events, each year they hold a Spring Plant Sale in May. It offers greenhouse grown vegetables and annuals as well as a wide variety of perennials. What makes this sale so special? The greenhouse plants, grown on the Extension grounds, are primarily heirloom vegetables and flowers as well as other hard-to-find plants. The perennials, from ground covers and daylilies, to sun and shade plants including irises, trees, shrubs and hardy herbs, are all obtained by dividing plants from local gardens. There are typically more than 2,500 plants that over-wintering to be available next spring. Since 2000, Master Gardeners have hosted an Annual Tomato Day in August. In addition to blind tomato taste testing and judging by the public, the day usually includes a special display table for hot peppers, from mild to medium to super-hot, a large display of fresh floral centerpieces and contests for the largest tomato and best salsa. For information on how to become a Penn State Master Gardener, or to receive notification about programs and events, call the Franklin County Extension Office (717-263-9226). To register for classes or workshops, call the Extension Office. Credit cards are accepted. ~ Carol Kagan, Master Gardener Comments are closed.
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AuthorCarol Rhoades Kagan, Chambersburg, PA CategoriesArchives
November 2020
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2023 Franklin County Master Garden Plant Sale | our blog & notes |