Spring Primulas If you dream of taking your gardening to the next level, make that dream a reality by becoming a Master Gardener.
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Published: November 20, 2008 1:00 PMUpdated: November 20, 2008 1:07 PM
Coming up in the new year, the Victoria Master Gardener Association is offering its intensive, 16-week program at Glendale Gardens and Woodland. Combining classroom instruction, field trips, home study, assignments and in-class projects, the course is taught in 31 three-hour sessions.
Master Gardeners advocate a multifaceted approach to gardening problems and emphasizes the promotion of plant health, the use of an environmentally responsible approach, and the employment of integrated pest management.
Areas covered in the course include: botany; soils; plant health; plant identification; pruning; turf; fruit trees; berries; vegetables; weeds; plant pests and diseases; and the basic principles of design and the use of ornamentals in the landscape. The course concludes with a mock “clinic” to prepare students for volunteering.
Completion of the program requires a minimum of 80 per cent in each of the following categories: class attendance, homework assignments, an open book final exam; and 60 approved volunteer hours within 18 months following the course.
Those interested in taking the next course must attend a free information session, Saturday, Dec. 6, from 1 to 3 p.m. Call Jane at 250-479-6162 for more information or to register.
Master Gardener classes begin Thursday, Jan. 15 and continue Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon and Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m. The fee for the course is $770, all inclusive. A non-refundable registration fee of $75 is required to secure a place.
