Regular readers have heard me mention master gardeners before, but perhaps you're wondering what exactly a master gardener is and what do they do. Now is a good time to explain the details, because we are actively recruiting new volunteers to be trained this fall.

The Master Gardener Program is run nationwide by Cooperative Extension offices throughout the United States. In our region, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Clinton and Essex Counties has a Master Gardener Program that I oversee with the help of our horticulture educators: Anne Lenox Barlow in Clinton County and Emily Selleck in Essex County. This is a lot more than just an in-depth course in gardening -- the purpose of the program is to train volunteers who will then teach others what they have learned, using a wide range of teaching methods.

FALL TRAINING

The Master Gardener Program isn't for everyone. There is a considerable volunteer commitment of 50 hours a year, but those who are able to fit in the time say it's an excellent way to learn more about their favorite topic (gardening) while helping others. New training is held every other year in the Clinton/Essex county region. The training this fall will be held at the extension office in Westport (we'll help arrange car-pooling for the training). Only the training is regional; once that is finished, the meetings and volunteer time take place in the county and community of the individual Master Gardener volunteers.

The mission of the Master Gardener Program is to train volunteers to teach others how to protect the environment and grow plants more effectively.

Applications for the program are due in our office by June 20. Interviews will be conducted in July, and notification will be mailed by early August. Program size is limited, and applicants will be chosen on their availability, willingness to volunteer, communication skills and a solid experience in gardening. This year, we are especially looking for people with problem-solving skills to work on our Growline, answering garden questions from the public. We are also looking for people who would be willing to give informal talks and workshops on gardening topics.The training begins Tuesday, Sept. 9, and continues every successive Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The last training date is Tuesday, Nov. 18. A practical and hands-on style of presentation will be used with an emphasis on trouble-shooting, prevention and environmentally friendly methods of plant health care. Topics to be covered include: cool-season gardening, composting, ecological lawn care; selecting, planting and maintaining trees and shrubs; soil management and trouble-shooting plant problems. The teaching will be done by our staff, some veteran Master Gardener volunteers and me.

The cost of the program is $150, which includes 50 hours of training, a large resource binder, pH test kit and other program materials.

Examples of some of the Master Gardener educational projects include: answering gardening questions that come into the office, creating educational exhibits, setting up exhibits at local fairs, events and farmers markets, assisting 4-H clubs or schools with gardening projects, writing articles for our newsletter and holding workshops on a topic of interest.

TO LEARN MORE

For more information and an application packet contact your local Cornell Cooperative Extension county office. In Clinton County, the office is at 6064 Route 22, Plattsburgh 12901, and the phone number is 561-7450; and in Essex County, the address is P.O. Box 388, Westport, NY 12993, and the phone is 962-4810. People who live outside these two counties should contact their own county extension office about possibilities. You can also visit our Web site to see the brochure and more details and even download the application: http://ecgardening.cce.cornell.edu/mgclass.html.

Also, Anne Lenox Barlow will be at the Plattsburgh Farmers Market on opening day, Saturday, May 10, from 9 a.m. to noon to answer your gardening questions and explain the Master Gardener Program.