You can extend your reach in the garden and the community by becoming a Master Gardener.

Last autumn, I taught a course on vegetable gardening for Michigan State University’s Master Gardener program to an enthusiastic group of gardeners in Engadine, a small town west of Sault Ste. Marie. Traveling from my home near the Soo through a heavily forested stretch of the Eastern Upper Peninsula to Engadine (along Cloverland Electric Co-op’s “country lines”) was proof positive that MSU’s Master Gardener program has a far reach.

From Ontonagon to Adrian, the MSU Master Gardener program fulfills its promise to spread the gospel of gardening to as many people as possible—over 28,000 at last count. More precisely, they teach gardeners advanced techniques in gardening and horticulture so these “new recruits” can in turn teach what they’ve learned to other gardeners.

“The goal of the Master Gardener program is to teach people how to garden based on the research at MSU, with the idea that they in turn will teach other gardeners,” says Mary McLellan, state master gardener coordinator. There are over 4,500 active Master Gardeners.

MSU’s Master Gardener program was founded in 1978, and is offered in most counties in the state. It consists of 12-14 weeks of classes taught by people who are experts in various aspects of gardening and horticulture. These gardeners study the finer points of soil and plant science, pest management, lawn care, small fruit, tree fruit, woody ornamentals and successful techniques for growing flowers, vegetables and indoor plants. Upon completion, enrollees are awarded a certificate that bears an embossed MSU logo.

Community Involvement

In addition to course work from the MSU Master Gardener’s manual and the lectures, the potential Master Gardeners must agree to offer up 40 hours of volunteer time in some type of community gardening project. Opportunities range from answering a gardening hotline to planting flowers in public places, such as parks and Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) rest stops and welcome centers. The volunteers’ work makes the public aware of the benefits of gardening and the need to protect natural resources.

“Not only is the community enriched by the projects the volunteers do, but we can help people become aware of our precious natural resources and the importance of protecting them,” McLellan says. “There is a benefit to the community in that a larger audience can take advantage of the research at MSU.”

The program delves into the unchangeable basics of gardening, such as soil and plant science, and it has changed with the times. While chemicals were once considered the first choice in pest control in the garden, people are now taught integrated pest management, which relies on other means of pest control, using chemicals only as a last resort.

One of the more notable projects the Master Gardeners have undertaken recently, according to McLellan, was planting flowers at Michigan’s rest stops. Not only did the newly-christened Master Gardeners plant flowers to beautify the rest stops, they also volunteered their time to staff the rest stops during summer holidays, answering questions about their creations and gardening in general.

“This was a unique partnership between MDOT and Michigan State,” says McLellan. “They approached us about doing it,” she adds with apparent pride.

The Master Gardening program is not exclusive to people who are passionate about gardening, although it does help. It attracts lifelong learners, according to Terry McLlean, who started as a Master Gardener and is now horticulture educator for MSU’s Master Gardener program in Genessee County. McLlean coordinates an all-volunteer gardening hotline for the county. Master gardeners answer a variety of questions – from how to grow a huge tomato to saving roses from a black spot outbreak.

“It (the Master Gardener program) attracts people who like helping others,” says McLlean, who is an MSU graduate. “We share an environmentally-friendly message with others.” She admits that the program is also a good way to make friends who share the same interests.

The Junior Master Gardener program teaches young kids. “The Junior Master Gardeners reach out to each other in their own way,” explains McLellan, “They become aware early-on about the environment and learn to be good stewards of our natural resources.”

Students in the Junior program perform their community service by beautifying the grounds around elementary schools and planting tree seedlings and other plants on school property. The Junior program got its start in Ann Arbor by an enthusiastic volunteer, according to McLellan, and has become so large that it will now be coordinated through MSU’s Children’s Garden. Designed to arouse the curiosity and interest of children, the Children’s Garden is a series of delightful gardens located on the MSU campus.

Prison Connection

The Master Gardening program even has extended its reach inside a Michigan prison. Dozens of inmates at the Kinross Correctional Facility have become certified Master Gardeners, according to Jim Lucas, extension agent for Chippewa County. Their community service for over a decade now has consisted of growing hundreds of pumpkins and donating them to local elementary schools and offering fresh produce to churches, local food banks, the Salvation Army, and other nonprofit organizations.

In past years, the group averaged approximately 20,000 pounds from an acre. In 2005 they grew and donated over 100,000 pounds of produce. The increase likely was due to a recently-installed irrigation system, Lucas says.

“It’s a self-sustaining program,” Lucas says. While MSU has provided extensive support over the years, including guest speakers, these days much of the program is taught by the inmates themselves, who have become experts in their own right.

If you’re interested in finding out when the next Master Gardening classes start in your area, visit their Web site or call your local MSU extension office. Courses generally begin after Christmas or in the fall.