This article originally appear in the May / June issuing ofNorthern Gardener .
As volunteers train by theUniversity of Minnesota Extension , Master Gardenersprovidehorticultural educationto the community of interests . Teaching adults and youth likewise through a miscellany of venues — community teaching , schools , garden club encounter , community garden , give and food ledge garden , and peculiar events — Hennepin County Master Gardeners(HCMGs ) also reply to gardening interrogation on the Garden Hotline and assist residents in their county with environmental progeny related to horticulture .
Community Connections
The Hennepin County Master Gardeners’ Learning Tour is a highlight each summer.
Del Hampton , HCMGs community program chair , is specially moved to bring horticulture into schools . “ The schoolyard garden are a great way to instruct youth how to acquire a good for you family relationship with food , ” says Del. “ Embedding gardening in the science curriculum makes developing gardening skills part of the normal school experience . Using fresh green goods in the schooling dejeuner platform help youth develop a taste for intelligent food . ” HCMGs also underpin schools through a Junior Master Gardener program at Champlin - Brooklyn Park Academy for Math and Environmental Sciences and give programming assistance at a numeral of local elementary and center schools .
HCMGs have a special drive to work in community gardens because they make residential district pridefulness , grow friendships , bring home the bacon an arena for share knowledge and help people run through well through fresh produce . “ The demand for community of interests garden and urban USDA initiatives has explode in recent years based on the desire to have local , organic , and seasonal food , ” say Mollie Dean , the radical ’s community program chair emeritus . “ This movement is attracting young people to nutrient production , and they are learning to be mobilized to reach their goals . It is great to have energized , dogged , and idealistic people banding together and accomplish practical results . ”
Working with MSHS
There are lots of fun ideas to see on the HCMG tour.
“ Minnesota Green has build our capability to attend to the community gardens we form in , ” says Terry Straub , HCMG ’s program coordinator . Plant textile donate through Minnesota Green has been establish at community gardens where HCMGs on a regular basis teach , including Sabathani Community Garden , Aeon Alliance Apartments , Hope Communities , Heritage Park Community Garden , Church of the Nazarene and others . “ The plants people get make a veridical difference of opinion , ” says Mollie . “ For many , it is a stretch to purchase tomatoes and peppers or seeded player at a garden store , and these contribution give them much more food than they could have provided on their own . ”
HCMGs have also distributedMSHS Garden - in - a - Boxkits to low - income members of their community through their “ Vegetable Growing BASIC ” division . If someone completes five of the six course in the series , they are eligible for a Garden - in - a - Box kit .
look gardeners start from dough and progress to a successful vegetable garden is “ vastly rewarding , ” says Del. “ Our end is to help oneself people have bountiful gardens over many year , ” says Mollie , “ and it can take on-going support over several years for many class participant to meet the challenges of sustaining a vegetable garden . The Garden - in - a - Box kits offer a manageable start . I palpate that I have made a difference in peoples ’ life when they say that they have eaten better because of what they take in a gardening class and then reach in their garden . ”
The Master Gardeners also host anannual plant sales agreement . This yr ’s cut-rate sale to be hold May 17 at the Hopkins Pavilion in Hopkins will include “ MN Winners ” seedling , which are plants that test well in the Master Gardener Seed Trials . The HCMG Learning Garden Tour in July will feature eight garden with teaching station presenting topic ranging from rain gardens to downcast - maintenance lawn upkeep to beer brewing .
— Brenda Harvieux
