Master Gardener Journey

Last fall, I applied and was accepted into the WSU Master Gardener program. The orientation class this week launches my training. My passion is plants and people, so this is a perfect way for me to give back to my community.

Perhaps my years of farming and gardening will help in my learning curve? What I know is that there is so much I don’t know! For instance, my Lemon Cypress trees that I brought inside this fall because they don’t winter well in our zone 7 are slowly dying! Why?

Dying Lemon Cypress tree after two month indoors!

The WSU Master Gardener program involves over 100 hours in training, then a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer service to become a certified Master Gardener. Once certified as a Master Gardener, Veteran Master Gardeners continue their education and their volunteer service to their communities. As a farmer, my world is horticulture and environmental stewardship, so I’m excited about the formal training from WSU. As a trained teacher, I look forward to the myriad of volunteer opportunities to share what I have learned.

My home garden summer 2019

I like this quote by Michael Pollan, “The single greatest lesson the garden teaches is that our relationship to the planet need not be zero-sum, and that as long as the sun still shines and people still can plan and plant, think and do, we can, if we bother to try, find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing the world.”

Michael’s quote sums up my reasons for making this commitment. Hopefully, my volunteer service will help cultivate plants, people, and our community so that we continue to provide for ourselves without diminishing the world! Please join me on my journey to becoming a Master Gardener.

Perhaps I will learn what I did wrong with my Lemon Cypress Trees!

This is in the summer when my Lemon Cypress trees were happy!