Porter County is announcing its Spring 2015 Master Gardener Course. The program runs Monday evenings from February 2 through May 11, 2015. Classes will be held at the Purdue North Central—Valparaiso campus in the Graduate building. 600 Vale Park Rd, Valparaiso, IN. The classes will be from 5:30-8:30 PM.
The Master Gardener Program helps gardeners grow by providing them with intensive training in horticultural principles. Participants, in turn, share their knowledge by providing volunteer leadership and service to their communities. It is the training that Master Gardener volunteers receive that makes Master Gardener volunteers special.
To help you decide if you should be a Master Gardener, ask yourself these questions? Do I want to learn more about the culture and maintenance of many types of plants? Am I eager to participate in a practical and intense training program? Do I look forward to sharing my knowledge with people in my community? Do I have enough time to attend training and to complete the volunteer service?
When you are accepted into the Master Gardener program, you will attend a Master Gardener training course. Classes are taught by the Purdue University Extension Service specialists, staff, and local experts. The program offers a minimum of 42 hours of instruction that covers topics including lawn care, ornamental trees and shrubs, insect, disease, and weed management; soils and plant nutrition, vegetable gardening; home fruit production; garden flowers; landscaping and herbs. In exchange for training, participants are asked to volunteer time to their county extension program. At least 35 hours of volunteer service following the training is required to earn the title of “Purdue Master Gardener.”
The cost of the class is $200 which includes manuals and materials. Applications need to be submitted to the Extension Office by January 16th for consideration. Class size is limited to 25.
For more information and an application, contact Lyndsay Ploehn, Agriculture & Natural Resources Associate, at (219) 465-3555. Applications are also available on the web at: www.extension.purdue.edu/porter
