CONWAY — Members of the Faulkner County Master Gardeners are busy gearing up for their annual plant sale on May 13, but they paused March 8 to reflect on 2016.
Meeting at Antioch Baptist Church in Conway, the group gathered for a potluck luncheon before celebrating last year’s accomplishments.
President Debbie Howell of Conway said that in 2016, the Faulkner County Master Gardeners completed 14,018.75 volunteer work hours and 6,191.25 education hours.
Howell said that to become a Master Gardener, a person must complete a 40-hour training class. Once a person becomes a Master Gardener, he or she is required to give back 40 working hours and 20 education hours during the first year. To maintain the Master Gardener certification, one must give back 20 working hours and 20 education hours each year thereafter.
Sunnie Ruple of Vilonia, past president, introduced winners of the 2016 awards.
Three awards were presented to Friends of Faulkner County Master Gardeners. The Rogers Group Inc. of Conway was honored as the Business Friend; Boy Scouts of America Troop 534 of Conway was honored as the Nonprofit Friend; and Archie Musselman of Vilonia was honored as the Individual Friend of Master Gardeners.
Ruple said the Rogers Group donated 22 tons of screenings for the Legacy Gardens at 110 S. Amity Road.
“For some time, the Legacy Gardens have been in dire need of new screenings to fill and level the pathways that wind through the gardens,” Ruple said. “All it took was a request for help from our coordinators, and this business responded without hesitation. Not only did they offer to donate screenings, but also sent a representative to measure and estimate our needs. It turned out that our needs were great, to the tune of 22 tons. They also provided a driver and dump truck that delivered all that material.”
Ruple said Boy Scout Troop 534 has helped with Master Gardener projects for the past two years.
“Todd Johnson is the leader of this troop,” she said. “This was the second year in a row that this troop has stepped up and helped in the Legacy Gardens by bringing tools, wheelbarrows, trucks, two tractors with lifts and lots of energy. The boys, along with their families, helped lay cardboard and then haul and spread mulch over the garden area. They were also indispensable when they assisted with hauling and leveling 22 tons of screenings on the walkways.”
Ruple said Musselman had built custom garden-furniture pieces for the Faulkner County Master Gardeners for the past two years.
“Even though his home was completely destroyed during the 2014 tornado that tore through Vilonia, Archie spent many hours of his own time constructing the pieces during the reconstruction of his own home,” she said. “That is dedication.”
In 2015, Musselman built a potting bench and, in 2016, a wooden park bench. Both items were raffled at the annual plant sale, with the proceeds going to Master Gardener programs and scholarships.
The Faulkner County Courthouse was named the 2016 Project of the Year. Mary Johnson of Conway coordinated the effort; 26 Master Gardeners worked on the project for a total of 150 hours.
“Built in 1836, the courthouse, a four-story, H-shaped building, began as a Master Gardener project during the first year of service for the inaugural Faulkner County Class of 1996,” Ruple said. “The target audience for the project includes residents of Faulkner County and nonresidents who might visit the courthouse campus, which also includes the Faulkner County Museum, the dogtrot cabin and various other office buildings.
“Needless to say, in the ensuing 20 years since the inception, the plants outgrew their space, and the grounds needed a fresh start,” Ruple said.
“Enter Mary Johnson, chairman of this project for the past three years. Mary applied for and received a Greening of Arkansas grant and has put the money to good use. Partnering with County Judge Jim Baker and his staff, Mary consulted a landscape architect to get advice on revitalizing the various beds that surround the historic structure. The goal was to enhance the garden beds with the placement of plants in varying heights, forms and textures and provide a focal point in the use of planted urns at the front steps.”
Ruple said the renovation is complete, adding, “The evolution of the courthouse gardens is remarkable.”
Ruple introduced James Howard of Vilonia as the 2016 Rookie of the Year. He joined the Faulkner County Master Gardeners in 2016 and logged 277 work hours and 85 education hours.
Howard was elected first vice president of the executive board this year and will be president in 2018. He is chairman of two committees — the Teaching Garden Committee, which instructs members of the public on how to succeed at vegetable gardening, and the logistics team of the Plant Sale Committee.
To conclude the announcement of major awards, Ruple introduced Maire Caverley of Mayflower as the 2016 Faulkner County Master Gardener of the Year. Caverley was the Rookie of the Year in 2014.
“Maire has logged in an amazing 501.75 project [work] hours and has obtained 66 education hours,” Ruple said. “She was plant-sale chairman in 2016 and led over 20 subcommittees in making the plant sale an overwhelming success. She co-chaired the previous year and must have learned the ropes well because she steered the event to have record-breaking profits, making it possible to fund the [Master Gardener] projects and scholarships.”
In addition to the plant sale, Caverley also worked on several other projects last year, including the Mayflower Public Library, the Faulkner County Museum, the Legacy Gardens, the Faulkner County Courthouse and the Social Committee.
Kami Marsh, agriculture agent for the Faulkner County Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, serves as adviser to the Master Gardeners.
“The Faulkner County Master Gardeners program was started in 1996-1997,” Marsh said. “We have grown to over 225 members and continue to grow each year with a new class.
“These great volunteers maintain over 30 projects in the county,” she said. “I wouldn’t have the successful program in horticulture in Faulkner County without them. As their adviser, I believe that the group, while large, is still a family of gardeners. They are always sharing tips, ideas and plants with each other, and with me.”