Interest in gardening surged during the coronavirus pandemic as Arkansans took to the outdoors, and that interest doesn't seem to be fading.
The Arkansas Master Gardeners program, part of the University of Arkansas System's Agriculture Division, continues to be the state's largest horticulture volunteer and education organization. Registration for its fall online training, set to begin Sept. 22, is now open.
This year's training will be conducted on Zoom and will have five sessions from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sept. 22, Sept. 29, Oct. 6, Oct. 20, and Oct. 27.
The cost is $75 and includes 40 hours of training and the master gardener handbook, according to a news release.
Training will include basic botany, soils and fertilizer, pest control and pesticide use.
In addition, there will be classes on landscape design, vegetable and fruit gardening, annuals and perennials and other topics of interest to homemakers. Each new master gardener is also is paired with a mentor in their county.
"Our mentors are what sets this volunteer program apart from others," said Berni Kurz, extension consumer horticulture educator for the division. "They provide guidance to new gardeners and help answer questions."
Volunteerism is crucial to many Cooperative Extension Service programs, including master gardeners. Members complete 40 hours of volunteer service after their training. To maintain membership, they complete 20 education hours and 20 hours of community service each year.
"Communities across Arkansas have benefited greatly from the master gardeners' work in public gardens, parks and other public spaces," Kurz said. "You can see the work of master gardeners in almost every county in the state."
Starting with just four counties and 40 members in 1988, the Arkansas Master Gardener program is now 3,200 volunteers strong in 67 counties.
For a program application, contact a county agent through a county Cooperative Extension Service office. A directory of county offices is available at https://www.uaex.uada.edu/counties/.
For more information about the program in Arkansas, visit www.uaex.uada.edu/master-gardeners. To learn more about other extension programs in Arkansas, contact a local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow the agency on Twitter at @AR_Extension.