By Georgette Recker – Intern, Somervell County Master Gardeners
We grow many things in our lives. We grow careers, relationships, children, pets, vegetables, and flowers. We grow in experience, wisdom, and knowledge. We grow up, grow out, and grow older. But, have you ever wondered how a Master Gardener is grown? Although I was slightly familiar with the program and had even attended a few talks and demonstrations, I never really considered how one becomes a Master Gardener until the day I approached an acquaintance and asked how I would go about joining.
You see, I was looking for knowledge and information about growing flowers and vegetables in our new home, and I was looking to find a few friends who had similar interests. I never suspected the reaction I received. “You are ours!” my acquaintance replied, and the journey began.
Before I really had an opportunity to actually sit down and investigate the process I found myself sitting in a monthly meeting of the Somervell County chapter of Master Gardeners. I was greeted warmly and told I needed to apply soon as the training classes began in April. I filled out the application that week, wrote my check, and marched myself into the County Extension office. A quick interview on the spot (really just a getting to know you encounter) confirmed I was indeed qualified to be accepted into the training program.
After a second chapter meeting that centered around an open house and being introduced to a few of the other want-a-bees, as the new faces are dubbed, I was carpooling up the road to Granbury for our first Master Gardener Certification Course.
The training sessions began with the same promise held by an early Spring day. I chose my seat, pulled out my new school supplies and quickly began to feel overwhelmed by the gust of information I was attempting to take in. However, during the morning session I was quickly made aware that my reasons for joining the program were valid, but there is so much more. You see, Master Gardeners are all about outreach and education. So, I was going to grow beyond my own backyard, outward, to become a member of a community where I could learn, educate, and serve. Perfect!
My mood altered slightly as the afternoon session came to an end. I was unsure I really had comprehended a thing. I’d had a good time, grown to know my fellow trainees a bit better, been fed well, and entertained, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe I was too old to learn. Falling into bed that night the small seed of hope and expectation inside me needed more of what all new seeds require. I reminded myself of the warmth and wonderful feelings of fellowship with people who share my interests and passion. I let myself slip into sleep assured I would feel better in the morning.
And I did! As the week rapidly cruised toward the next meeting date, I found myself sharing information I had been given. My lucky, and very patient, husband got to be the recipient of many mini lectures concerning plant development. I had learned, and armed with new knowledge I became anxious to share.
In the days following that first training session, the small, tentative seed of hope and expectation inside me soon began to be nourished by information, smiles, encouragement, food, and yes even a few hugs. The members made me feel truly welcomed and were more than ready to include me in their meetings and projects, and I began to feel grounded in my decision.
I began to understand that just as a plant progresses from a tiny seed to a productive part of nature, a Master Gardener follows the same path. Seeds are planted in the soil where they receive protection, warmth, water, and nutrients. Seeds rely on the soil to provide stability, and they hold in themselves some whisper of hope and expectation. I felt the same.
Newly planted seeds eventually begin to crack open and out pushes the root. The meristem at the tip of the root makes new cells, and those cells divide and grow. I joined in an expedition to acquire plants for the SCMG plant sale. The zone of elongation follows the meristem as the root develops and is where the new cells continue to grow and increase in size moving the root through the soil. I arrived early in the morning of the plant sale and helped set up then worked throughout the morning selling, meeting new people, and spending time getting to know the other members. In the developing root, and behind the zone of elongation, comes the zone of maturation where the cells change and become the specific tissue that absorbs water and minerals from that water and start to move water and food throughout the plant. I joined in to help remove weeds and plant new shrubs and flowers at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. Root hairs are found on the outside of the root and take in water and nutrients. I took in smiles, confirmation, laughter, and yes, more food. And finally, there is a root cap at the very bottom of the root that protects the meristem and sloughs off cells as the root continues to move through the soil. My new friends are protecting me with kindness as I slough off all those doubts and insecurities that plagued me early on in my journey.
How do you grow a Master Gardener? I am beginning to understand and will keep you updated as I continue to grow and develop.