My name is Merilyn Cranford and I have found being a Master Gardener to be a wonderful learning
experience. I have gained many friends along the way who enjoy ‘digging in dirt’. However, my first
gardening teacher was my mother. She always loved being in her gardens and seeing the fruits of her
labors as she watched one season blend into another.
From her instructions, I learned that a healthy garden begins in the kitchen. She saved coffee
grounds which she buried in her flowerbeds to improve the soil. Also, table scraps always found their
way to her garden.
So from year to year as my husband and I moved from place to place, I tried to remember and copy
what I learned from her. My mission was to have something growing/blooming around the house.
Therefore, in December 2000, we moved to a new home in Glen Rose and I had to start from scratch.
Needing a lot of help, I finally got around to signing up for a master gardener training class in 2007.
Well the rest is history as I have been a member of the Somervell County Master Gardeners Association now for 13 years including a number of years when I served as a secretary. It has definitely been an enjoyable experience as I have made many friends and have learned enumerable tips and short cuts. One of the fun things I learned to do was to regrow a poinsettia plant so it would sprout leaves that eventually turned red the second year of growth. I truly surprised myself at the results.
So, if you are looking for a gardening group to join, come check us out. We meet at 10am the third Wednesday of each month at the AgriLife Extension Service. Come join us.