Make an impact in 2024: Master Gardeners has a place for you
By Nelda S. Hensley Victoria County Master Gardener
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY BRYNN LEE
2023 Meet & Greet in the pavilion at Victoria Educational Gardens
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY BRYNN LEE/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
Fall Symposium of VCMGA Master Gardeners in the pavilion with big screen in the background
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY BRYNN LEE/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
Master Gardeners working in the greenhouse
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY BRYNN LEE/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
Members working in the greenhouse
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY BRYNN LEE/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
VCMGA’s 2023 Fall Plant Sale
When I was a child growing up in the country, I had two role models for gardening. One was my paternal grandmother who could make any ornamental plant grow in pots on her porch. The other was my mom who faithfully planted a vegetable garden each spring and fall.
As a child, I thought my mom’s garden was a typical garden; looked like all the other “neighbors” in the county. But now, I know, it was huge. We ate vine ripened tomatoes in the spring and harvested baskets of cabbage for sauerkraut making in the fall.
In January 2022, my husband, David, and I were looking for the “next phase” in our lives. We had lengthy conversations regarding our “could-a, would-a, should-a lists” from so many years. We knew we wanted to meet new people, be involved together, be outside and actually do some of those things we had only talked about for so long. We decided Victoria County Master Gardeners was for us. We enrolled in the 2022 training class and off we went into our next phase.
Victoria County Master Gardeners has clear plans for 2024. Our incoming president, Brenson Abbott, shared his goals for the organization in a Gardeners’ Dirt article two weeks ago. Advancing the technology and building a state-of-the-art greenhouse are priorities.
It is also a goal to lead a class of trainees in the 2024 Master Gardener Program who will choose to share the in-depth knowledge of horticulture they gain with neighbors, friends, and community groups.
The first master gardener class was held in 1997. Twenty-seven years later, we are excited to share knowledge and values with the next groups of master gardeners. Those who care for our earth, are interested in making plants grow, and understand the philosophy that people are the best things that can happen to people.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service administers the Master Gardener program at the state level. Victoria County Agrilife Extension Agent Matt Bochat locally oversees the program.
Trainees are responsible for attending a total of 50 hours of instruction beginning Jan. 25, and meeting weekly through April 11. The classes will be in the Pavilion at 283 Bachelor Drive at the Victoria Regional Airport from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday. The fee for the course is $200 and includes all instructional materials.
We will learn about soil, water, insects, trees, turf, weeds, vegetables, herbs, compost, propagation, Texas Superstars, native plants and so much more. Presenters will include horticulturists from Texas A&M and Master Gardeners.
Visit our new website, https://txmg.org/victoria/2024-vcmga-training-class/ for more information and the application form. Click on 2024 VCMGA Training Class on the top, left side of the page. You will find a link to download the application, instructions for submitting the application and a phone number to call if you have questions.
A date you will not want to miss is Jan. 13. From 10 a.m. until noon come to the Pavilion for time to meet and greet local master gardeners. They will help you realize what Victoria Master Gardeners has to offer you.
You don’t have to plan to have a country garden as large as my mother’s was or become gifted at ornamental plants as my grandmother was or be searching for a new phase in your life. You only need a desire to learn more about gardening and nature. The real benefit is you will become a part of a generous group of people who enrich your life.
Join us at Victoria County Master Gardeners in the class of 2024. See you soon.
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.