CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – I imagine you know someone who fits the description of having a green thumb. Well, there is an organization in Clarksville-Montgomery County that has a whole bunch of people, who in turn have a whole lot of green thumbs.
The Montgomery County Master Gardeners put all of their gardening talents together to carry out their mission which they say is to serve the horticultural needs to those living in Clarksville and the surrounding area.
Recently Clarksvillenow.com sat down with Karla Kean, Horticulture and Small Farms Agent with the UT Extension Office in Montgomery County and Coordinator of the local Master Gardeners program.
Kean explained that being a Master Gardener is really a whole lot about being a volunteer. The website describes the group as an organization of volunteers who provide service and education to the Clarksville-Montgomery County community.
Kean laid out the steps to becoming a Master Gardener. She said first there is a class which consists of 13 weeks of training, followed by a test, and then each individual has one year to finish 40 hours of volunteer service to become an official Master Gardener.
The importance of being a volunteer is emphasized if you want to hold on to your title as a Master Gardener because each year a person must carry out 25 volunteer hours and earn eight CEU’s or Continued Education Units.
Kean said right now there are 84 Master Gardeners in Montgomery County and they have 12 ongoing projects and there are some things that a person can do on their own as long it is related to horticulture that will be accepted as hours.
A background in gardening isn’t really necessary but you do have to have a love of gardening. “We’ve had people come in with no experience whatsoever who want to learn from the ground up and then we’ve had landscapers and tree care people that just want the extra education,” said Kean.
The Master Gardeners Association holds a number of events throughout the year in their efforts to inform and involve the local community and the website says the association is open to people of all ages, regardless of socio-economic level, race, color, sex, or disability
To learn more about the Montgomery County Master Gardeners Association or sign up for a class to become a Master Gardener, visit montgomerycountymastergardeners.com, call Karla Kean at 931-648-5725 or email kkean@utk.eud