UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 31, Page 14
May 9, 1996
Master Gardeners celebrate 10 years of service

     Springtime, with its annual spectacle of bright, colorful flowers
and blossoming trees, seems an appropriate time for the Master
Gardeners program to celebrate its 10th anniversary of helping others
with how-to's and helpful hints about home gardening.
     This spring's class of 30 in one of the program's largest.
Overall, more than 15,000 hours of service have been donated by master
gardeners throughout Delaware.
     A part of Cooperative Extension at the University, the master
gardeners are trained volunteers who complete a 10-week course given
by faculty and professionals from the nursery and landscaping industry
and by  experienced master gardeners. After completing the course, the
participants agree to give 40 hours of volunteer service to
Cooperative Extension.
     Although gardening experience is a plus in becoming a master
gardener, even more important is the desire to share knowledge with
others. "Our goal is to produce better garden educators," Jo Mercer,
extension horticulture educator who coordinates the New Castle County
program, said
     Master gardeners can fulfill their volunteer commitment in
several ways. They can serve on the telephone response team, on
community service, program, school or workshop committees, or on teams
that design, install and maintain demonstration gardens, such as the
ones in Bellevue Park. For example, Janet Staslicka plans to grown
annuals for the gardens surrounding Townsend Hall as her project.
     The program, which originated in Seattle in the early '70s, was
established at the University in 1986 by Susan Barton, extension
specialist in ornamental horticulture. There also are programs in Kent
and Sussex counties, with classes offered during the fall.