By Gaye Harper and Jodi Tooke
Master Gardeners love talking about plants almost as much as tending them. This year they celebrate 30 years of sharing that love of all things green with Arkansas residents.
Master Gardener organizations started in the United States in 1972. Partnering with the University of Arkansas in 1988, four counties started a pilot program: Pulaski, Garland, Jefferson and Saline. Sixty-seven of 75 Arkansas counties now have active programs, recognizing that gardening is one of the most popular hobbies today.
The first class was held in Ferndale with 10 residents from each county. Thereafter and today they hold classes at the Fair Grounds for five consecutive Thursdays, starting with the last Thursday in January, joined by Grant, Hot Spring, Saline, and Montgomery counties. Since then, over 700 graduated, and currently 219 members reside in Garland County.
In 1995, the first State Conference was held in Eureka Springs, and Garland County’s Amelia Aughenbach was the first Master Gardener of the Year. They hosted “Springtime in the Springs” State Convention in 2006 and a Leadership Conference in 2013.
Their first projects were at the Triangle (where Malvern and Grand Avenues meet), teaching gardening in schools and plant therapy at the Caring Place. They offered landscape, vegetable production and home gardening classes, and invited members to their own gardens. Projects grow with membership, and anyone interested in sharing the joy and beauty of gardening may join in this love affair with plants.
Gaye Harper and Jodi Tooke volunteer with GC Master Gardeners of the UofA Div. of Agriculture, Cooperative Ext. Service. Master Gardeners pool skills and resources to improve home horticulture, stimulate interest in plants and gardening, and encourage beautification. For more information, call 501-623-6841 or email abates@uaex.edu.
Celebrating 30 years are Adrianne Kahn, Master Gardeners’ first president and current president, Debbie Atchison.
