PPDL Picture of the Week
February 26, 2018
Purdue Master Gardeners Help Others Grow!
John Orick, Purdue Master Gardener State Coorinator, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
The purpose of the Purdue
Master Gardener Program is to train volunteers to assist Purdue Extension
Offices with consumer horticulture education needs in local communities. Purdue
Master Gardener volunteers complete horticultural training in a variety of
topics (soils, plant nutrition, plant science, weed identification and control,
insect identification and control, pesticide safety and alternatives, plant
disease diagnosis, lawn care, herbaceous ornamentals, etc.). The Purdue Master
Gardener Basic Training is 13-18 weeks long and is conducted by Purdue
Extension Educators in participating Indiana Counties. To become a Purdue Master
Gardener Intern, participants must pay the local fees, complete the Purdue
Master Gardener Basic Training, and pass an exam over the material presented
with a score of 70% or above. In order to become certified, interns are
required to complete at least 35 hours of volunteer activity approved by their
local Purdue Extension Educator (County Master Gardener Coordinator). Volunteer
activities performed by Purdue Master Gardeners fulfill the program’s purpose
of educating Indiana residents in the area of home horticulture and gardening.
Purdue Master Gardener volunteers can earn Advanced Master Gardener levels as
high as Gold-5,000 hours to be recognized for their work. Purdue Master
Gardeners are required to complete a minimum of 12 volunteer hours and 6
educational training hours per year to remain active in the program and
continue their training in home horticulture. During 2017, 2,635 Purdue Master
Gardener volunteers contributed 170,375 volunteer hours valued at just over
$3.9 million!
Purdue Master Gardeners make a difference in the
lives of others by sharing their gardening knowledge. Purdue Master Gardeners
across the state have coordinated educational bus tours, held social functions
to learn about gardening from each other, taught youth gardening classes, and conducted
gardening seminars to educate the public.
People interested in the Purdue Master Gardener Program
are encouraged to contact their local Purdue Extension Office for more
information about a Purdue Master Gardener Basic Training scheduled in a county
near them. Come, be a part of “Helping Others Grow” in your community!
Publications and Related Websites:
Purdue Extension County offices: https://extension.purdue.edu/pages/countyoffices.aspx