You may be thinking to yourself you would like to know more about gardening, but are not really into YouTube or Google. So where do you look for authentic, non-biased gardening information? North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, is offering a set of seven gardening workshops entitled “Extension Gardening Series.” This series will start October 3 and end November 21, and includes “Growing Vegetables from Seed,” “Easy to Grow Fruits and Berries,” “Sustainable Vegetable Gardening,” and “Organic Pest Management”. Are you interested in native plants for the yard? Then the next two classes - “Native Perennials for Living Landscapes” and “Native Trees and Shrubs for Living Landscapes” - will interest you. The last class offered will be “Sustainable Lawns and Lawn Alternatives.”
Classes are free and will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursdays at the N.C Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, located at 455 Caton Road Lumberton. If you attend five (5) of the seven classes in this series, you will be eligible to sign up for the Extension Master Gardener℠ Training, which will continue Thursday mornings starting February 27, 2025, through April 24. Do you want to learn more about caring for many types of plants? Are you eager to participate in a practical and intense training program? Do you look forward to sharing your knowledge with others in the community? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you need to inquire about the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer program.
Who are the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers? Let me introduce you, just in case you may not be familiar with them. The 2023 State Master Gardeners annual report states this group had 3970 volunteers who served 225,136 hours, directly reaching almost 280,934 North Carolinians. They are present in 84 of the 101 Extension centers throughout the state. They work directly with their local county Extension office to provide non-biased, research-based education to local residents through demonstrations, presentations, lectures, seminars, and educational booths at community events. Their efforts enhance local food security through sustainable home vegetable gardening; beautify yards and neighborhoods while protecting water quality and conserving natural resources; and create habitats for pollinators, birds, and wildlife. They connect children and families with nature; cultivate environmental stewardship; and promote health and well-being, better nutrition, and increased physical activity through gardening. Attending numerous trainings in horticulture and their willingness to educate others is what sets Master Gardener Volunteers apart from other home gardeners.
For more information, contact Mack Johnson, Extension Horticultural Agent, at 910-671-3276, by Email at Mack_Johnson@nscu.edu.
