On June 24th, four people completed the 2021 Wayne County Master Gardener Volunteer Training. The Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Training included over 40 hours of instruction that covered gardening topics such as lawn care, fruits and vegetables, soils, landscape plants, and pest management. Having completed the training class, the group will now be Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Interns for the next year as they complete 40 volunteer hours. Volunteers assist their local county extension office in providing unbiased, research-based information to gardeners of all ages on home lawns, landscapes, and gardens. The information that Extension Master Gardener Volunteers provide are ones that guide homeowners in making practical decisions in their landscapes and gardens. Next year after completing the 40 volunteer hours, the interns will become certified Extension Master Gardener Volunteers. To maintain active status in the Extension Master Gardener Program, volunteers contribute 20 hours of volunteer time per year.

An Extension Master Gardener is a volunteer for NC Cooperative Extension. The program provides the opportunity for people with an interest in gardening to volunteer their time and knowledge in assisting their local county extension office in providing educational information to the gardening public. Applications will be accepted near the end of the year for a new training class slated to start in early 2022. For more information on applying to the next training class, contact the Wayne County Extension Office at 919-731-1520.

Jessica Strickland is an Agriculture Extension Agent, specializing in horticulture for North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Wayne County.