Gardening course set for Wythe, Bland

By WAYNE QUESENBERRY/Staff

Despite one of the mildest winters on record, many thoughts are already turning to springtime. With that in mind, the Wythe-Bland Region Master Gardener Association is accepting applications through Wednesday, Feb. 15, for this year’s course.

The 50-hour class begins Tuesday, March 6, and continues through Thursday, April 26, at Wytheville Community College’s Bland Hall Room 104. Sessions are to be held each Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. with some weekend field trips planned.

A $130 charge covers the cost of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Manual and guest lecturer fees. Members of the same household may share a manual and take the course for an additional $35 per person.

According to Master Gardener and one of the lecturers for the course, David Danner, the state requires prospective Master Gardeners to have 50 hours of training for certification. Those already certified must have 20 hours of continuing education each year.

“The classes are taught on the 101 college level of basic biology,” Danner noted. “They teach the different kinds of plants and how to grow them. There are different instructors who have expertise in various fields.”

Participants are also encouraged to take part in the Master Gardener Association’s community volunteer projects to receive certification as a Virginia Master Gardener.

Among the group’s active projects are designing and landscaping gardens on the premises of the Bland County Historical Society, Wolf Creek Indian Village, Wytheville Community College Learning Gardens, Franklin Street United Methodist Church, Stephen Austin Memorial Gardens at Austinville, Francis Marion Manor in Marion and the Rural Retreat Community Center. Establishing a vegetable learning garden at WCC is another.

“Interest in the Master Gardening program is stronger than ever,” said Wythe-Bland Region Master Gardener Association coordinator Libby King. “We’ve seen record enrollments and continuing participation over the past two years with an active, diverse volunteer base.”

Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners are volunteers with Extension dedicated to working with the community to encourage and promote environmentally sound horticulture practices through landscape management educational programs.

Residents of Wythe or Bland counties may take the course. They must register by Wednesday, Feb. 15, by contacting King at 276-620-9866; Teresa Matthews at tmmathews@centurtlink.net or 276-620-7590; the Wythe County Extension Office at 223-6040; the Bland County Extension Office at 276-688-3542; or the group’s website at www.wytheblandmg.com.

There are around 50 members of the Wythe-Bland Region Master Gardener Association. Half of them are active in association projects.

Wayne Quesenberry can be reached at 228-6611 or wquesenberry@wythenews.com.