Press Release
Gardening is a lot of fun, but to really enjoy success, a bit more is required than digging a hole in the ground or tossing about an envelope of seeds. Start preparing for next year’s growing season by becoming a Master Gardener.
As the summer growing season winds down to withering stalks and seed pods, thoughts turn to what we might do differently next spring. The Fluvanna Master Gardeners’ 2025 training program begins in mid-January and continues to early May, just in time to apply the new knowledge to the next season’s flower and vegetable gardens. The course covers the range of home-growers’ interests in decorative plants, vegetables, fruits, and landscaping.
The program’s 50 hours of instruction is a combination of remote and in-person learning. Weekly evening zoom lectures and demonstrations feature university professors and acknowledged experts in their fields. Subjects begin with the basics – where many complications begin or can be detected – such as basic botany, entomology, soil, pathology and stressors, and water conservation.
In addition to the zoom classes, field trips provide personal hands-on experiences which demonstrate and apply theories. The Virginia Cooperative Extension Gardener Handbook is the resource text for the class, and is a valuable resource for continuing reference and application.
Students are personally mentored by experienced master gardeners who have volunteered to work with them through the class and continue to assist them becoming involved in the many community activities organized by the group. Fluvanna Master Gardeners organize numerous community projects. Each is designed to attract and educate the public to enjoy and succeed through environmentally savvy practices compatible with the unique ecosystem of this area.
Following completion of the training, students complete 50 hours of participation in activities. In each successive year, Master Gardeners volunteer 20 hours of support for the projects.
The cost of the Master Gardener Training Program is $200, with scholarships available based on financial need. Registration is available online through the Fluvanna Master Gardener website, www.fluvannamg.org.
