Hello All from Newbie Monica on the Texas Gulf Coast

[Katie]

Monica:

That's the Master Gardener information I wanted the Forum Members to know about. Thank you.

I know Katie can speak for herself, but as an introduction to her I can tell you this:
She is a Board Member of the Lake Wilderness Foundation and Chairs its Education and Conservation Committee.

I am very familiar with the Lake Wilderness Aboretum, and it's wonderful collection of rhododendrons.
My hiking buddy and I hike the adjacent trails near by, and always take time to tour the Aboretum.
It also has the best signage program of any public garden I've been in.

- Toby

So cool to find a local person on this forum!  And well aquainted with our Arboretum, to boot! 
Tonight we have an educational program titled, "Some Like It Hot: Growing Warm Season Vegetables in a Cool C;limate."  Check it out on our webstie: http://lakewildernessarboretum.com/ If you attend , come introduce yourself ... I'm the one MC'ing.

[Katie]

?In 1972, an innovative Extension Office Agent in the State of Washington reasoned that well-trained volunteers could respond to many of the everyday homeowner questions, thus freeing him and his colleagues for more technical and difficult problems ?And so it was, the Master Gardener Program began.?

 we are community educators who assist the Horticulture Agent ?to give science-based information about horticulture and environmentally sound gardening practices? to the public.  My first post gave the ways used by my particular program for education. 

The Master Gardener designation isn?t meant to be snobbish ? in fact, many people over the years have tried to come up with a term that doesn?t imply ?mastery? or exceptional expertise, but the term has stuck, so there you are.

Great Job, Monica, describing the MG program.  I'd like to emphasize that we are not walking encyclopedias (Well, Monica may be!), but rather researchers who can find the right science-based information to provide to the public.

[bossgard]

Katie:

Thanks for the invitation, but I have other plans for tonight.
Maybe someday we will meet and share some of our thoughts.

Best of luck on your presentation, and I do hope you have a large audience in attendance.

I did some garden-type shopping at a local garden center last Saturday, and there were several
Master Gardeners at a booth, I assumed they were spreading information about the MG mission.

Keep up the good work!

- Toby