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"They are beautiful in their peace, they are wise in their silence.
They will stand until after we are dust. They teach us, and we tend them."
-Galeainip Alteiem Macdunelmor

Welcome!

This portion of our website is dedicated to current Master Gardeners, Master Gardeners in training, and those looking for credible, research-based gardening information for Cherokee County, North Carolina and the Western NC region!

Page updated regularly, so check soon for updates!

Questions? Call 837-2210

Visit our MG Blog!

A new email address is available for you to send in Master Gardener questions:
cherokeecountymastergardener@gmail.com
Carolyn Kreuger, MG in Clay County has requested that if any Master Gardeners have binoculars that they are no longer using, please donate them for the bird-watching group that she is trying to organize. For more info. call Michele at 837-2210.
If you have an announcement to post, please contact Michele @ 837-2210.

Upcoming Events:
Mark your Calendars!
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Almanac Gardener begins its 26th season Saturday, April 4 at noon on the statewide UNC-TV network. The Saturday show will be repeated at 11:30 a.m. on Sundays.

Almanac Gardener is a half-hour home horticultural program telecast for 20 weeks from April through August. Almanac Gardener is one of the longest running series on UNC-TV and is a co-production of UNC-TV and NC Cooperative Extension at NC State University.

Regular Extension panelists include, Karen Neill, Horticultural Agent, Guilford County; Linda Blue, Horticultural Agent, Buncombe County; Bill Lord, Environmental Agent, Franklin County; Lucy Bradley, Urban Horticultural Specialist, NCSU; Stephen Greer, Horticultural Agent, Forsyth County; Charlotte Glenn, Horticultural Agent, Pender County and Amy-Lynn Albertson, Horticultural Agent, Davidson County. Mike Gray is co-producer and host of Almanac Gardener.

With the stressful economy, a special emphasis this season will be on saving money by planting a vegetable garden and preparing fresh vegetables. Almanac Gardener will include features from The Produce Lady, Brenda Sutton, Family/Consumer Science Agent, Rockingham County.

Almanac Gardener panelists will also continue to help folks conserve water with tips on collecting and using rainwater for irrigation.

Field features this season will include: "Starting a Spring Garden", "Growing Spring Lettuce", "Growing Broccoli", "Growing Cabbage", "Asheville Farmers Tailgate Market", "Preparing Greens", "Preparing Cabbage", "Preparing Turnips", Preparing Spring Greens", "Preparing Sweet Potatoes", "Water Independence/Going Off the Grid", "Building Landscape Planting Beds to Conserve Water", "Drought Tolerant Plants", "Xeriscaping", "Gardening for Exercise", " Reducing Stress by Using the Right Gardening Tools" and "Taming a Swarm of Bees".

[a message from]:
Vicki Pettit, North Carolina State University
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

MOSS MEMORIAL LIBRARY MARCH SPEAKER
Hayesville, N. C.

Saturday - March 28, 2009 @ 2:00 p.m.
Birds and Birding (Birdwatching)

Hayesville resident, Brenda Hull, will present a program on birds of our area. She is a Biology Professor and Sustainability Coordinator at Young Harris College. Her Thesis for her Master’s Degree was “Behavior Study of the Alder Flycatcher”. Brenda is native to Bristol in East Tennessee. All her travels are designed to include Birding expeditions in the areas she visits.

Brenda’s Power Point presentation will include the importance of sustainable habitat for our feathered friends and the effect this can have on spring and fall migration. She will discuss the impact rapid topographical changes in our mountains have on our bird population and the recent decline of several songbirds that visit our feeders daily.

She will share her some of her “Birding experiences” with the group and why this has become such a popular worldwide hobby. She will list the things you need to do to become a “Birder” and the positives this new experience can add to you life.

A question and answer period will follow her lecture. We will have a sign-up sheet for those interested in “Birding” during spring migration.

For information call: (828) 389-8401

Refreshments will be provided
Funded by: The Fred A. Moss Charity Trust

"New Frontiers" in horticulture and gardening - March 22-26, 2009

The Las Vegas International Master Gardener Conference will address issues that gardeners everywhere face -- water conservation, proper plant selection, soil enrichment, pest control -- while also presenting new concepts in environmental stewardship and "green" technologies. Since what is old has become new again, we will also explore historical and traditional plants and methods.

To register, visit: http://www.unce.unr.edu/imgc/

What is the Master Gardener Program?

Do you have a desire to learn more about growing plants? Are you interested in fruits, vegetables, ornamentals or lawns? Are you interested in volunteering your time and gardening talent in projects that benefit the citizens of our county?

If so, you may be interested in The Master Gardener Program offered by the Cherokee County Cooperative Extension Service.

The program provides participants with 40 hours of in-depth training in the art and science of horticulture. Class participants receive current,research based information from Extension educators and industry experts. In return, trained Master Gardeners volunteer their time and expertise in support of many community programs and activities.

Master Gardener volunteers are recognized as well-trained practitioners who serve and beautify their communities and are linked to a professional network of support through county, state and national Cooperative Extension offices.

If you are interested in learning more about the Cherokee County Master Gardener program, please contact Keith Wood or Michele Allen at 828-837-2210.

Do I have what it takes to be a
Master Gardener Volunteer?

HAVE YOU EVER:

had a vegetable or flower garden?
grown roses or houseplants?
planted and maintained a lawn?
planted or pruned trees and shrubs?

DO YOU ENJOY:

meeting and talking with people?
searching for answers to questions?
organizing workshops or meetings?
attending educational classes?
learning more about horticulture?
sharing your time and knowledge with others?

DO YOU HAVE:

at least four hours of time per month that you can volunteer to North Carolina State University's Cooperative Extension Service in Cherokee County helping us to "empower people & provide solutions"?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, the Master Gardener Volunteer Program may be for you! If you are interested, please contact us so that we may supply you with info on upcoming classes and training opportunities! 837-2210

NC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Official Site
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Click here for access to lots of great, and "official" NC Master Gardener information direct from NC State University! Visit this link and you will find a program overview, upcoming events, downloadable forms for your convenience, plus...fun Master Gardener miscellaneous items!

So go ahead...start diggin'!

Joining NCMGVA

Eligibility: Membership is open to all currently certified North Carolina Master Gardeners. Employees of NCSU, NCA&T, and the Cooperative Extension who work in offices that offer Master Gardener programs are automatically Associate Members of the NCMGVA, are exempt from dues, but have no voting privileges and may not hold office.

Dues: $10.00 per year

Membership year: Jan 1 - Dec 31

NCMGVA Application

Print and mail the completed application and dues to:

Barbara Walters, Treasurer
1649 Halltown Rd.
Jacksonville, NC 28546

ncmgva Benefits of Membership

“What’s in it for me?” in all its forms, is probably the most frequently asked(and appropriate) question we get. Below are some of the services we provide to the membership as well as the opportunities members have to participate in, and influence the future direction of, the NCMGVA.

As mentioned above, one of the purposes of the Association is to facilitate communication. The principal mechanism for this is the quarterly newsletter. The newsletter includes regional reports on Master Gardener doings, projects, and accomplishments, as well as re-prints of articles of broad interest from individual county newsletters, a calendar of upcoming events, and summaries of the Board and Executive Committee meetings.

The Association also co-hosts the annual Master Gardener Conference,providing financial underwriting, organizational support, hosting conference events, and coordinating volunteer efforts. The conference is an excellent opportunity to learn, exchange information, and network with Master Gardeners from around the State.

But perhaps one of the greatest benefits of membership is the chance to make a difference. As a member, as a delegate from your county, or as an Association officer, you have an opportunity to contribute your ideas for improving the NCMGVA, as well as enhancing the effectiveness of the statewide program. The Association has a voice on the State Advisory Committee to the Cooperative Extension as well as the responsibility for raising issues of concern.

Is it worth a few dollars a year to belong? That’s not unlike the perennial question we ask ourselves when re-certification rolls around. There are lots of tangibles and intangibles to consider, but,in the final analysis, most of us decide to give it another go.

Last Update: 2009-3-19

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Welcome!

Do I have what it takes to be a Master Gardener Volunteer?

Do I have what it takes to be a
Master Gardener Volunteer?