Join the gang!
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Dot Zanotti Ingels
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Gardening is in my DNA. I grew up when we ate seasonally; my family grew and preserved much of what we ate. The veggie garden was organic, but the roses were kept bug-free with systemic chemicals. I have always had a garden at home but have evolved as a gardener. For many folks, gardening is an aspiration despite minimal hands-on experience.
The farm at the Indian Valley Campus of the College of Marin is a Master Gardener project where you can learn and educate others. Gael PerrinFor all of us, however, gardening is a love affair with the unknown and a huge leap of faith. There is so much that knowledge can help us with, but often, we are flying by the seats of our pants, sharing our spaces with the weather, the sun, and visible and invisible pests. The number of things to know about soil and its importance to our planet is daunting but exciting. Being a gardener is being a steward of your own space and, by default, our communities and our world.
I became a Marin Master Gardener in 2009 because I just continued to realize how much I didn’t know but sure wanted to. I quickly learned that I had totally overestimated my actual knowledge. It was a pure gift to be taught by professionals in their fields and people with like-minded passions for nature. A mantra of the MMGs is that you tell people, “I don’t know, but I can find out for you.” We are very visible in our community through;
- our very helpful website
Plant ID is one of the many skills you will learn as a Marin Master Gardener Trainee. Photo; Fay Mark - the Help Desk in Novato
- the Leaflet newsletter that you can sign up for and receive quarterly in your email
- our work with school gardens and the Exploring Habitats with children
- the demonstration gardens at Falkirk
- the Farm and Garden at IVC
- our articles in the Marin IJ
- classes offered at libraries
- our always popular demonstration garden at the Marin County Fair
- our information booths at various Farmer’s Markets
...and so much more! The ongoing work in sustainable and earth-friendly gardening is just heating up.
The mission of the Master Gardeners is to extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices to California residents. This program is a win-win for the community and the individual Master Gardener. There are many ways to grow in your knowledge and abilities to contribute wherever you choose. Continuing education classes are abundant; everyone can find a niche that fits individual talents and goals.
Learning how to ID pests and other horticultural issues prepares a Master Gardener to work at our help desk assisting the home gardener. Rebecca RyanIt takes a large village of well-educated volunteers to meet this mission. The applications for the Master Gardener Class of 2025 will open on June 20, 2024, and close on August 30. You can learn more here: Becoming a Marin Master Gardener. You can find a link to the application on the Marin Master Gardener website and in the Leaflet. Classes start in early January, and graduation is in early May. The classes combine in-person and Zoom training. There are Master Gardeners of every age and so many varying backgrounds, and everyone has a contribution to make. Join us!