Florida Master Gardener volunteer classes now forming

Do you enjoy helping others? Have you ever wanted to learn more about growing plants? Are you interested in fruits, vegetables, ornamentals or lawns? If you answered yes to these questions, your chance may be just around the corner.

A horticulture program, called Florida Master Gardener, is being offered by the UF/IFAS Santa Rosa County Extension Service to provide horticultural training for selected home gardeners in Florida.

Applications for a limited number of openings in the class are now being taken in the Santa Rosa Extension office. Applications must be postmarked by October 31, 2007. Classes begin in January 2008. For further information or to request an application, contact the Santa Rosa County Extension office at 850-623- 3868.

Master Gardener is a title given to individuals who receive approximately 50 hours of in-depth horticultural training from County Extension Agents and agree, in return, to give hours of volunteer service helping their communities through their local county extension program.

Training will include topics such as basic plant science, entomology, plant pathology, vegetable gardening, fruit culture, turf management, pest control and Florida-friendly landscaping practices.

Master Gardeners give their volunteer hours to county extension offices in various ways. In Santa Rosa County, Master Gardeners help extension personnel answer telephone calls, troubleshoot plant problems brought into the office, run soil samples, staff plant clinics and work with 4-H youth programs.

This program is open to anyone wishing to attend regardless of race, color, sex, handicap, or national origin.