By Stacie Latham
Coming from a rural area of a small town in Connecticut, gardening has always been a part of my life – well, at least for four warm months of the year, anyway. My southern gardening journey began during the craziness over the past few years, where spending more time in the sunshine was a healthy tonic! Luckily in Florida, I enjoy the outdoors every day, but I still have much to learn about gardening here. It is a different animal, for sure. I decided to go on a mission to meet local people interested in gardening that could help me.
After doing some online searching, I came across the Jensen Beach Garden Club’s website at the same time as the Martin County UF/IFAS Master Gardener Volunteer Trainee program. I immediately joined the JBG Club and attended my first meeting last January, which by good luck, had a guest speaker talking on “Pollinators.” The speaker was Jennifer Pelham, County Extension Director for the University of Florida. Jennifer wears many hats, one of which is the Director of the Master Gardener Volunteer Trainee Program! Her pollinator presentation was informative & engaging, and the Jensen Beach Garden Club members were friendly and welcoming - I was hooked!
Since January, I have completed the Master Gardener Volunteer Trainee program, and it was a great experience! The resources provided by UF/IFAS are invaluable. The program is interactive and geared toward first learning about the most important and commonly asked questions regarding Florida landscapes and then volunteering your time to educate and provide answers to the public. The curriculum includes things like Florida friendly gardening, plant basics, soil testing, best practices for irrigation and fertilization, insect identification, weed identification & control, ornamentals, citrus, vegetables, several methods of hands-on plant propagation at the Martin County Shade House, and so much more. You will learn how to connect with the community through many guest speakers, including other UF Directors, Senior Master Gardeners, local food outreach program managers, and field trips. The list seems nearly endless.
Once completing the 3-month training, there are required annual volunteer and continuing education hours with many opportunities nicely presented through an online portal where you can sign up for both and record your hours. The MC Extension Office has a lending library for reference and invaluable homeowner information online. I highly recommend the volunteer program to anyone interested in learning more about everything in the landscape, no matter your age or sex, and maybe most importantly, for making new lasting friendships as I have.
The UF/IFAS MC Extension Office is next to the MC Fairgrounds. If you are inspired, please contact Jennifer Pelham at JenJen15@UFL.edu or 772.419.6964. The next class is tentatively scheduled for March 2024.
