This was one of the best things I did in 2017 for myself personally. Having kids and tending to the needs of so many other people 24/7, I completely lost track of myself, my interests, my passions and what I wanted in my life. I never had a passion to learn anything else I had ever been in a classroom for. I always wondered what it would feel like to really want to learn and have it be an easy process. When I found out about the Master Gardener program and attended my first class, my whole world changed. I could not believe a resource like this was available and I wanted to take advantage of it immediately. The class is jam packed (35 people) with plant lovers of all ages and experience levels. The 16-week course meets one night a week for 3 hours (6-9 PM) and in that time we discuss a variety of home garden topics. The best part is that the extension office gets real deal plant pathologists and other members of the school and community that are highly educated on the topic. I strongly encourage you to look into this if you’re a newbie or a garden extraordinaire. If you have a love of gardening big or small, then this is for you.

After you complete your class you move into phase two of your certification and volunteer 45-hours of time over the next 12 months. You can work in the city gardens, be a part of special landscaping projects and help run the community gardens that donate fruits and vegetables to homeless and women’s shelters in your city. You can also work the Master Gardener hotline and help the public with their questions. The best part is you get to spend time and make friends with people who are as interested in gardening as you are.

Here is what the flow and topics of each class look like by week:

Orientation
Introduction to Soil
Introduction to Plants
Home Lawn
Annual Flowers
Landscaping
Woody Ornamentals
Home Fruit Production
Trees
Plant Disease
Garden Insects
Ornamental Perennials
Plant Propagation
Home Vegetables
Organic Gardening
Graduation

The cost of my class is $175 or $350 if you do not want to do the volunteer hours with no formal certification – just for personal enrichment. For more information on The Master Gardener program in Kansas City, click here.