Connecticut Master Gardener Association

Calling Master Gardener Alumni

Along with the changes in temperature and color brought with Fall, graduation season is upon us! As our new cohort of interns are joining the ranks of seasoned Master Gardener’s, we would love to hear from our Alums – even if you have not participated in Master Gardener events in a while.

We encourage you to take a break from your Fall cleanup tasks to check in with UConn Extension and let us know how the Master Gardener program shaped or augmented your horticultural knowledge. Who where your favorite guest lecturers? What community service activities did you get to participate in? Did anything on the final practical leave you stumped and reaching for your MG handbook after the exam? Community service and community connection are such an integral part of being a Master Gardener, and we would love to hear what you have been up to since participating in the program. Please reach out on our MG Alumni Form so we can stay connected.

While you are at it, if you would like to reconnect or refresh your skills, make sure to check out all our advanced master gardener classes scheduled this Fall and level up your badge! Recertification is always available for our Master Gardener alums and we have more events to join than ever.

A woman is shown pruning a plant, with the words "Are You A UConn Master Gardener Alum" and a QR Code displayed, leading to the Alum Form.

Virtual Connecticut Master Gardener Association Symposium

flower in pot on porchOn Saturday, March 20th starting at 9:00 am, Connecticut Master Gardeners, guests and the public will have the opportunity to hear national and regional experts talk about  “Gardening Any Time, Any Place”  by virtually attending the Connecticut Master Gardener Association (CMGA) 28th annual garden symposium.   Registration and information about the virtual event is available at ctmga.org/symposium-event-2021  The cost for the two featured  speakers and a choice of two of five breakout session speakers is $60 for CMGA members and guests; $90 for non-members and includes a “virtual event bag” with coupons, promotions and special offers from symposium sponsors.  Contact: symposium@ctmga.org

Master Gardeners – COVID-19 Update

Master Gardener logoIn the 40 years of the UConn Extension Master Gardener program, we have never faced anything quite this … unknown. This isn’t a flood, or hurricane, with a clear finish. This pandemic is an onslaught: health, finances, social interactions, and daily routines are all impacted.

What doesn’t change is the incredible value of gardening; of digging our hands into the soil, of the warmth of the sun on our faces, of fresh food and beautiful vistas, of the sounds of the garden and the wild spaces around us.

As a friend, Gary Oppenheimer of AmpleHarvest, said recently, “Gardening has NOT been cancelled”. Our Master Gardener programming and volunteer work will continue as scheduled, although we will have to be creative in some areas.

Here’s where we stand today:

The 2020 Master Gardener class is continuing on schedule. We have moved the remaining five weeks to an all-online format with online discussions replacing the half-day in-class sessions. This allows us to stay on schedule and we will continue to add new content opportunities as we go forward.

As many of you are aware, the CMGA symposium has been postponed until fall. They will update us as more information becomes available.

We are in the midst of arranging Hot Topics. Originally scheduled for May, it is likely that we will now hold a virtual Hot Topics online. My hope is that it will be interactive. Stay tuned….

Outreach and Office Hours:  Many of our outreach projects will not be impacted by the social distancing restrictions, others will. We will adapt as needed to current and evolving restrictions and we will develop new opportunities that best respond to new needs in our communities. If you have thoughts on how we can best respond to the new reality, please don’t hesitate to share them.

Office hours fall within the current recommended group size. Many of our clients may not want face-to-face interactions; we are looking into options such as online “office hours” and promoting the use of email for communication. For anyone who has underlying health concerns (their own or an immediate family member) making face-to-face contact unwise, we will adjust and adapt.

In summary, this is a time of change, adaptation and creative thinking. There are a lot of unknowns, and it’s likely we will be dealing with this reality into at least some of the summer. We are, however, versatile. We are resilient. Gardeners are constantly adapting to the changes in the surrounding environment; this is just one more. Please do not hesitate to share ideas, issues and concerns with me or with your coordinators.

Getting outside into the fresh air and the sunlight is one of the recommendations for offsetting the negative reactions to social distancing. We’re ahead of the curve!

Keep Calm, and Garden on,

Sarah Bailey

State Program Coordinator, Master Gardener Program

sarah.bailey@uconn.edu