By Howard Voland
Winter can be a bleak time for dedicated gardeners, but it's a great time to learn, plan and think.
This winter, consider becoming a Master Gardener, a Growing Groceries Volunteer Mentor, or subscribe to the Master Gardener Foundation Winter Sustainable Gardening Lecture Series. All are great ways to spend time with other gardening enthusiasts while learning a whole lot about horticulture in the Pacific Northwest.
You don't have to be a great expert on gardening or horticulture to become a Master Gardener or a Growing Groceries Volunteer Mentor. All you need is the interest and the willingness to commit some volunteer time to helping others.
The mission of both programs is to train volunteers to be effective community educators in horticulture and environmental stewardship; however, the Growing Groceries program focuses primarily on food gardening.
Master Gardener training is daytime Thursdays, January into April. Growing Groceries training is daytime on alternate Saturdays in February and March starting Feb. 1, with four field training days on the third Saturday, March through June. Both training programs have a volunteer commitment along with a modest tuition fee to cover direct expenses.
More information on both programs can be found at the WSU-Snohomish County Extension website under "News and EventsGÇ¥ http://snohomish.wsu.edu/ or call the Master Gardener Hotline at 425-357-6010.
The Master Gardener Winter Lecture Series features eight experts on a variety of horticulture topics starting Friday, Jan. 3. Each lecture is from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. with a break for complimentary coffee and snacks. Series tickets are $85. More information is at http://www.gardenlectures.com.
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