Florida Gardening: Picture of the Day - Part 4, 1 by JaxFlaGardener

JaxFlaGardener wrote:
Hi, GoodGreen. Yes, I am a "Master Gardener" --- sort of like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz, all it takes is a certificate to make you think that you have a brain and some knowledge. LOL The Master Gardener program requirements vary from county to county in Florida. We don't have any requirement in Duval County for other MGs to select future MGs, but there are typically more applicants than the approx. 25 vacant slots in the classroom. You would need to check with your local Extension Office to find out when the courses are offered. In Duval (combined with two other neighboring counties), the classes are only available weekdays during usual business hours (Wednesdays from 9 AM - 1 PM for about 12 weeks), which means that only retired people or those with a job with flexible hours are able to participate. There is a lot of information thrown at you very quickly. The training seems to be mostly aimed at providing some familiarization with most ever aspect of residential landscapes so that the MG will know where to look for answers to questions. From my very cynical, slanted viewpoint, I'm not sure if the MG designation is more of a privilege or a penance. The training certainly does provide a good overview of just about every aspect of gardening, but the requirement for volunteer hours (75 the first year and 35 thereafter, with 10 hours of continuing education each year) can take time away from what I truly want to be doing in any spare time -- taking care of my own garden. So, the two main traits for any MG candidate, I think, would be a desire to have a general knowledge of all aspects of home gardening and a desire to serve the community at large. Depending on your county, there will be specified opportunities within some limited categories to attain volunteer hours. I've found my niche in the system by doing talks on gardening topics to local community groups and garden circles,. as well as a few other activities like being one of the MG volunteers to staff information tables/plant clinics.

You mentioned you are planning to go into the the lawn care business. You will not be allowed to advertise your Master Gardener designation in any of your business activities, other than to place the information on a resume or otherwise use it when applying for a job. The MG designation can only be used when doing volunteer service. Your MG designation is also specific to your county. If you move to another area (especially out of state), you may be required to complete some or all of the training to be a MG in a different county.

I hope I haven't dissuaded you from pursuing the MG certification. It is a very worthwhile program with an opportunity to interface with other avid gardeners in your area and do a lot of good for your community. I just like to provide a tinge of the reality of what the MG designation actually involves.

If you are interested in pursuing the MG designation, you should contact your local Extension Office as soon as possible to get on the list of interested persons. Our training here begins in September, if I recall correctly, and goes through to mid-December. There are typically about 100 applicants for 25 available slots. Here, we had an entrance interview with the county Extension Office agents prior to being accepted into the program, but that may vary from county to county. The final exam for the course also varies around the different programs in Florida. We had an open book exam here that was the same exam we were given the first day of class to ascertain our general knowledge prior to the coursework, but the test procedures are more stringent in other counties.

I am also a Certified Horticultural Professional as a result of a test I passed that is administered by the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscapers Association (FNGLA). That test is far more difficult than the MG test, but it does provide a certification that can be advertised and is more recognized within the horticultural industry for people that want to pursue gardening or landscaping as a career. It requires one year of work experience with an FNGLA member organization which I attained by working at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Horticulture Department for about 18 months.

I hope this info helps!

Here is a photo of Sweet Almond Bush, Aloysia virgata http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/59091/ Very fragrant and both heat tolerant and cold hardy in our area. It is a very leggy shrub that requires pruning to keep it within about a 6 - 8 ft high range.

Jeremy