For several years I contemplated becoming a Master Gardener. I first heard of the concept through friends who were actually doing just that! I have always loved gardening and growing up, my parents always had a beautiful garden where we could enjoy flowers or pick vegetables for salad and other tasty treats.
First, there was the time constraint as I was still working full-time and the classes were only held during the day. Then, there was the miles needed to attend the classes I was mislead into believing were only offered in Tucson, a 40-mile drive for me. This year, it all became very clear and as I like to say, the Universe aligned everything in perfect order for me to start this journey. My friend, Pamela, informed me that she took all of her classes nearby in Green Valley, Arizona. When I had searched previously online, I could not find anything showing me classes were offered there; only in Tucson. I immediately got the contact information for the Green Valley office and contacted the person in charge there. Miraculously, it was only a few days until the deadline once again as in previous years I missed the deadline for the Tucson area. (The Master Gardener classes are only offered once a year in my state). From there, it was really a piece of cake signing up!
In my area, the Master Gardener certification is offered through the University of Arizona – Pima County Cooperative Extension. Their web site address is: https://extension.arizona.edu/pima . If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener yourself, just use your favorite search engine and search the term: “Master Gardener your state”.
Signing up, as I previously stated, is super simple. There is an online form to fill out. The class location was not mentioned at all on the form so I made sure to write that in bold letters. It turns out that due to COVID 19, classes are only being offered in a Zoom format for now until further notice so this means no driving at all!
I will go into more detail on what a Master Gardener actually is in a future post.