Do you love gardening? Are you interested in expanding your knowledge and sharing that knowledge with others? Applications are now available for the 2019 Master Gardener Program through UConn Extension. Participants receive horticultural training from UConn, and then share that knowledge with the public through community volunteering and educational outreach efforts. Enrollment in the UConn Extension Master Gardener program is limited and competitive.

The program is taught in a hybrid class format. There are 3-4 hours of online work before each of the weekly classes, and then a half-day classroom session. Most classes run from 9 AM to 1 PM. New this year is an evening session, from 5:30 – 9:30 PM, which will be held in Farmington on Wednesdays.

“Gardening and the study of it is something we can do our whole lives,” says Karen Linder, a 2015 graduate of the UConn Extension Master Gardener Program at the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford. “There is always something new to learn – we can get deeper into a subject. Our instructors truly brought subjects to life that I thought could not be made exciting. Who knew soil had so much going on? It has truly changed the way I think and observe the world around me. That is pretty amazing!”

The program is broad-based, intensive, and consists of 16 class sessions (online course work and a half-day class each week) beginning the week of January 7, 2019. The Master Gardener program includes over 100 hours of training and 60 hours of volunteer service. Individuals successfully completing the program will receive UConn Extension Master Gardener certification. The program fee is $450.00, and includes all needed course materials. Partial scholarships may be available, based on demonstrated financial need.

“I would recommend the UConn Master Gardener program to anyone with a serious desire to learn more about horticulture,” says Holly Maynard, a 2017 graduate of the Hartford County class. “There are some spectacularly engaging guest lecturers; this is not some amateur gardening club.”

Classes will be held in Farmington, Bethel, Haddam, Brooklyn and Stamford. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, October 9, 2018.

For more information, call UConn Extension at 860-409-9053 or visit the UConn Extension Master Gardener website at: www.mastergardener.uconn.edu, where both the on-line and paper application can be found.