BURLINGTON — Love to garden? Cultivate that interest by enrolling in the 2018 University of Vermont (UVM) Extension Master Gardener Course.
The course provides an opportunity to learn from green industry and university experts about home horticulture in this 14-week non-credit online course. Live question and answer sessions are planned for 13 consecutive Wednesday evenings beginning Jan. 17. Participants also will be invited to attend an in-person Master Gardener class next summer.
Choose to become a certified Extension Master Gardener, which involves completion of the course and 40 volunteer hours, or take the course only to earn a Certificate of Home Horticulture. Registration and scholarship information may be found at uvm.edu/mastergardener.
The deadline to register is Jan. 16. To request a disability-related accommodation to participate, please contact the UVM Extension Master Gardener Office at 802-656-9562 by Dec. 18.
If pursuing Master Gardener certification, the cost is $425. For the course only the cost is $475. The fee covers 14 online modules, course lectures, weekly question and answer sessions with instructors and all course materials including a comprehensive online training manual. All lectures will be recorded and archived so students may watch at their convenience.
The course is designed to help participants become more informed gardeners. Sessions will focus on a wide range of topics including vegetable and flower gardening, sustainable landscaping, composting, botany basics, plant pathology, entomology and fruit trees and berries. Healthy lawn care, native and invasive plants, rain gardens and weed biology and management will also be covered, among other topics.
For more information, contact the UVM Extension Master Gardener Program Office at 802-656-9562 or [email protected].