A Gunnsion County Master Gardener’s Experience

Winter in Gunnison 2008 was unusually severe and very long. I needed to do something that would get me out of the house, away from the shoveling, take my mind off the weather and be enjoyable. Long ago I studied Horticulture and an opportunity came to return me to a long ago passion, by enrolling in the CSU Master Gardener Program. So I applied to the program and was accepted.

I anticipated learning new things about the basics of planting, growing, pest control, climate and soil but also found myself in the modern age of Satellite teaching. It is a wonderful way to reach hundreds of students without having to worry about weather conditions, housing and expenses of a traveling instructor. It was an eye opening experience.

There were eight students in this session. We met each week on Tuesdays for 6 hours. David Whiting, of the Horticulture Department in Fort Collins, and occasionally we would have a guest instructor from somewhere else in Colorado. In each session we would have lectures, question and answer time and we broke into small groups to discuss the new information we had just been given.

We were advised not to try to take notes, but rather just listen and learn. Also, were given two very large binders full of printed material that followed the instructor’s lecture. There was more information than anyone could possibly commit to memory. Mostly we learned how to find and what to look for to answer questions that would be asked of us.

Early in the program were we told of a Garden Tour that would be offered by David Whiting and Jeff Dejong (Jeff is a Horticluturist from Canada) to Victoria, B.C. Travel arrangements were not included in the package and would have to be made by the individuals themselves. The Tour would be of famous and not so famous gardens in Victoria.

At the end of the 12 week program we were saturated with new information and anxious to begin the 50 hours volunteer work need to receive our Master Gardener Certificates. We would have until the end of September to complete the 50 hours and several suggestions were given on where our help would be useful. As it turned out I was the only one able to take advantage of the Tour, from our class.

April 14th I was on my way to a very exciting experience. Just to be able to get away from the cold and snow was wonderful. I met a couple of women from Durango, that were also taking the tour and we compared notes about our class experiences while waiting for the plane from Seattle to Vancover. We arrived at the hotel just in time to get settled in and meet with the tour group for an orientation and dinner. There were 44 men and women taking the tour including our two hosts.

Each morning we had breakfast together and received the schedule for the day and because our hosts are avid photographers, a slide show of some of the gardens we would be touring. We left the hotel promptly at 8:30 am, by tour bus. The most famous garden we toured was the Butchart Garden but there were several less known gardens that were magnificent as well. To bring us back to reality we also visited some private home gardens, the kind we are more familiar with. Manicured lawns, shrubbery, blooming trees, flowers, breath taking views, the smell of the ocean, soft breezes, warm sunshine along with the rainbow of colors from the flowers and the sweet smell of the earth reborn made the thought of returning home difficult to snowy conditions difficult.

We were treated to an edible garden tour and a five course dinner on the last night of the tour. It was a once in a lifetime meal, with exquisite presentation, fabulous service and the most delicious food, Our menu was designed and printed by our hosts and served as a memento of our meal and the tour.

All too soon we were gathered for one last breakfast together and one last slide show. If you are lucky enough to have a chance to experience a tour put together by David and Jeff, go for it. I have been on tours before but never one so well planned and orchestrated and executed. It was a wonderful trip.

Back to reality I am now working on completing my volunteer hours. I close by suggesting to you that if you want a truly remarkable experience take the Master Gardener course. You will learn to simplify, beautify and you will be well rewarded by what you learn and put to use in your own gardens.

-Carolyn Paxton, Gunnison County Master Gardener