Gardeners and Girls
The Union County Master Gardeners are planting seeds of learning with El Dorado Camp Fire Club #77, as the two groups decorated the historic Newton House.
Diana Cole, Board member said, “Union County Master Gardeners had the pleasure educating El Dorado Camp Fire Club #77 in how to beautify the historic Newton House’s backyard. The kindergarteners were given gardening gloves and hand shovels. They were eager to properly dig, fertilize and plant new plants. The girls did a beautiful job!,”
According to a press release, the Master Gardener program was started in 1972 in Seattle, Washington by county agents who could no longer handle all the calls coming from the growing number of “urban” farmers. They decided to train a group of individuals in botany, soil science, plant propagation, pest management, gardening, weed identification and management, pruning and many other subjects. The group was designated as Master Gardeners and in return for their training, they were asked to donate back to the community by answering questions, planting educational and therapeutic gardens, providing public speakers, and much more. The Master Gardener program arrived in Arkansas in 1988.
Local groups work under the direction of the County Extension Agent, and County 76 provides the organizing and management of the program in Arkansas Through the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
The goal of Master Gardener Program is to increase the availability of horticultural information and improve quality of life with horticultural projects.
Local horticultural projects include: South Arkansas Arboretum, South Arkansas Arts Center, Barton Library, Hope Landing, SARH Courtyard Garden, Newhaven Recovery Lodge, Newton House Historical Museum, Welcome Center, and Yocum Primary School
Cole said, “We have an annual plant sale to fund our efforts, which this year will be held at The Newton House Historical Museum during the May Haw Festival on May 4. All funds received are held in an account through the local Extension Agent, and all money is disbursed back into Union County per state financial guidelines”