Horticultural Society versus That Master Gardener Thing

When I was volunteering for the Minnesota State Horticultural Society the other day at the Fair, a man asked me about the benefits of becoming a member. After I told him, he said, “No thanks, I’ll just do that Master Gardener thing instead.” I explained to him that they were two separate things and that the Master Gardener “thing” was more involved than paying your membership fee each year. He waved as he walked away, saying, “I audited part of the class one year, it’s not that hard.”

It may not be that hard. But, it is work. Maybe I’m sensitive about his cavalier response because I’m in the process of applying to be part of the Master Gardener program for my county. I’ve put more time and thought into completing the on the 5-page application than I have spent hours in my three shifts at the Hort booth at the Fair this year. The “Horticultural Dilemmas” page asks you to show your work in that you need to list the source for your answer, which could be a book, the internet, or “other” resources.

The Horticultural Society encourages its members to volunteer – the Master Gardener program requires 50 volunteer hours the first year and 25 hours each subsequent year. The Horticultural Society offers classes, the MG program requires 12 hours of continuing education every year – plus the core course the first year. A blogger I read frequently responded to the Master Gardener question earlier this year.

That he didn’t see his comparison as apples to oranges astounds me. I would have taken his rejection of the Hort Society much less hard if he had said, “No thanks, I’ll become a member of the Arboretum instead,” since the Arboretum is another member supported organization that offers benefits to members without requiring service in return.

What are your thoughts? Am I being too sensitive about the man’s cavalier response? Is becoming/being a Master Gardener a piece of cake? Post a comment and let me know!

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum – Field Trip #3

Remember the scene in the movie “Sound of Music” where Liesl and her boyfriend get caught in the garden by a surprise storm and they end up in the gazebo? That was what happened last Monday, when a friend and I went out to the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Well, without the dancing and singing. Before the deluge, we did manage to get in some garden viewing.

We were greeted just off the parking lot by Patrick Dougherty’s latest willow creation – Uff da Palace. I had seen photos of it during the building process from the Arboretum, but seeing it in person was breathtaking. Inside the visitor center, we saw photos of other installations/sculptures by Dougherty and I was blown away.

This whimsical salad table on the plaza at the visitor center made us hungry, so we headed inside for lunch. After lunch, we started our garden tour. We got to see the entrance garden, the terrace garden, the perennial garden, the herb garden, and some of the rose garden before the downpour started in earnest and we took refuge in the rose garden’s gazebo – with a dozen or so other visitors. We were in the gazebo for about 45 minutes before the rain let up enough for us to make a break for the visitor center, where we discovered the tour we’d signed up for had been canceled due to the weather.

I think this visit taught me that I can approach visiting the Arboretum the same way I approach visiting the State Fair – go often, for short visits, at different times of the day – rather than doing one marathon day. You can then linger in a particular garden rather than feeling pressured to see everything in one visit.

Summer Vacation Plans in Two Lists

I’m starting to plan my summer vacation, which starts the 2nd of July. Like most people, I typically spend my vacation traveling with my family or having family visit me. Once in a while, I travel alone to a favorite spot. This year, though, I’m going to do something I’ve never done before. I’m going to stay home—in the garden!

My plan is to get done the long list of things to plant, move, mulch, and weed. I also want to try to get in the stone steps from the sidewalk to the water spigot. And, if there are stones leftover, I’ll use them for a path between the Hosta hill and the Azalea garden.

I’ve started another list for my vacation, too – a list of gardens and garden centers to visit! I’m sure I haven’t been to Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden since I was in 3rd grade. I think the last time I visited the Conservatory at Como Park was 15 years ago – and it’s practically in my backyard. The Rose Gardens at Lake Harriet are also on the list – as is the neighboring Peace Garden. It was winter the last time I was at the Arboretum, and I love it in summer, so that’s on the list, too. And, a friend recommended Noerenberg Gardens in Wayzata – a garden I’ve never visited before.

Two more places I’ve never been are Ambergate Gardens (near the Arboretum) and Gertens, in Inver Grove Heights. I’ve been told for a long time they are “must sees.”

So. Vacation plans are shaping up. It feels like I’ve got a good mix of projects and field trips planned. If you’ve got a favorite garden or garden center I should visit, and it’s within an hour’s drive of the cities, post a comment and let me know.