Colorado Master Gardener Training Program
The 2010 Colorado Master Gardener Training Program is now open for enrollment
Application
Training Information
Application deadline for Eagle and Garfield counties: Friday, December 18, 2009
Send application to:
Colorado State University Extension
PO Box 239
Eagle, CO 81631
Training location:
Garden Level Classroom, lower level Eagle County Building
500 Broadway
Eagle, CO 81631
Training dates: Thursdays, from January 21 through April 1, 2010
Tuition and Program Fees: There are two program options available. The Colorado Master Gardener (CMG) volunteer option has a return service commitment of 50 volunteer hours by December 31st of the same year. The non-volunteer Colorado Gardener Certificate (CGC) option is used widely by Green Industry and other professionals, those new to the area, or those new to gardening in Colorado who do not wish to volunteer. The certificate may be used for marketing purposes.
Colorado Master Gardener Program (volunteer service) fees:
Do not send payment, you will be billed $175 if selected as a CMG volunteer
Colorado Gardener Certificate (non-volunteer) tuition and fees:
Send payment of $475 with application
For additional information, contact: Eagle County Extension office 970-328-8630
The CMG/CGC Training Program in Eagle and surrounding counties is now offered through distance education - a delivery method which uses live feed interactive video technology (Adobe Acrobat Connect). 2008 was the first CMG Training Program offered by this method in Eagle County. The switch from on-site instructors to the distance education model grew out of CSU Extension's commitment to exploring new efficient ways of delivering programming to distant locations, to provide those locations with greater access to specialists and other experts, and to make efficient use of staff resources and reduce travel costs.
Topics to be covered in the 2010 Colorado Master Gardener Training Program
" Colorado Master Gardener Program, Overview
" Plant Health Care and Diagnostics
" How Plants Grow
" Tree Planting
" Identifying Trees and Shrubs
" Soils, Fertilizers, and Soil Amendments
" Plant pathology (plant diseases)
" Entomology (insects)
" Pruning
" Vegetables
" Mountain Gardening
" Lawn care
" Diagnosing Insects and Diseases of Trees
" Diagnosing Abiotic Tree Disorders
" Water Wise Landscape Design
Colorado Master Gardener Volunteers
The Colorado Master Gardener Program is a state-wide program that trains individuals to promote successful gardening by volunteering. Annually, 1,700 Colorado Master Gardener Volunteers serving in 34 county-based programs generate $1.1 million in volunteer time.
Eagle County Master Gardener volunteers are a dedicated group of gardeners who are ready to share their knowledge about how to adapt the most environmentally sustainable practices to the unique challenges of our mountain climate.
Examples of volunteer service by Master Gardeners include helping Horticulture agent with plant health care diagnostics, answering client questions at the Edwards Farmers Market or through the Extension office, teaching gardening classes/workshops, writing newsletter & newspaper articles, mentoring community gardening and greening projects such as the Senior Center Garden, and leading docent tours at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens.
Eagle County Master Gardener volunteer highlights
Senior Center Garden at 715 Broadway in Eagle
Eagle Senior Garden Plant Rescue Eagle Senior Garden Construction
Eagle Senior Garden Year 1 Eagle Senior Garden Year 2
Gardens Bloom with Cooperative Effort - by Sharon Balius, CSU Extension Master Gardener Coordinator and Horticulture Assistant. Written for fall issue 2008 of Mountain Gardener Newsletter
The Golden Eagle Senior Garden was established in the mid 90's. This garden, which was in the vicinity of the Community Gardens, was designed as a remembrance to seniors who had lived in the complex. It grew and prospered as families, volunteers and seniors contributed to its success. In 2001 the Community Gardens were suddenly moved from the area in preparation of expanded senior housing units. Plans for the expansion took several years and work on the Senior Garden languished. Finally, in 2007, with the cooperation of the County, Town, and Laurel Potts from Extension, planning to move the garden took place just before the ground was broken for the new housing.
It was a very emotional time for the seniors who had participated in the building of the gardens and meetings were held to ameliorate the tensions to move the gardens to the front of the Senior Center. Laurel and Master Gardeners played a lead role in weeding and identifying plants still living, and in planning the garden for the newly designated area. Due to the construction coming, on the hottest day of the year, Master Gardeners dug and replanted the plants into the new gardens. We were fortunate that most plants not only survived but thrived by late summer. In the fall Master Gardeners planted 500+ bulbs, so the continuous bloom would start in early spring.
The garden has become a joy for the seniors this summer, and they have purchased comfortable seating for the gazebo, which is in the center of the gardens. The seniors have come to see that a single plant from someone's garden does not make a Remembrance Garden, but rather a beautiful garden can provide a setting for reflection. Stop by to see the garden when you are in Eagle at 715 Broadway.
Master Gardener Booth at the Edwards Farmers Market
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Edwards Farmers Market 2008 Master Gardeners answering questions
Noxious Weed Bouquet Edwards Farmers Market 2008
Eagle County Master Gardeners are available each summer to answer your gardening and landscape questions at the Edward Farmers Market. Bring your plant and insect samples for identification and diagnosis. Special features are on display weekly. Don't miss our attention-getting WEED BOUQUET during weed week in July. Proceeds from the sale of books support the Eagle County MG program. Come see the great display of many native plant, water-wise, and all types of gardening books carefully selected for our valley.
Ask a Master Gardener
Do you have garden and landscape questions or need help identifying plants, insects, or diseases, diagnosing plant health problems, or need recommendations on the best mountain adapted plant materials for your new garden project?
Ask a Master Gardener: email eaglemg@ext.colostate.edu, call 970-328-8630, or stop by the Eagle Extension office at 441 Broadway in Eagle. During the summer season, Master Gardeners are sometimes able to offer regular business hours, so call first to make sure someone will be in to help you.
2009 Eagle County Master Gardener Volunteer Season
Eagle County Master Gardener volunteer efforts will be critical to the success of several new garden projects in the county:
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Demonstration/teaching gardens will be created at the Eagle Extension office at 441 Broadway. Along with the Horticulture agent, Master Gardeners will design and install these gardens over the course of the season. The gardens will offer county residents ideas about mountain adapted plant materials (water wise/Xeriscape, native plants, Plant Select) as well as some raised bed vegetable gardens to promote and encourage home and small-scale food production and the formation of area community gardens.
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| Master Gardeners will assist in developing educational materials for the water wise/xeriscape demonstration gardens that were installed at the County Administrative Campus on Broadway in Eagle. These include signage, plant identification tags, brochures, and maps to the gardens, as well as research for a series of articles on plant profiles, Xeriscape principles, and mountain adapted garden information for area newspapers and the Eagle County Web site. |
Native Plant Master Program™
Have you always wanted to learn more about Colorado’s beautiful plants? Would you like to learn how to use them in your landscape and how to distinguish natives from noxious weeds? Become a Native Plant Master!
Participants learn about plant identification, ecology, landscaping and other human uses of native plants. This award-winning program is sponsored by Colorado State University Extension in Eagle County. Please call 328-8630 for more information.
Contact Laurel Potts, Native Plant Master Coordinator for Eagle Area Program with questions or to register for any Native Plant Master course. Call 970-328-8633 or email Laurel Potts. You can sign up for both the Introduction and Advanced NPM courses by filling out the NPM application or by contacting Laurel directly.
Organic Gardening Workshop - Fall Season Topics
On Thursday, September 17th, Brook Le Van, Director of Sustainable Settings in Carbondale, CO, will be returning to the Vail Valley for an organic gardening workshop from 4-7pm at 500 Broadway in Eagle, CO. Cost is $10 per person and will benefit the Brush Creek Park Community Gardens.
Topics will include:
Putting the vegetable garden to bed
Soil building for springtime
Sourcing organic materials
Composting (including sheet composting)
Nutrient cycling
Seed saving
Storing vegetable (root cellar and in gound)
Orgainic Gardening Workshop PDF
Vegetable gardening resources:
Block Style Layout in Raised Bed Vegetable Gardens, GardenNotes #713
Fertilizer-Vegetable Garden:Soil Management and Fertilization, GardenNotes#711
Fertilizing the Vegetable Garden CSUE Fact Sheet #7.611
Frost Protection and Extending the Growing Season, GardenNotes #722
Growing Tomatos, GardenNotes #717
Irrigating the Vegetable Garden, GardenNotes #714
Mulches for the Vegetable Garden, GardenNotes #715
Sample Vegetable Garden Seed Catalogs, GardenNotes #712
Tomatoes- Tomato Early Blight, GardenNotes #718
Vegetable Garden Hints, GardenNotes #719
Vegetable Gardening in Containers, GardenNotes #724
Vegetable Planting Guide, GardenNotes #720
Water Conservation in the Vegetable Garden, GardenNotes #716
Climate Summary (Frost Dates): Eagle and Glenwood Springs, GardenNotes #745 (includes Vail, Eagle, Glenwood Springs, Rifle and Parachute)
Program materials for Dr. Brooke Edmunds Greenhouse Growing Workshop held in April 2009:
PowerPoint Presentations
Greenhouse Structures
Basics of Plant Growth
Sustainable Greenhouse Practices
Greenhouse Crop Ideas
Pest Identification & Management
Producing for a Profit
Video Link to Greenhouse Workshop
