garden news-i am a lay master gardener

GARDEN NEWS-I AM A LAY MASTER GARDENER

there is a master gardener program that involves classes and testing that certifies you as a master gardener
after completing the course you have to do volunteer gardening and continuing education

i looked into getting my master gardener certification but decided not to
i wasnt sure how much i would gain from doing it

i had been gardening for years
while at the country n i would listen to 3 hrs plus of organic gardening radio each weekend while i was working in my garden or on our property
some of the top organic gardening experts were on these programs
i learned a lot listening to those programs

i also attended a lot of organic gardening seminars by these and other organic gardening experts like john dromgoole the natural gardener howard garrett the dirt doctor and malcom beck the god of organic gardening in texas etal
i read several books on it and received several organic magazines

i did this for several years

so i didnt feel like i had much to gain from doing the master gardener program except for getting a certification

we have two volunteers in our community garden that are master gardeners
i will admit we complement each other in our knowledge
they know stuff i dont know and i know stuff they dont

bottom line
im through with schooling

this week i read an article from the texas gardener magazine newsletter on 10 things maser backyarders do that we should all be doing
the link above will be available after a one week delay 

i read them
im already doing them

combat climate change on a micro level
in the country n i xeriscaped our property and planted lots of native plants and trees used lots of mulch conserved water planted a lot of native grasses collected rainwater had solar panels did a lot of recycling
these helped produce more oxygen and absorbed more co2

dont let a lack of space deter backyarding
i have plants on my deck and plants in my house
i have a 400 square foot garden plot at our community garden that i grow vegetables year round

creatively using outdoor space
at the country n we had several water trough ponds with fish and aquatic plants
we had a bbq area a few steps from our back door
we had a 50 foot arbor with native plants on it
we had lots of rainwater tanks
we had a 1 mile walking trail through our pastures

put the right plants in the right place
i see folks not doing this all the time
plants too close to the house
plants not made to grow in the area
plants that are invasive

plant for pollinators and wildlife
at the country n i had a lot of native plants that provided food for wildlife
we provided water all over the property 
at our community garden here we have a long row of native plants for butterflies and bees and hummingbirds
we also plant a lot of sunflowers for the birds to eat the seeds
we keep water in birdbaths for the birds and bees and butterflies

get outside year around
i have always done this
here in santa barbara its easier to do
rain and colder weather doesnt keep me from being outside
i am out there outside almost everyday

utilize community parks and public green spaces
my wife she uses these for the grandkids
here we have several nice places for them to go to
then of course we have tons of hiking trails in the foothills and mountains 
then we have the beautiful beaches with easy access

keep the family dog in mind
here we dont have a dog
at the country n we always had at least twos dogs
we had at least 3 sources of water for them
i even had a water trough just for them to climb into during the summer 
we had plenty of shade
they were outside dogs but had access to doghouses in our garage
however they always slept on our covered porch or just out in the yard
we had easy access to the river about a quarter of mile away

teach kids the importance of green space
our grandkids love our community garden
they can spend an hour or two there and not get bored
they love to eat things right from the garden
our community garden also does educational classes for kids each fall
we are starting our program back up next month as about 500 elementary kids will flow through our garden in our fall classes

embrace the health benefits of the backyard
i do that for sure
its my zen moment each morning
its my meditation moment each morning
its my source of exercise
its my source of mental relaxation
its my food source
yes its like they said in the article 
its my prozac

so i  am not a certified master gardener
but
as the two master gardeners tell me
you dont need to do the course you already know more than we do

ill accept the title of lay master gardener and master backyarder

the organicgreen doctor