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Landscape design and Horticultural classes
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Date Posted: Thu, Oct 31 - 11:19 am
- Hello. I've been cutting grass and pulling weeds for some time. I currently work as a grounds keeper. Id like former training to help me learn more and progress. Where can I go to get formal landscape landscape design and horticultural classes. thanks
- Thanks for reaching out to the Master Gardeners about educational opportunities! We are actually currently accepting applications for our upcoming internship program which provides 20 hours of education on a variety of topics including landscaping and turf management. Here is a quick synopsis about becoming a Master Gardener: Information about the upcoming class: The class will be run through the Chesterfield County Extension office and will meet January 9, 2025- March 27, 2025 on Tuesdays 9am-12p (virtually) and Thursdays 4p-7p (in person). Cost to participate is $225 (and includes all educational materials) Requirements for Master Gardener interns: Complete 20 educational hours and 50 volunteer hours Ongoing requirement for Master Gardeners: Complete 8 educational hours and 20 volunteer hours per year The Richmond Master Gardeners are a small, but fun unit! We have not had an extension agent since 2021 and operate mostly independently. We typically meet every other month on the first Monday of the month at 6pm at the West End Branch library and will often have speakers come to our meetings. Currently, our volunteer efforts are primarily focused at the Richmond Public Libraries and Richmond Public Schools. To apply, follow this link: https://bttr.im/70gik Another option to keep an eye out for is the Landscape design class offered through Lewis Ginter. Looking at their website, it seems like they just wrapped up a course, but this should be one they offer again in the future: https://www.lewisginter.org/event/basic-residential-landscape-design/ You could also consider the certificate program that is available through the Univeristy of Richmond: https://news.richmond.edu/features/article/-/10441/horticulture-professional-certificate-new-landscape-program-focuses-on-sustainable-landscape-practices.html And I always keep an eye on our amazing local nurseries and garden shops for the variety of classes that they offer: Sneeds Nursery, Great Big Greenhouse, Strange's, etc. Hope this list of opportunities and options will help you connect with what you are looking for!
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Becoming a Master Gardener
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Date Posted: Mon, Oct 07 - 11:58 pm
- Recently moved to the RVA. Interested in becoming a MG. What're next steps? M
- Micah, welcome to Richmond! We are so glad you are here and hope you will truly enjoy your new hometown - Richmond has so much to offer! And we are excited to hear about your interest in becoming a master gardener. The city of Richmond has been with out an extension agent for the last several years and our group of master gardeners has been operating without direct city leadership. Because of this, we have not been able to offer the program to bring new master gardeners on. This year, however, we have been able to partner with one of the other localities in the area and will have the opportunity to have two people go through the master gardener training on behalf of Richmond. We are very excited and will have more information coming out soon about this! I will send you an email so that we can stay in touch and I can be sure to get these details over to you when they are available. Thanks for reaching out!
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Becoming a Master Gardener
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Date Posted: Wed, Jul 24 - 4:44 pm
- Hello! I am interested in becoming a master gardener, and I have found a program through Powhatan & Goochland. However, I'm wondering if there is one offered through Richmond? Thank you!
- Hello! Thank you for reaching out about becoming a Master Gardener! There are currently limited opportunities across the commonwealth as there are many open extension agent positions, including in the city of Richmond. We are hopeful that there will be two spaces for Richmond Master Gardener trainees with the Chesterfield unit this year. We should have more information about this possibility by early September. Should you decide to go through the training program with Powhatan or Goochland, you could always transfer your membership to Richmond once you have completed the training process. I will send you a follow up e-mail so that we can stay in touch about this!
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Master gardener classes and certification
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Date Posted: Wed, Dec 13 - 1:28 am
- Does Richmond offer Master Gardener classes and certification?
- Thank you for your interest in becoming a Master Gardener. I wish we were able to bring you on through the City of Richmond, but unfortunately the city does not have an extension agent in place and we are not sure when or if the position will be filled in the future. Without an extension agent in place, the current Richmond Master Gardeners are all volunteer lead, but unable to offer the training course. We are hoping to be able to offer the classes in an online version in connection with other counties in the future, but do not have any solid plans for that currently. You can reach out to the other counties to see when they will be offering classes if you would be interested in going through them to complete the program. Once a master gardener has completed the training process, you are able to transfer to a different locality if you wish.
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Volunteering
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 22 - 1:12 am
- I’d love to help volunteer. What is your schedule?
- We love volunteers! And would love to help you get plugged in. Unfortunately, the City of Richmond does not currently have an extension agent in place which means we are unable to offer programming to bring on new Master Gardeners to our team. If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener, you could consider reaching out to some of the surrounding counties to ask about their programs and see if and when they are starting new classes. If you are interested in garden volunteer work in and around the city, there are numerous opportunities available without being a master gardener. To name just a few, you could consider reaching out to Maymont, Lewis Ginter, or Shalom Farms. If you have a connection to any of the public schools, many of them have garden programs going as well and may be able to use more volunteer support. Good luck, I hope you find a great place to plug in and serve!
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Becoming a Master Gardener
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Date Posted: Thu, Dec 01 - 5:24 pm
- Hello, I came across this web page and am wondering how do I become a Certified Master Gardner? Thanks, WJW
- Hello there WJW, I'm so glad you are considering training to be a master gardener. We can definitely use more volunteers. If you are in the city of Richmond, there is currently no training program available due to the VA Tech extension agent position being open. But don't lose hope because Chesterfield has stepped in to take over the training. And the Richmond group is very active despite without an agent. There are some very tempting projects, If you are in another county you would need to check in with their extension agent. The contact information for all VA Tech extension agents can be found on their website along with all the information concerning training and regulations re: the Master Gardener program. You can find that info here: https://ext.vt.edu/lawn-garden/master-gardener.html. The website is chock full of useful information so becoming familiar with it will be helpful. Good luck with this endeavor!
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Becoming a Master Gardener
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Date Posted: Thu, Jul 14 - 7:47 pm
- How do I go about becoming a master gardener?
- Hello there, So glad you are interested in providing this service to the community!! I've copied 3 paragraphs from the VCE website for Master Gardeners. The link for more information is at the end. From the VCE Website: Become a Virginia Extension Master Gardener! 1) Join a dedicated team of more than 5,000 volunteers who work in communities throughout Virginia to promote research-based horticulture. Extension Master Gardeners (EMGs) provide vital public education related to creating and managing home landscapes, vegetable gardening, turf management, and more! 2) To become an Extension Master Gardener, you will receive 50 hours (minimum) of training and complete 50 hours (minimum) of volunteer service. Exact hour requirements vary by county. To remain an active Extension Master Gardener, you must complete 20 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of continuing education each year. 3) Training classes and volunteer groups are handled locally by each Virginia county Extension office. Contact your local Extension office for information on your next upcoming local training. https://ext.vt.edu/lawn-garden/master-gardener/Become-a-Master-Gardener.html - Currently there is no formal training in Richmond City due to a vacancy in Extension Agents. However, Chesterfield continues to have training and they are graciously filling the void in Richmond's training services. You can contact them at vce@chesterfield.gov to find out when they will be holding the next training session. - Most of the area libraries have an EMG on site at some point each month. Check in with your local library for the exact schedule and have a chat with an EMG! If you're at the Main Branch check out the new seed catalog. - Thank you for your inquiry. Best of luck with your training!
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Master Gardener Program inquiry
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Date Posted: Fri, Jun 17 - 1:54 am
- I would like to reach Don Moore as I’m contemplating becoming a master gardener and also come from a medical background. Thank you
- Hello! This is Don Moore. Feel free to reach me at dcmooreus@yahoo.com. I’d be happy to answer your questions about becoming a Master Gardener. Thanks for reaching out!
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Becoming a Master Gardener
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Date Posted: Tue, Mar 08 - 9:14 pm
- Hi, I want to become a Master Gardener! What are the deadlines to apply and how does that process look like? Thanks!
- Hello there, So nice to hear you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener! The program is part of the Virginia Cooperative Extension and has offices in most counties in Virginia. Unfortunately, Richmond City does not currently have an extension agent to provide the training you are interested in. However, there are operational training programs in 3 nearby counties. Below are the 3 county offices and the contact phone numbers: Henrico (804) 501-5160, Chesterfield (804) 768-7576, Hanover (804) 752-4310. The basic components of the program are completing the training, completing the required hours for volunteering and education as an intern, and continuing to volunteer in your community annually. There are many opportunities for volunteering and providing education through community outreach. Please review the website: https://ext.vt.edu/lawn-garden/master-gardener/Become-a-Master-Gardener.html. It's full of information you'll find useful. Best of luck with your plans. We look forward to working with you!.