Master Gardeners: Helping Hennepin County Grow in 2007
Master Gardeners were busy throughout Hennepin County in 2007. They gave talks and demonstrations for schools and community education groups, led rain garden workshops, answered questions submitted via the hotline, staffed answer booths at local garden centers, the State Fair and community events, and even got their hands dirty planting at Nuremberg Gardens. Three highlights of the year were the Urban Gardener Program, landscaping and planting at City View School, and involvement with Habitat for Humanity.
Urban Gardener Program
In partnership with Sabathani Community Center and the University of Minnesota Extension Simply Good Eating and Leadership and Civic Engagement programs, Master Gardeners taught and mentored 11 Urban Gardeners! The Sabathani Urban Gardener program taught community members basic horticultural information and then mentored participants during the growing months. Participants also learned about healthy food to grow and how to engage their neighbors and other community members in the health benefits of gardens. This program resulted in over 100 community contacts and 25 new garden plots in neighborhoods near the Sabathani Community Center.
Cityview School
Eight Master Gardeners led over 350 community volunteers and school students in landscaping and planting at Cityview Performing Arts Magnet School in North Minneapolis. A Master Gardener was responsible for landscaping the project; the rest educated volunteers and students about what was being planted, why certain plants and shrubs were chosen, and then how to plant and care for the new plants. Among the many areas planted, a butterfly garden was created, as well as an erosion reduction area. This project was sponsored by Hands On Twin Cities, our local volunteer center.
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Habitat For Humanity
Master Gardeners provided landscaping know-how as well as planting instructions to new home owners through the Habitat for Humanity program in Minneapolis. Master Gardeners met with the new home owners, many of who are immigrants or first time home owners, and discussed not only what would grow well in the new yard, but what the home owner wanted to grow that would make the new house a home. By engaging the home owners in the planting, long-term care of the plant material is insured.
