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GROWing Consumer Horticulture in Clarendon County
| Name | Charles R. Duncan | | Situation | Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies in Clarendon County. (There are 5 garden clubs in the county.) It is also one of the most expensive. The following are some national average annual expenditures for gardening enthusiasts: Lawn care - $220.00, Landscaping - $174.00, Tree care - $97.00, Flower gardening - $88.00, Insect control -$60.00,
Planting vegetables - $58.00, Flower bulbs - $40.00, Green house plants - $40.00
Gardeners seem to have a thirst for knowledge. Locally that has been a problem since we do not have a resident horticulture agent on staff to conduct regular programming. Although there has been a great deal of interest in the Master Gardener Program, we have not been able to offer it in Clarendon County. At the request of one of our local garden club members, we looked into offering an introductory horticulture short course called GROW (Gardening and Recycling Organics Wisely). After reviewing the program, we decided to offer it to interested gardeners.
| | Response | The program was set up for six consecutive weeks on Thursday night. Eighteen gardeners signed up for the course. Different speakers covered topics on soil health and fertility, composting, integrated pest management, plant selection and care, lawn care and maintenance, and the Master Gardener program. | | Impact | Each of the eighteen participants received 6 hours of training. All participants reported increased knowledge. All stated that they either planned to or would adopt new gardening practices as a result of taking the course, particularly in the area of pest management. More than half of the class expressed an interest in taking the Master Gardener. As a result, we are offering a Master Gardener course beginning in May.
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Last update2/29/2008
This website is maintained by Russell Duncan.
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