30th Master Gardener College Recap

The 30Th annual maSTer Gardener ColleGe reCap

by: Gabrielle Sanderson

ThIS year ’ S 30Th annual maSTer Gardener ColleGe happened from June 21ST To The 25Th. over 200 maSTer GardenerS from aCroSS The STaTe of vIrGInIa Trouped ouT To blaCkSburG To parTICIpaTe In a mulTI day learnInG evenT.

This summer in Blacksburg, the Virginia Tech campus greeted over 200 Extension Master Gardeners from across the state of Virginia to stay for the 30th Anniversary of the annual Master Gardener College. This year for college, excited attendees started arriving on Wednesday, June 21st for Land Care Steward Training and could stay until Sunday, June 25th for the bittersweet closing picnic. These jam-packed days were full of exhilarating tours, educational workshops, concurrent topics, and stimulating Keynote speakers! As usual, this great week had many social events such as the Anniversary Celebration, the Floyd Jamboree, the VMGA Night at Master Gardener College, and the Closing Picnic that allowed the Extension Master Gardeners to meet, converse with old friends, and eat fancy desserts. Attendees could arrive on Thursday, before the Keynote and Concurrent sessions began, and go on tours around the New River Valley. The Garden as a Place to Linger with Elissa Steeves; Kayaking the NRV, Photography in the Garden with Harold Jerrell; and the Green Infrastructure Tour of the NRV with Annie Pearce are just a few of the thrilling tours that could be chosen from the long list of many. On Friday, the extension Master Gardeners had a blast as the Keynotes started off with Bob Lyons and the Confessions of an Attention Deficit Gardener: An Unembarrassed Account of Using Annuals and Tender Perennials to Create Brilliant Landscapes that Change Every Year. Each year an award ceremony is hosted by the conference for the Extension Master Gardeners to recognize their volunteering milestone achievements. This year, 630 EMGs from across the state obtained milestones, and at the ceremony around 70 EMGs were recognized for their commitment to volunteering. Overall the 30th Annual Master Gardener College was triumphant with its memorable speakers, exhilarating events and spontaneous friendships! Preparations for the 31st Master Gardener College are already being made, and save your dates for the International Master Gardener Conference being held Fall 2021 in Coastal Virginia!

Link in with all of the activites on Facebook!

Check out photos from this Master Gardener College on the Facebook page!