Grayson County, Texas -- Are you interested in gardening? Would you like to broaden your horticulture knowledge and share that knowledge with your community? It’s almost time for the Grayson County Intern Training program to begin, and we’d love to have you join us!

The classes begin February 19, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and continue every Wednesday through April 8, 2020. Training is held at the Grayson County Courthouse in downtown Sherman.

The fee for the 8-week course is $125. Classes are taught by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists, staff, and local experts. For those who work, online course study is available at the same fee schedule as in-person classes.

The Grayson County program offers a minimum of 48 hours of instruction following the Texas A&M AgriLife EarthKind practices of landscape management covering soil and plant nutrition, insect, disease, and weed management; trees; vegetable and herb gardening, lawn care, plant selection, composting, and water conservation.  There are also field trips that support the classroom training.

What really sets Master Gardeners apart from other home gardeners is their special training in horticulture. In exchange for their training, individuals who become Master Gardeners volunteer their time, working through the County’s Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office, to provide horticultural-related information to their communities.

To help you decide if you should apply to be a Master Gardener, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I want to learn more about the culture and maintenance of many types of plants?
• Am I eager to participate in a practical and intense training program?
• Do I look forward to sharing my knowledge with people in my community?
• Do I have enough time to attend and complete the training program, and to complete the volunteer service?

Participants become certified Texas Master Gardeners one year after they have completed the training course and volunteer hours. There are numerous opportunities to attain the hours necessary by working in 10 approved projects located throughout the county under the guidance of Master Gardeners. The projects range in diversity from teaching gardening lessons to school-age children to maintaining gardens at churches, memorial parks, state parks, Hagerman Wildlife Refuge, the county courthouse, Habitat for Humanity, and T.V. Munson vineyards.

To explore more details about the program, visit our webpage at txmg.org/grayson. We hope to see YOU in class!

Grayson County Master Gardeners Association is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Reach us by email at mastergardeners@co.grayson.tx.us, by phone 903-813-4204, our web page txmg.org/grayson, or our Facebook group.