It is time once again for the Rush County Extension office to offer Master Gardener classes.

The Purdue Master Gardener Program is an integral part of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service and provides the citizens of Indiana a chance to grow.

The program provides a learning framework for participants to increase their knowledge on a wide variety of horticultural subjects. In turn, participants volunteer, representing Purdue University.

They help other grow by sharing knowledge while providing leadership and service in educational gardening activities within their communities.

Within Rush County, our local Master Gardeners plant and maintain various flowerbeds, provide support for the Rush County Nature Center, and sponsor the annual GardenFest each May.

You can grow in several ways when you become a Purdue Master Gardener – the ways you grow and how far you go are up to you!

n Increase your knowledge on a wide array of gardening subjects through a structured training program.

n This increased knowledge will give you the skills – and the confidence – to teach others in your community, either one-on-one or in group settings.

n Sharing your gardening knowledge with others will help improve the quality of life in your community.

n If desired, use the leadership training and experience from your activities in the Purdue Master Gardener Program as a springboard to other forms of community leadership.

The areas of training in the Master Gardener series include:

n Plant Science

n Plant Nutrition

n Soil Science

n Plant Disease Diagnosis/Control