Lebanon County Master Gardeners support the Penn State Cooperative Extension by presenting research-based consumer horticulture and environmental stewardship best practices to the public. Master Gardeners are volunteers trained by Penn State Cooperative Extensions to help Extensions serve the home gardening public by answering questions, speaking to groups, working with 4-H projects, maintaining demonstration gardens, and preparing symposiums and exhibits. The program provides interested individuals with extensive training in many areas of horticulture. In return, participants volunteer their time to share horticultural information that is based on university research and recommendations. Master Gardeners can cover a wide array of topics such as plant selection, composting, soil improvement, pest control, vegetable and flower gardening, pruning, pollinator preservation and so on. State wide functions are carried out by Nancy Knauss, State Master Gardener Coordinator and the State Master Gardener Steering Committee. Floriculturist Sinclair Adam coordinates Lebanon County activities as well as the Penn State flower trials at the Southeast Agricultural Research & Extension Center (SEAREC) in Landisville. The Penn State Master Gardener Program educates volunteers with an interest in and enthusiasm for research based horticulture. In exchange for this extensive training and in order to earn the title of Master Gardener trainees must volunteer at least 50 hours within one year of completing the coursework. Volunteers can serve in any number of ways, such as answering home gardening questions over the phone ("Hort Hotline"), speaking about horticultural topics to groups such as garden clubs, civic organizations, schools, supporting wheel chair gardeners at the VA, maintaining our 4-square garden, assisting with flower trials and pollinator counts to name a few of the opportunities.
