Spring is right around the corner when many of our thoughts turn to gardening. Have you always wanted to become a Master Gardener? Well, this is your year. 

The St. Clair County Extension Office are currently recruiting for their upcoming Master Gardener class in St. Clair County, which is only offered every other year. Don’t miss this opportunity to become involved in local community garden projects and learn more about best practices in home gardening.

The Alabama Master Gardener Program is a volunteer training course offered through Alabama Extension to citizens throughout our state. The series of classes offers research-based information, taught right in your community. Master Gardener participants, following a series of training classes, respond by giving back to the local community with reliable, relevant, and reachable gardening information and education opportunities.

The 12-week series of classes will introduce Master Gardener interns to experts throughout our state on such topics as lawn care and weed control, vegetable gardening, plant care and pruning, landscape design, plant propagation, and much more. Classes will be held each Wednesday, from 8:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m., beginning on August 29 and coming to a close on November 14.

The main purpose of the Master Gardener Program is to develop volunteers to assist Extension in meeting the horticulture needs in the area. Fifty volunteer hours are required for certification as an Alabama Master Gardener and participants have one year from the beginning of the class to complete this requirement.

The fee for the class is $125, which includes instructional material throughout the program. Please complete and print Parts I & II of the Alabama Master Gardener Volunteer Program application, which can be downloaded at http://mg.aces.edu.

Applications are also available at the St. Clair County Extension Office located on the lower level of the St. Clair County Courthouse in Pell City, 1815 Cogswell Avenue, Suite 103, Pell City, AL 35125. Part III contains information regarding the background check; once your application request is accepted, you will be given instructions for completing.

Please return your application as soon as possible as a minimum of fifteen people must register in order to offer the class. You will be notified as to whether or not the class will be held. Full payment will be due then.

For more information, please contact Bethany O’Rear by calling the St. Clair County Extension office at 205-338-9416 or email bao0004@auburn.edu.