The Master Gardeners of Greenbrier Valley have expanded the total number of Master Gardeners to 74 after adding 19 new graduates from the recent Master Gardeners training classes. The Master Gardener program in Greenbrier County started in 2002 due to the efforts of Willa and Pat Izzo and under the direction of John McCutcheon of the West Virginia County Extension service. A series of 10 weekly classes is offered each fall to anyone interested in becoming a Master Gardener. The next series of classes will begin the first Thursday after Labor Day in September. The Master Gardeners of Greenbrier Valley continue to be actively involved in a number of gardening projects throughout the county including the Demonstration Garden at the WV fairgrounds which continues to expand every year. Master Gardeners have also developed several Junior Master Gardener programs involving school children, the most recent of which was in the Alderson Elementary School. Several of the residents of The Seasons retirement community in Fairlea have been involved in a joint project with the Master Gardeners to construct and plant several raised flower and vegetable beds on the property. This has proven to be a very popular project with residents and Master Gardeners alike and has resulted in some fresh vegetables showing up in The Season’s dining room. Several gardening workshops will again be offered to the public this year as well as the annual plant sale at the fairgrounds in May. Keep a lookout for announcements of these events in the local newspapers. Anyone interested in finding out more about the Master Gardeners or in signing up for fall classes can call the Greenbrier County Extension Office at 304-647-7408. [caption id="attachment_9860" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://mountainmedianews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2015/01/Master-Gardeners.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-9860" alt="Front Row: Carie Ortman (left), Patricia Melvin-Somerville, Jill McClung, Miriam Knight, Stacy Goodwin, Lori Frazier, Bobbie Jackson, Hannah Logan and Lori Hammond. Back Row: Curtis Gillilan (left), Lacy Thomas, Ray Ratliff, Mary Ratliff and Martha Hilton. (Graduates not pictured: Randy Modlin, Shari Modlin, Laura Izzo, Jonathan Hemby and Tracy Spangler)" src="https://mountainmedianews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2015/01/Master-Gardeners-300x176.jpg" width="300" height="176" /></a> Front Row: Carie Ortman (left), Patricia Melvin-Somerville, Jill McClung, Miriam Knight, Stacy Goodwin, Lori Frazier, Bobbie Jackson, Hannah Logan and Lori Hammond. Back Row: Curtis Gillilan (left), Lacy Thomas, Ray Ratliff, Mary Ratliff and Martha Hilton. (Graduates not pictured: Randy Modlin, Shari Modlin, Laura Izzo, Jonathan Hemby and Tracy Spangler)[/caption]
