I officially passed my Botany quiz! The email arrived over the weekend, and the wave of relief was incredible. Coming back to a structured academic environment after several years is no joke, and I quickly realized this course is pure science, not fluff. To survive the overwhelming mountain of weekly reading and videos, I’ve had to adapt. I took notes on everything, outlined the chapters, and even used an online tool to generate five or six custom quizzes per topic. Reviewing those quizzes alongside my notes made all the difference—and clearly, the hard work is paying off.
Hands-On in the Shade House
This week, I headed back to Propagation for some hands-on volunteer work, but with a completely different set of tasks. Instead of bumping up plants into larger pots, I spent my time in the shade house prepping inventory for Plant Fest.
We were meticulous with our quality control:
· Grooming the plants by clipping off "holey" leaves.
· Applying fertilizer to boost their growth.
· Rotating the orientation of the plants in their trays so they receive equal sunlight on all sides.
We even discovered a few plants showing signs of disease and promptly quarantined them to protect the rest of the stock. Participating in the hands-on work has been highly educational because we are getting so many different viewpoints on propagation techniques. For instance, some Master Gardeners prefer heavier fertilization in the shade house, while others are much more conservative. As one volunteer put it, it's all about finding that Goldilocks zone: “Not too much, not too little, but just right!”
Fast-Tracking Volunteer Hours
During our mid-morning propagation meeting, a sign-up sheet went around for Plant Fest, and I jumped at the chance. Signing up for big events like this is a fantastic way to log several volunteer hours early in the process. My goal is to hit my required hours early so I can comfortably become a Certified Master Gardener at graduation. I’ve already accrued a solid handful of hours in a very short amount of time, which feels amazing.
Hands-On in the Shade House
This week, I headed back to Propagation for some hands-on volunteer work, but with a completely different set of tasks. Instead of bumping up plants into larger pots, I spent my time in the shade house prepping inventory for Plant Fest.
We were meticulous with our quality control:
· Grooming the plants by clipping off "holey" leaves.
· Applying fertilizer to boost their growth.
· Rotating the orientation of the plants in their trays so they receive equal sunlight on all sides.
We even discovered a few plants showing signs of disease and promptly quarantined them to protect the rest of the stock. Participating in the hands-on work has been highly educational because we are getting so many different viewpoints on propagation techniques. For instance, some Master Gardeners prefer heavier fertilization in the shade house, while others are much more conservative. As one volunteer put it, it's all about finding that Goldilocks zone: “Not too much, not too little, but just right!”
Fast-Tracking Volunteer Hours
During our mid-morning propagation meeting, a sign-up sheet went around for Plant Fest, and I jumped at the chance. Signing up for big events like this is a fantastic way to log several volunteer hours early in the process. My goal is to hit my required hours early so I can comfortably become a Certified Master Gardener at graduation. I’ve already accrued a solid handful of hours in a very short amount of time, which feels amazing.
 | Turfgrass, Real-World Troubles, and More Passing Scores Our formal class section this week focused on Weed Science and Lawn Care. What could have been a dry topic was brought to life by excellent speakers who shared real-world struggles with South Louisiana lawns and weed control. They passed around live samples of regional turfgrasses and common local weeds, making the concepts tangible. When it came time for evaluation, my study routine paid off again: I passed both the Weed Science and Lawn Care quizzes! I love that our coordinators let us review the answer keys in a separate room right after turning them in to immediately clear up any lingering questions. After all, we will be testing on this material again at the end of the course. |
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Lunch and Learn: Raised Beds
During our break, Louise Prejean presented a short but highly informative Lunch and Learn session on Raised Beds. There was a lot of great group discussion about construction materials, and Louise provided us with a wealth of handy tips for both designing layouts and maintaining the beds over time.
During our break, Louise Prejean presented a short but highly informative Lunch and Learn session on Raised Beds. There was a lot of great group discussion about construction materials, and Louise provided us with a wealth of handy tips for both designing layouts and maintaining the beds over time.
A Giant Guest in Class
The absolute highlight of the day happened when one of the students brought in a hornworm she found on her tomato plant! I had never seen one in real life before, and it was quite the specimen—massive, vibrant, and exactly the kind of garden villain we read about. Getting to examine it up close brought the textbook pages to life in a way a photograph never could.
Presentation Game Plan
Before heading home, my presentation partner and I caught up to map out a game plan. We’ve split up the initial work to research our topic independently before meeting up to piece it all together.
I am incredibly grateful that the coordinators assigned partners so early in the course this year. Apparently, partner assignments were done much later in previous years, leaving trainees with less time to prepare. Having this much lead time makes it so much easier to fit collaboration into our busy daily schedules.
The absolute highlight of the day happened when one of the students brought in a hornworm she found on her tomato plant! I had never seen one in real life before, and it was quite the specimen—massive, vibrant, and exactly the kind of garden villain we read about. Getting to examine it up close brought the textbook pages to life in a way a photograph never could.
Presentation Game Plan
Before heading home, my presentation partner and I caught up to map out a game plan. We’ve split up the initial work to research our topic independently before meeting up to piece it all together.
I am incredibly grateful that the coordinators assigned partners so early in the course this year. Apparently, partner assignments were done much later in previous years, leaving trainees with less time to prepare. Having this much lead time makes it so much easier to fit collaboration into our busy daily schedules.
Next Up: Plant Pathology
Now, it's time to face the next big hurdle: Plant Pathology. The chapter in the binder looks intimidatingly long, though a large portion of it appears to be reference tables. The coolest part about next week's topic? We’ve been invited to bring in our own struggling yard plants for the presenter to help diagnose. I already know exactly what I'm packing in my bag. Studying this week is going to be very interesting!
Now, it's time to face the next big hurdle: Plant Pathology. The chapter in the binder looks intimidatingly long, though a large portion of it appears to be reference tables. The coolest part about next week's topic? We’ve been invited to bring in our own struggling yard plants for the presenter to help diagnose. I already know exactly what I'm packing in my bag. Studying this week is going to be very interesting!
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