Page 114 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2016

HOME & GARDEN labor of love
In Bloom
There’s a certain amount of lawn care for all homeowners whether
they hire a service or do it themselves. For those who enjoy gardening, it can be a labor of
love. Some take it to the next level by becoming Master Gardeners, which is achieved through a series of classes offered by County Extension Service offices throughout the state.
Sydney Dyche of Biloxi says becoming a Master Gardener was a way to meet other people interested in gardening and learn how to take care of her yard. “After taking the classes and applying what I learned, my yard improved dramatically,” she said. “Now taking care of my yard requires a lot less time and effort. Each summer people stop and compliment me on
my yard and ask questions about how I keep it so beautiful.”
Marilyn Hingle of Bay St. Louis has been a Master Gardener for 13 years. “There are so many opportunities
to learn and keep up 12 hours of continuing education each year, along with 20 hours of volunteer service which can include attending garden club meetings,” she said. “It can be a lot of work, but it’s rewarding.”
Hingle likes growing flowers, especially roses, because they’re
Master Gardeners take lawn care to next level
story by Lynn Lofton photos by Linda Ferrill and courtesy of Sydney Dyche
beautiful and have a nice fragrance. “I like anything with blooms and color,” she said, “and azaleas will be popping soon.”
Her advice for March gardening
is to prepare beds and get ready for planting in the next few weeks. Also, it’s time to prune roses but do not prune anything that blooms in the spring.
Dyche, who’s president of the Harrison County Master Gardeners, points out that although Master Gardener classes end March 29,
the sessions are offered each year from mid February through March, meeting twice a week. Topics covered include introduction to program and master gardener history, basic botany, soils, ornamentals, fruits and nuts, vegetables, lawns, plant diseases, entomology, weed science, plant propagation, invasive plants, and electives.
These classes cover the required 40 hours of education and are taught by professors at Mississippi State University via teleconference.
This year’s state conference will
be May 2-4 at the Golden Nugget Casino Resort with the Harrison County Master Gardeners hosting. The public is welcome to register for the conference.
Sydney Dyche
114 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • March 2016
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Marilyn Hingle
Harrison County Extension Office
228.865.4227 www.msucares.com/lawn/master_ gardener/aboutcounty