As a Master Gardener, you may become a member of the Benton County Master Gardener Association. This is a non-profit organization of volunteers to promote and perpetuate the OSU Master Gardener program in Benton County and to promote public interest in gardening and home horticulture.Each month Master Gardeners get together for an evening meeting to share gardening knowledge. A guest speaker is invited or one of the Master Gardeners shares their expertise. They also take time to coordinate the many Master Gardener activities. During summer months, garden tours are held instead of an indoor meeting. Master Gardener activities in which you may become involved include:

Central Park Perennial Beds - Two perennial beds located at 6th and Madison Streets are planted and maintained by Master Gardeners. Participants meet one day each month (except some winter months) for one to two hours to weed, mulch, prune, trim, deadhead, transplant, and perform general maintenance.

Demonstration Garden at Benton County Fairgrounds - During the winter months Master Gardener participants plan which vegetables to grow, which irrigation methods to use, what bed types are needed, mulch and compost techniques, pest protection techniques, etc., that will be used at the garden. From April through August participants meet one morning each week at the fairgrounds garden site to carry out the plans. During fair, daily garden tours are given in which techniques and materials are explained, and questions are answered. In September the group cleans up the beds and sow cover crops.

Insights into Gardening- This once-a-year educational workshops is the primary fundraiser for the Master Gardener Association. Master Gardener volunteers handle all the details of the event. This includes obtaining a meeting facility, caterers, speakers, exhibits and demonstrations. It includes creating the registration brochure and advertising the event. It includes coordinating activities the day of the event, clean up after the event, and providing a report for the next year's committee.

Brown Bag Library Talks - Eight noon-hour talks on gardening topics are presented at the Benton County-Corvallis Public Library to the general public. Master Gardeners determine the topics and obtain the speakers. They make meeting arrangements with the library and take care of all the details.

Spring Garden Festival - Master Gardener trainees provide displays and/or demonstrations each year at this Madison Avenue Task Force sponsored event held the first Sunday of May on the Arts Center Plaza. Experienced Master Gardeners assist the trainees in selecting a topic, obtaining the information or people resources needed, and presenting the demonstration or display.

Windowsill Gardening - Master Gardeners provide second graders in the Benton County school systems a hands-on plant propagation lesson. Master Gardeners grow the cuttings, put soil in quart-sized plastic bags, take the materials to the classroom, instruct the students and help them create their own "greenhouse."

Benton County Fair - Master Gardeners determine the displays, demonstrations and clinic tables that will be at the Benton County Fair held the first week in

Speakers Bureau - Master Gardeners have the opportunity to share their knowledge as guest speakers to groups and organizations. Topics are limited only by the knowledge and expertise of the Master Gardener volunteers. Some recent requested topics include: composting, heirloom roses, best vegetable varieties for our area, organic vegetable culture, growing orchids, and landscaping for small spaces.

Summer Tours - Instead of meeting indoors during the summer months, Master Gardeners arrange tours to help learn new or different techniques, to share gardening experience, to get new ideas, and to expand their gardening knowledge.

For additional information, call Benton County Extension at (541)766-6750.