Francesco Gallarotti
With time seeming more arbitrary than ever, April sometimes feels like yesterday: temperate spring weather and mounting pressure to develop a productive hobby from the safety of home. Unsurprisingly, gardening was—and is—at the top of the quarantine activity docket for many. In response, horticulturists from LSU’s AgCenter were inspired to offer a Home Gardening Certificate Course online. “We thought, ‘We can do this,’” said Horticulture Agent Chris Dunaway, “‘We can make a class.’”
Dunaway, along with AgCenter Horticulture Agents Anna Timmerman and Joe Willis, did just that. Beginning in early June, both novice and experienced gardeners could sign up for a ten-week series of online classes, entirely free of charge. The horticulture agents, who serve Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, and St. Charles Parishes in the Greater New Orleans area, thought the courses might garner around two-hundred-fifty participants. When the first session took place not even ten days later, over 25,000 individuals had signed up. Eventually, that number increased to 35,000; since then, even more.
Interest in the online program made its way to Mississippi, then Alabama, and eventually as far as New Jersey and Michigan. “We even have foreign students,” Willis said. Particularly in Australia, which has a similar climate to Louisiana, gardeners have made use of the virtual green thumb braintrust.
Nearly as comprehensive as in-person Master Gardener Classes, lessons include labs to be completed in the garden, as well as lectures. “We started with the basics—soils and botany—and went on from there,” Willis said. Participants not only varied widely in horticultural skill-level, but in age: the thousands of students who partook ranged from children to the elderly.
COVID-19 has provided good reason for many to learn new and often unexpected skills, whether in creating online content or helping plant life flourish. If you missed out on the initial rush, not to worry: the last online gardening class wrapped up mid-August, and all courses are currently available online. A Master Gardener Certification class, both in-person at Burden in Baton Rouge and online via live stream, is set to begin on October 6 for those looking to raise the floral ante even further.
To access the Home Gardening Certificate Courses:
To register for the Fall Master Gardener Certification Courses:
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