by Andrea Laine, EMGV
Who knew being a master gardener could bring families together?!
One recent Saturday afternoon, I received a voicemail from my sister, Laura, who lives on Long Island, near the town where we grew up and my mother and I gardened. At first I was worried–had someone died, was there trouble of some kind in the family? I thought of calling her straight away without hearing the message. You see, Laura never calls me. In 30 years that we have lived apart, I’ve always been the one who places the ‘every now and then’ calls that stand in for an in-person visit. I took a deep breath and listened to her voicemail … She just purchased a houseplant and had a question.
Laura knew that I, being an extension master gardener volunteer and lover of almost all things gardening, would be ready, able and willing to answer her question — on the spot if I could, or with a return call or email if I needed to gather more resea
rch first.
Don’t have a friend or family member who is a gardener? Don’t despair, my colleagues and I will answer your questions, too! All you need to do is contact our Ask a Master Gardener hotline by phone, email, or in person. Details are at the end of this post.
As Extension master gardener volunteers, our mission is to answer questions specific to your gardening needs. You can expect a research-based, unbiased answer within a reasonable amount of time. Answers are often accompanied by links to additional Internet resources.
Ask a Master Gardener is not just about growing heirloom vegetables, or prized roses, or rare trees. Master Gardeners are present to answer any and all of your questions pertaining to indoor and outdoor gardening in Durham County. If you live in another county, or even another state, contact your county’s Cooperative Extension Services office for information on how to connect with master gardeners in your locale. Master Gardener programs are in nearly every county in North Carolina and nearly all of the United States.
Contact Information:
Office hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
By phone: (919) 560-0528
Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Durham County 