05/27/2026
This spring was filled with growth - trying new things in the garden & watching the orchard come into its own. And, while all that was happening, I was also doing a little learning of my own!
After mentioned she was taking the Master Gardener course this spring, it didn’t take much to convince me to join (I mean, talking plants & soil & veggies & FRUIT growing?! Seriously, twist my arm.)
So, we started Master Gardener Intern classes right after the ice storm in January & we just wrapped up so many good weeks of learning all the things about growing in middle Tennessee. I can’t say enough wonderful things about the Master Gardener program - if you like gardening or if you are just curious about how to grow things - this is a great place to start. It’s run by University of Tennessee Extension office & filled to the brim with good knowledgeable people that just want to help you grow the things.
It was so nice to slip back into University programming & just learn from all these amazing people. The program was well developed & executed - the weekly labs being my favorite part (propagation! Landscape design! hydroponics! House plants!). We took field trips to the UT research center in Spring Hill & to (a favvvvvv!). I learned to be brave enough to finally prune my fruit trees - after attending a workshop by a renown UT orchardist. Our fearless leader, Kelly, did an amazing job of pulling together the reading/resources & practical application. And, as you can imagine, connecting to this network of passionate gardeners, current MGs & my MG intern class, was one of the best parts of the whole thing.
I’m working on my intern volunteer hours in order to become a certified master gardener, which will likely happen next spring. But, guys? What a fabulous spring of learning & growth for me & my little garden & orchard.
Here’s to growth (in all the ways), friends. 🪴🪴
