Master Gardener Basic Training set for 2025

Would you love to learn more about gardening? If so, Spring 2025 is your chance. A Purdue Extension Master Gardener Basic Training Course will be offered to Huntington and surrounding county residents on Thursday afternoons from 2 to 5 p.m., starting March 6 and ending May 29.

The program will be offered in collaboration with Huntington and Wabash County Extension. Classes will rotate locations to places such as Salamonie Interpretive Center, Asherwood Nature Preserve, Miami and Huntington County Fairgrounds and others.

The Master Gardener program is designed to build up the knowledge of those in attendance in home horticulture, and train volunteers to assist with horticultural education programs for Purdue Extension. Upon completion of the training program, participants are identified as Master Gardener interns. At that time the volunteers are invited to extend the information in the areas of gardening and horticulture under the guidance of Purdue Extension to become certified Master Gardeners.

The Purdue Master Gardener basic training program will consist of 15 sessions. Topics which may be covered are soils and plant nutrition, plant science, plant disease diagnosis, insect identification and control, weed identification and control, ornamentals in the landscape, lawn care, plant propagation, annuals and perennials and pesticide safety and alternatives, etc. Purdue Extension Specialists, Extension Educators, Advanced Master Gardeners and local horticulture experts serve as instructors.

“Bring along your love of lifelong learning and join us for this great course,” says Miami County Ag & Natural Resources Educator Courtney Schmidt.

Persons interested in registration information for the Master Gardener program should contact Purdue Extension Huntington County located at 1340 S. Jefferson Street, Huntington, at (260) 358-4826, emfarris@purdue.edu. Pre-registration is required. Deadline to register is February 6. The cost is $175. Couples may register together; cost is $250 if sharing the manual.