By Lucy Butler
Six years ago I moved here from South Carolina and began the process of making Montezuma County my home. Among other things, this process required adjusting to gardening with an average annual rainfall of 17 inches instead of 48 inches, living on 25 acres instead of 0.6 acre, and raising grass hay for yaks instead of teaching math at a woman’s college. Many people and experiences helped me along the way, and now I feel quite at home in the West.
Whenever I hear newcomers talk about our brutal winters, high winds, gardening impossibilities (“You can’t grow tomatoes here!”), and other so-called disadvantages, I have to chuckle. Living here in the winter is like living in the most beautiful picture postcard. The high winds dry clothing on my clothes line faster and more efficiently than my electric drier does. And growing tomatoes! Never have I canned as many quarts, shared as many fresh tomatoes with family and friends (My nickname is “The Tomato Lady”), and eaten more delicious soups, sauces and salsas from my garden than I have since gardening right here in our own Montezuma County.
If I sound smug, let me pass on my advice for a Christmas gift that I received five years ago that has kept on giving year after year in a network of new friends, a yearly bountiful garden, and a root cellar full of healthy foods. This gift is cheaper than an Xbox, a Play Station, a 50-inch TV, or a laptop. Although it is not on the “Top 100 Gifts for 2014”, it should be. What is it? Tuition to the upcoming Master Gardener Program given by Colorado State University Extension.
The program begins on Jan. 29, 2015, and runs through April 9. Attendees meet once a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Experts engage learners on topics like how plants grow, how to amend soil (don’t even think of calling it ‘dirt’), native plants, the right plant for the right place, weeds and pests of the West, how to keep your plants and trees from getting stressed out (and you too), and more.
If you want a preview of some of the topics addressed, go to http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/pubs.html. Every question I have ever had has been answered by this course, our ever-patient-and-quite-knowledgeable Montezuma County agent Tom Hooten, workers at the Yellow Jacket Research Orchard, or fellow Master Gardeners.
Plus, the course is downright enjoyable, doesn’t break your bank account (scholarships are available), provides opportunities for you to give back to our community, and (best of all) keeps on giving.
If you have any question, please call me (882-7196) or Tom Hooten (565-3123). The deadline for applying is December 19. Happy gardening and merry Christmas.
If you go
This year’s program will begin in Cortez on January 29, 2015 and will continue every Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. ti 4 p.m., to April 9, 2015. The training is available with a community volunteer commitment of 50 hours for $170 doesn’t include book) or without the volunteer commitment for $530 (doesn’t include book). Completed training will lead to a Colorado Gardener Certificate that can be used to market one’s expertise.
Limited financial assistance is available, space is limited, and admission is based on the application information.
The deadline for applications is Dec. 19, 2014.
To receive an application form, or for more information, call the CSU Extension Office in Montezuma County: (970) 565-3123.
