Sometimes it is strange how a nickname will be the opposite of the factual reality.  Like Shorty being 6’4” tall.  It is the same with New Jersey being called the Garden State.  New Jersey has an agricultural history but, since 1791 New Jersey has primarily been an industrial state.

However, New Jersey does have New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) which was established in 1880 and now is a part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.  And you ask, “What does this have to do with Ringwood?”  Well, each county has a Cooperative Extension program which is supported by the NJAES and other organizations.  And this in turn is where you will find the Master Gardeners Program.

And you ask, “What is a Master Gardener?”  Well, a Master Gardener is a volunteer with 60 hours of classroom and field instructions from Rutgers.  The curriculum consists of:

Rutgers Cooperative Extension and RCE Master Gardener Program Introduction

  • Botany
  • Plant Identification
  • Soils and Fertilizers
  • Basic Entomology
  • Plant Pathology
  • Integrated Pest Management
  • Tree and Small Fruits
  • Vegetable and Flower Gardening
  • Turf and Weed Management
  • Shade Trees and Woody Ornamentals
  • Conifers and Broadleaf Evergreens
  • Household and Structural Pests
  • Interior and Houseplants
  • Introduction to Horticultural Therapy
  • Composting
  • Principles of Pruning and Maintenance
  • Birds and Wildlife in The Landscape
  • Pesticide Safety and Use
  • Volunteerism - Successfully Serving the Public and RCE

So what do Master Gardeners do for Ringwood?   Master Gardeners rehabilitated the Hermitage Victorian gardens to assisting a homeowner’s landscaping effort to providing information in a public forum. 

So Ringwood … it is spring and time to think about planning your garden; and if you need help just call your local Rutgers Cooperative Extension office and asks for a Master Gardener.

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