Hello All from Newbie Monica on the Texas Gulf Coast

[TXGulfCoast]

Sorry , I didn?t quote the whole article:

According to Ms Claire Murray, National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, the find gives insight into a time before the earth was completely covered in concrete, long before 3-D holographic gardening became the rage.  ?At that time, we believe gardeners used their bodies to work with actual soil,? states Ms Murray, shuddering slightly.  ?We think these early gardening practices included a need to actually enter data with their fingers, hence the primitive recording device (or ?CD? as it was called) found with Bog Garden Woman.

Mr George Kelly the 200th, present board director of the Ideas Genie for Everything conglomerate, is thrilled to find a link with his remote ancestor: ?We can?t imagine the harsh conditions under which my ancestor laboured, without the ability to telepathically view each other?s work,  or even mentally design, install and track holographic gardens.  The fervour of his disciples in that era, as witnessed with Bog Garden Lady, shows the impact he had on garden record-keeping during the Early Computer Age.?

Couldn?t find a reference to the version of IG Pro being used in 4050, but I think Laurie is probably spot on, if indeed you hit the exact time during forward travel.

Phil:  Parachutes!?  I was lucky to get those 10 salted peanuts!! 

[ideasguy]

Brilliant!
Begorrah, bog body people sure had a vivid imagination and a wonderful sense of humour in dem auld days 

[Katie]

Welcome, Monica!

It sounds like your Master Gardeners (MG) in Texas have a lot going on ... & it sounds like you probably keep it lively!

I'm a MG in Washington State and have used IG for several years now for record-keeping at a water district display garden.  Alas, the economy bit me and I was laid off.  New adventures beckon and IG steps up to the plate.

I've encouraged another local garden that is just in the process of going public to use IG.  They have TONS of data entry ahead of them, but IG is certainly going to be instrumental in meeting their many needs.  It will be wonderful to see how it all unfolds.

Again, welcome.  Looking forward to hearing more from you.

Katie

[TXGulfCoast]

Thanks for the welcome, Katie.  Glad to see another MG here.  I'm just now wallowing through tutorials on IG Pro, while preparing the next issue of our newsletter.

MGs here are interested in the tracking capabilities, but they want "someone" to learn the system and then show them.  There's lots of possibilities for how we could use the program for public education.  "Someone" is going to be quite busy over the next few months.  Luckily our summer is most everybody else's winter, so I'll be able to devote more time to it in July-August.

Certainly good to hear how you've been using it -- should keep me inspired!
Monica

[bossgard]

Katie and Monica:

If I may be so bold, can I ask a favor of both you nice ladies,
would you please tell us Forum Members the Who, Where, What, Why and When of being a MG.

I'm sure it would be much appreciated. Thank you for considering.

- Toby

[bossgard]

What did I do? What did I say? Did I say something offensive, if I did, I certainly do want to apologize.

There must by some 'dry' UK humor in there someplace.

MG = Master Gardener. That's one great educational group there! Wait until you learn about their mission.
We are very, very fortunate to have both Katie and Monica as Forum Members. And I thank them both.

- Toby

[TXGulfCoast]

Whew, Bossgard and other forum members, don?t know if you?ll want this much information.

The land-grant universities of the U.S. (like Texas A&M, Washington State ? the ones that were called the Ag colleges) have Extension Service Offices at the county level.  Extension Service agents are the link between the land-grant universities and the homeowner, rancher, farmer, commercial fisher, etc. to provide research-based best practices.

On-going urbanization required more info about horticulture and garden practices than the Horticulture Agents were able to provide.  ?In 1972, an innovative Extension Office Agent in the State of Washington reasoned that well-trained volunteers could respond to many of the everyday homeowner questions, thus freeing him and his colleagues for more technical and difficult problems ?And so it was, the Master Gardener Program began.?

Now a national program, it includes as well 3 Canadian provinces.  The Master Gardener Program is county-based and always associated with the Extension Service and sponsoring university.  We?re avid gardeners who receive specialized training in many different aspects of horticulture, and then ?pay back? that training in a required number of volunteer hours per year.  We?re also required to have a certain numbers of hours per year of continuing education.  There?s no specific ?pay back? format we have to follow, but we are community educators who assist the Horticulture Agent ?to give science-based information about horticulture and environmentally sound gardening practices? to the public.  My first post gave the ways used by my particular program for education.  There?s also a Junior Master Gardener program to encourage youngsters to learn and appreciate horticulture.

YES, WE ARE MAGIC GENIES!  But not Magic Genie Pros .  The Master Gardener designation isn?t meant to be snobbish ? in fact, many people over the years have tried to come up with a term that doesn?t imply ?mastery? or exceptional expertise, but the term has stuck, so there you are.

Toby, I think Phil was making a good word play on Ideas Genie.  You were certainly not offensive in your post... now about that Phil...

Monica, aka Bog Body, aka Magic Genie (how many more will Phil come up with?)

[bossgard]

Monica:

That's the Master Gardener information I wanted the Forum Members to know about. Thank you.

I know Katie can speak for herself, but as an introduction to her I can tell you this:
She is a Board Member of the Lake Wilderness Foundation and Chairs its Education and Conservation Committee.

I am very familiar with the Lake Wilderness Aboretum, and it's wonderful collection of rhododendrons.
My hiking buddy and I hike the adjacent trails near by, and always take time to tour the Aboretum.
It also has the best signage program of any public garden I've been in.

- Toby

[ideasguy]

To Toby:
RE:

There must by some 'dry' UK humor in there someplace

It was indeed dry UK humor Toby
Ive removed the postings which caused confusion

[roiphil]

YES, WE ARE MAGIC GENIES!  But not Magic Genie Pros .  The Master Gardener designation isn?t meant to be snobbish ? in fact, many people over the years have tried to come up with a term that doesn?t imply ?mastery? or exceptional expertise, but the term has stuck, so there you are.

Toby, I think Phil was making a good word play on Ideas Genie.  You were certainly not offensive in your post... now about that Phil...

Monica, aka Bog Body, aka Magic Genie (how many more will Phil come up with?)

apologies if i did cause offense it was not meant intentionally MG wordplay master gardener (i think you mentioned this one of your previous post) magic genie, how many more will i come up with ?, who knows i dont think we will ever better the bog body lady  for a posting, anyway apologies

You must be very proud to a master gardener it must take lots of knowledge in gardening to become one, plus commitment in all of the free time you give to help others, i dont think there is any organisation like that in Ireland not sure about the uk,  does any one know of such an organistaion/program
Phil

[Katie]

Monica:

That's the Master Gardener information I wanted the Forum Members to know about. Thank you.

I know Katie can speak for herself, but as an introduction to her I can tell you this:
She is a Board Member of the Lake Wilderness Foundation and Chairs its Education and Conservation Committee.

I am very familiar with the Lake Wilderness Aboretum, and it's wonderful collection of rhododendrons.
My hiking buddy and I hike the adjacent trails near by, and always take time to tour the Aboretum.
It also has the best signage program of any public garden I've been in.

- Toby

So cool to find a local person on this forum!  And well aquainted with our Arboretum, to boot! 
Tonight we have an educational program titled, "Some Like It Hot: Growing Warm Season Vegetables in a Cool C;limate."  Check it out on our webstie: http://lakewildernessarboretum.com/ If you attend , come introduce yourself ... I'm the one MC'ing.

[Katie]

?In 1972, an innovative Extension Office Agent in the State of Washington reasoned that well-trained volunteers could respond to many of the everyday homeowner questions, thus freeing him and his colleagues for more technical and difficult problems ?And so it was, the Master Gardener Program began.?

 we are community educators who assist the Horticulture Agent ?to give science-based information about horticulture and environmentally sound gardening practices? to the public.  My first post gave the ways used by my particular program for education. 

The Master Gardener designation isn?t meant to be snobbish ? in fact, many people over the years have tried to come up with a term that doesn?t imply ?mastery? or exceptional expertise, but the term has stuck, so there you are.

Great Job, Monica, describing the MG program.  I'd like to emphasize that we are not walking encyclopedias (Well, Monica may be!), but rather researchers who can find the right science-based information to provide to the public.

[bossgard]

Katie:

Thanks for the invitation, but I have other plans for tonight.
Maybe someday we will meet and share some of our thoughts.

Best of luck on your presentation, and I do hope you have a large audience in attendance.

I did some garden-type shopping at a local garden center last Saturday, and there were several
Master Gardeners at a booth, I assumed they were spreading information about the MG mission.

Keep up the good work!

- Toby