ON BEING A UNIVERSITY of TENNESSEE INTERN

I am overjoyed and almost feeling overwhelmed by beginning the Tennessee Master Gardener program. I had my first class yesterday, Thursday morning. We spent most of the class time going over the curriculum, bylaws and other registration requirements. We spent some time with personal introductions of each other. We talked about our volunteerism and that we actually represent the University and how special of a honor it is. We were instructed on the volunteer hours, continuing education requirements and how to get it all done.

This will be a very long process but I hope to have my 40-hours volunteering done by years end. In fact last night was the monthly meeting of the Master Gardeners and I attended that meeting which gave me my 1st hour of continuing education out of the eight (8) needed beside class time. And this morning I was at the WTREC to help re-pot about 300 plants to 1-gal. & 2-gal. pots for sale at the next UT plant sale on Oct. 1st. I am able to report on that event a time of 2.5-hours toward my 40 required volunteerism, leaving me with 37.5 remaining hours. Here are two shots of the work we did today after the potting up was complete.

On to regular news from the garden home. With no rain thus far this week it appears the end of the cucumbers has come. And along with that evidently the squash as well. I was looking forward to a few more squash but fear they are finished as well. I will remove the cucumber vines today but may leave the squash till I see if it will rain as fore casted for overnight tonight. The squash might recover if it does rain for a few more weeks but the cucumbers are really gone now. I did bring home some new plants from the WTREC I need to plant today. I saw last night at the MG meeting and even today that I will be overwhelmed with new and exciting plant varieties, some of which I have never seen or heard of. So this will be an added benefit of my association with the MG program. I will have some plants myself to share as I have already rooted about 5 1-gal Weigelia which are lovely in the spring with their pink flowers and they will really grow fast and look beautiful in a natural, free form style. I have had to prune mine up several times already this year as they will get really large very quickly. But if anyone of you would like these I would love to "plant share" with you are well.
I am heading out to harvest tomatoes today. I gave away about 25-tomatoes I just quickly picked yesterday for 2-visitors who stopped in but I have at least 40 or more it appears to gather today. Plus I must mow and edge this garden home today as well.
I had the new front door installer come by for his measure yesterday and we found out my front door, being old style/old size will either be a special order or the frame will have to be rebuilt to accommodate an "in-stock" door from my "BIG BOX" store. The install will cost more than the door but it is desperately needed to finish the front entrance and give the look I need now that the transom has been opened up at last. I am getting excited to get this project done so the exterior paint job I need to finish on the front porch can be done. And of course finished the interior painting of the master bedroom and kitchen as well as trim, etc. that need some touch up. But other than this list and then start the Christmas decorating I am on schedule for completion by Thanksgiving as I have planned.
So enjoy this weather and our early fall. That is the prediction I heard last night from the University of Tennessee folks at the MG meeting, early and cool and mostly the heat is already gone for the most part. Look to my prediction of early and hard, cold winter. We are definitely overdue that is for sure.
I leave you today with our ongoing gardening affirmation: "GARDENING: ONE YARD AT A TIME!"