Training Update

Well, summer is almost over and my MG training continues.

I'm up to 45.5 hours so far this year in clinics, demonstration gardens and other extraneous assignments.  Humming along!  With one more clinic and two demo garden visits still on my calendar I'll be up to 57 hours when all is said and done, putting me well over the minimum 45 hour requirement for the first year intern, and in good position for a much lighter load next year.

I'm really enjoying the garden assignments..... love digging in at the Bellevue Demo Garden (part of the Lake Hills Greenbelt Park in Bellevue, WA).  Many MGs are there every week working away in their assigned spots, or hosting the clinic, so there's always lots of company.  A large number of the folks there are seriously seasoned MGs with years, if not decades of experience and knowledge.  What a resource! Just start up a conversation and all kinds of information comes pouring out.... great learning environment.

On the other hand, I'm finding the clinics terribly boring. : (
 

I'm the world's worst sitter!  I hate sitting!  I've never been able to sit still for very long, and to be sitting behind a table at a clinic for 4+ hours is a killer.  If there's an alternate way for me to contribute value to the MG-cause after my internship is finished, I'm going to have to seek it out.....

I've also managed to rack up 4.5 hours of continuing ed (CE) stuff.... we have to complete 10 hours of CE during our 2 year internship, so I'm well on my way to getting that done.  I've attended two of the lectures offered by the Bellevue Demonstration Garden - the topics were Water Gardens and Ferns (especially loved the Fern lecture.... didn't realise how cool ferns are... fascinating plants).  I also went to another lecture hosted by the PRKC folks (People for Rural King County) on the topic of knotweed and how best to manage (and ultimately eliminate) it. 

Knotweed's nasty stuff - a bully plant that can wreak havoc on native landscapes.  If you have a stand of it in your garden/community I highly encourage you to get involved with PRKC and learn how to get it under control.  Just let me know and I'll put you in direct contact with someone there for more information.

Got my eye on a few more lectures being offered this Fall, so still have more learning to look forward to!

So, yes, the first year of the MG training program is seriously demanding. 150 or so hours of classroom and homework, and another 50+ hours of field work/clinics and lectures.  But it's been so worth it. I'm making new friends; learning all kinds of cool stuff; becoming a smarter, more appreciative gardener, and am doing my small part to give something back to the community.  Can't beat that!