Trip Report

Master Gardener Southern Region Conference

2006 Southern Region Master Gardener Conference
held June 8 - 11 in Chattanooga, TN; report by Shirley Waggoner-Eisenman.

The conference was hosted by the Tennessee Master Gardeners at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The theme was "Cultivating Ideas." I was the only Master Gardener from North Carolina in attendance.

I arrived at the conference site on Thursday. I was told approximately 200 MGs were registered. Each morning, we received a copy of "The Daily Buzz," which contained the day's activities along with changes and other information about the city. It was a great idea and I am sure it saved the host MGs from answering the same question many times during the day. In the evening we were welcomed by Tennessee University and Hamilton County (Chattanooga) MGs. We were in for a treat - both the fresh water and salt water aquariums at the Tennessee Pavilion were ours alone until 10:30 pm. Being able to tour the two aquariums was worth the trip.

Welcome was by the Mayor with dinner served outside the pavilion or inside the fresh water aquarium. By this time I had met MGs from other states and was enjoying exchanging information about our respective states and local chapters. As you know MGs are not bashful.

Friday morning, many MGs went to the waterfront and created a hummingbird and butterfly garden on a small piece of land between the two aquariums. Also in the offering was a tour "Gardens of the River" or a workshop on the Junior Master Gardener Program. A silent auction began at 11 am and closed on Saturday at 3 pm. It was a great money maker for the conference. Our luncheon speaker was Carol Reese, U of TN, "Gaudy, Brazen Picks for the Rowdy Gardener". She showed all the various things people use in their landscape from indoor plumbing to old cars and trucks. She was very funny. The afternoon sessions had a variety of different subjects, including: Organic Options, Gardening with Naive Plants, CSI - Plant Diagnostics, Cool Season Gardening and Xeriscape. At dinner we heard from the U of LA and the U of MS on the tragedy and triumphs from Hurricane Katrina. It was very sad to see what has happened to both public and private gardens in these two states.

Saturday started with a networking breakfast. Each table was assigned a networking topic - some of the topics were fund raising, newsletters, getting out the word, continuing education, keeping MGs interested in the program, etc. However at my table, we were more interested in exchanging phone numbers, e-mail addresses and in general getting to know one another. We discussed quite a few of the topics. Workshops were held in the concession area on Lawn, Southern Gardens, Humming Birds and Butterflies, and Perennials just to name a few.

I had a great time meeting MGs from other states, and came home with lots of new contacts. I mailed invitations for our state conference to MGs who had expressed interest in attending and seeing how we do things. We as a local Association and the State Association are at the forefront of Master Gardener associations. Each state and county is different in their requirements and how the program is operated.

In 2008 the Southern Region Master Gardener Conference will be held in Oklahoma. The International Master Gardener Conference will be held May 2 - 5, 2007 at the Peabody Hotel and Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, AR. This Conference should have MGs from all over world. I hope some you will choose to attend. I am looking forward to attending.

Shirley