(for committee use only) Application Code: Tennessee Master Gardener Search For Excellence 2011 Application APPLICATION DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 30, 2011 NAME OF MG GROUP: (MAMG) Memphis Area Master Gardeners Association COUNTY: Shelby MASTER GARDENER CONTACT: NAME LeAnn Byrum EMAIL lbyrum@mac.com MASTER GARDENER COORDINATOR/EXTENSION STAFF: NAME TITLE EMAIL Chris Cooper Horticulture Agent & Master Gardener Coordinator cmcooper@utk.edu PHONE 901.752.1207 CATEGORY---MUST SELECT AND SUBMIT IN ONLY ONE CATEGORY Youth Demonstration Garden X Workshop or Presentation Community Service Innovative Project Research Special Needs Audience COMMENCEMENT DATE OF PROJECT: January 2010 1
LIST THE NAMES OF MASTER GARDENERS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT. Do not include their roles or any other individuals in this listing. (Place the cursor in the box to type a name.) Jean Ward-Jones Patsy Courtright Mary Jane Boals Kiersten Watkins Phyllis Walker Betty Carroll Mary Lou Adams Shannon Hammers LeAnn Byrum Anne Krekelberg Donna Stringer Minetry Apperson-Crowley Marjorie Bradford Robert Holingsworth George Galey Cathy Bellehuemer Eugenia Levitch DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT (include name, location, target audience, goals, and partnerships) Through Our Garden Gates, the second annual Master Gardener sponsored public garden tour was held on Saturday, May 21 st, 2011, 9AM-4:30PM. The tour spanned Shelby County in seven different gardens. Our goal was to present a quality day of education and beauty with informative Master Gardeners and interesting speakers, usually horticultural icons in the county, as well as a nice assortment of gardens with different appeals and challenges. We presented a variety of gardens, which varied in both size and scope. We featured a tiny yard that used every inch of space and presented art in an outdoor setting, a suburban garden with an emphasis on upright gardening, a large estate with open vistas and unique challenges, residential gardens with a variety of wildlife and related challenges, a yard with ten-plus rescue dogs who shared their space in harmony with their masters. Our target audience was anyone with a desire for inspiration and knowledge based on the accomplishments and experiences of our hosts, along with the expert information offered by the different speakers at each garden. 2
DESCRIBE THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT. Our first step was to recruit committee members who set the upcoming tour date and began touring prospective gardens. We had a strict list of criteria that included parking space, variety in plants, water features, etc. which we used to choose seven gardens with different appeals that met our standards and objectives. The committee communicated our goals to the Hosts and garnered their commitment. We then gathered information about each of the gardens for publicity purposes and began to develop speaker and workshop ideas. The PR subcommittee developed a brand for the first tour in 2010 and, improving on that same logo and name, created numerous event materials and promotional ideas. The full committee worked to promote the event. Press releases were sent, television and radio interviews scheduled, ads placed. Local nurseries and public gardens showcased our brochures and we promoted heavily within our community, the MAMG organization, and other tri-state area Master Gardener associations. Garden groups & societies were identified to solicit assistance in publicity efforts. The Hosts prepared their garden space for months preceding the tour. MAMG volunteers worked in all the gardens to assist the garden Hosts not only with landscaping and clean-up (as Garden Preppers), but also identifying plants and generating garden maps and plant lists to be given to visitors on tour day (as Garden Guides). The listings included both common names of plantings as well as botanical names and their location in the garden. All in all, we conducted more than twenty organizational meetings to be fully prepared. We included our Master Gardener Interns and incorporated them into various volunteer positions. Tour day included committee representatives at each of the gardens setting up admissions areas with tickets, brochures, cash boxes, refreshments, etc. The committee reps handled all situations throughout the course of the day and allowed the host to enjoy sharing their garden and the tour experience. All volunteers wore their Master Gardener badges and worked one of three shifts, either as a Garden Guide, Admissions Worker or Traffic Monitor. The Garden Guides worked closely with the Hosts and Committee Reps and acted as a hostess for tour guests, having spent hours in advance with the host soaking up the knowledge they would need to answer questions from the tour guests. 3
HOW HAS THE PROJECT BEEN FUNDED AND HOW HAVE THOSE FUNDS BEEN SPENT? The TOGG (Through Our Garden Gates) tour was provided a budget of $2500 for expenses, based on our experience with the first tour in 2010. Our main expenses were associated with printing costs of promotional materials (such as, flyers, posters, yard signs, brochures, plant lists, etc) & refreshments (environmentally friendly water containers & compostable cups). Our profits go back into the general funds of the association to provide financial support for our mission to educate the public and continue to expand our educational outreach activities and other worthwhile projects. The profit in 2010 was $2500. Profits in 2011 were only $700. Attendance was down because local weather reports kept predicting bad weather when, in fact, the whole day was beautiful. 4
DESCRIBE THE OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT. HOW HAS IT AUGMENTED LEARNING, INCREASED KNOWLEDGE OR CHANGED PRACTICES TO ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE? INCLUDE THE METHODS YOU USED TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT. (These impacts could be economical, educational, environmental, health or community based. SFE projects should be developed to reach the most people possible from the target audience. Impact numbers are not significant if the target audience does not learn or utilize the information. Make sure that you ask participants how this information helped them and record this as an impact. For example, evaluation questions that ask, How do you plan to use this information? or Can you share specific information that you learned today? Our records indicate that 396 people bought tickets, 172 of those were Master Gardeners. Our visitors received a garden map and a plant list when they arrived at each garden. As they left, they were given an evaluation asking what they enjoyed most and how the tour could be improved. Garden Guides and hosts noticed that many of their guests were making notes on their plant lists. Many guests commented on the value of the plant labeling. Several commented on the specific challenge of a garden and what they learned for instance, liked how Shannon used French drains to address the drainage problem. A few mentioned what they learned for instance, learned various types of clematis bloom at different times of year and learned all about sedum. A visitor from the 2010 tour sent the committee a picture of the fence he built because he was so impressed with one he saw on the tour. He also attended the 2011 tour. One guest wrote, I want to make my yard like this one. 5