The Master Gardener Volunteers honored fellow volunteer and gardener Bob Rothwell Wednesday after his recent passing. The garden next to the Washington County Juvenile Center reflects the hard work from both the volunteers and some of the kids. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
MARIETTA — The Washington County Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer program hosted an open house Wednesday to help the community learn more about its program with the county Juvenile Center and honor Master Gardener Bob Rothwell, who recently passed away.
The event welcomed the public and members of 4-H to ask questions on topics ranging from the program itself to growing fruits and vegetables.
The open house also recognized a nearly $2,000 grant from the Marietta Community Foundation to support the continuously expanding gardens.
“The money will go entirely towards the gardens,” said Master Gardener Marcia Holschuh. “We’ll use it for the soil, the trellis, and just general maintenance.”
Holschuh said they use a specific type of soil for the gardens that’s roughly $190 per bag. It takes six bags to fill the garden at the Juvenile Center.
The gardens next to the Washington County Juvenile Center are maintained weekly by the OSU Extension Master Gardeners. The garden contains fruits, vegetables and flowers like peppers, corn, strawberries, and apple trees. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
The gardens next to the Juvenile Center began in 2011. Holschuh said that they work with the kids at the juvenile center to help maintain the garden throughout the year.
“They get to pick what fruits, flowers and vegetables they want to grow,” she said. “And when it’s all picked at the end of the season, the kids get to cook with the produce they’ve grown.”
Master Gardener Rhonda Knoch said it’s great to see youth interested in getting outside and putting the time in to grow a garden.
“It’s a lot of work, but the kids are excited to get their hands dirty and it’s so good for them physically and mentally,” said Knoch.
Holschuh said that they often have members of 4-H at the garden with the volunteers to help water and ask any questions. The program is focused on educating the public about the importance of gardening and the benefits of horticultural activities.
The OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer program held an open house on Wednesday. The community was encouraged to attend and learn more from the gardeners about growing techniques and gardening. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
Despite the extreme heat, from 11 a.m. to noon volunteers were available to give insight and show people around the gardens. Members of 4-H, representatives of the Marietta Community Foundation and Washington County Juvenile Court Judge Timothy Williams were among those in attendance.
Knoch said all of the master gardeners are volunteers and anyone is welcome to earn the title.
To become a master gardener, individuals are required to complete 60 hours of classroom time. The class focuses on anything from trees and insects to agriculture and growing techniques. They must also complete 30 hours of hands-on volunteer time. Before earning the title of master gardener, they must also conduct a presentation to the class about the topic of their choice in relation to gardening.
“It has to be a very detailed process because you must be able to answer any questions about gardening,” said Knoch. “And volunteers don’t need to have any prior knowledge before taking these classes.”
The garden next to the Juvenile Center includes a wide range of vegetables and fruits like strawberries, corn, squash, peppers and more. The volunteers recently added a trellis and stained the fencing that lines the main garden.
At the OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer open house, the gardeners honored fellow volunteer Bob Rothwell with a memorial bench on Wednesday. Rothwell passed away in May and will be missed by his family and peers. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
There is a newly installed bench near the front fence dedicated to Rothwell and
the time he invested into teaching the community about gardening.
Amber Phipps can be reached at aphipps@newsandsentinel.com.
Kids from the Washington County Juvenile Center help the master gardeners with garden maintenance like watering and pruning. At the end of the season, the kids are encouraged to use the produce for cooking. (Photo by Amber Phipps)