Master Gardener, Garden Expo Events Brighten Oxford

This week, the Lafayette County Master Gardeners hosted the 2014 State Master Gardeners Convention at the Oxford Convention Center.
Master Gardeners enjoyed tours of the University of Mississippi campus and Rowan Oak on Wednesday and Thursday. There were also self-guided walking tour of Historic Oxford and the University Museum, along with some tours of private gardens on North and South Lamar.
The conference was split into two events. One aspect is strictly for Master Gardeners who were registered to attend. The other featured event is the Garden Expo that’s open to the public. Anyone is invited who has a green thumb and three days to shop for flowers and plants, gardening tools, equipment and supplies, some homemaker crafts and even garden-related art.
The Garden Expo took place at the National Guard Readiness Center, while the Master Gardeners conference was in the conference section of the Oxford Conference Center.
Master Gardeners live in 50 Mississippi counties, and the Lafayette group has about 80 members. Statewide, more than 1,500 volunteers work in local communities as Master Gardeners.
Anyone interested in becoming a Master Gardener must complete 40 hours of training in the first year. At that point, the candidate is considered a master gardener intern, according to Colleen McChesney, publicity committee chairman for the Lafayette County Master Gardeners.
In the second year, interns must complete 40 hours of service. Then,  they’re given a Master Gardeners card and certification, becoming an official member of the association. There is a fee for certification.
The association brings in professors and horticulturalists to train future Master Gardeners. They also bring subjects — from ornamental plants and soil analysis to the various bugs, pests and diseases that may affect native plants. The training includes readings and some hands-on experience, McChesney said.
Below are pictures from the Garden Expo.

Major Weldon, visiting here with his mom and grandmother, fist bumping with one of the vendors, Robbie Tieffel  from Iron Wood Tool.

Mia Yates makes art from eggs that do not hatch that she buys from hatcheries. She has all types of eggs: goose, duck, ostrich, etc.! She makes jewelry from egg shell mosaics.

She made some eggs with Cedar Oaks Mansion on them for a fundraiser.

Gina McLean and Dad Gene Penick make Mulch Soil Products that are formulated for Mississippi and are Mississippi-made.

More Mulch Soil Products.

Alton and Ernestine Holden from Etta, Miss., first started by riding around, picking up glassware in the county. Gradually, people started bringing glassware to them. Even when they started running low and wondering what they were going to do, they would come home and find it on their doorstep. They heat it up in a kiln to make the different patterns. They make spoon rests, bird feeders, and wind chimes.

More art made from melted, reclaimed glass.

Beautiful Mosaic and Tin art by Joy Wright

Janet Brewer, pictured with Ed Pipkin, gets her beeswax from local sources and makes soaps and lotions in her own kitchen.

Flower Jars.

Plants for sale at the Garden Expo.

More plants for sale at the Garden Expo.

The Barn, located on West Oxford Loop, was a vendor at the Garden Expo.

– Photos by Sharon Hays, Shays Photography, shaysphotography1@gmail.com
– Master Gardener information provided by aspiring master gardener Gretchen Stone.