Arkansas Master Gardeners State Conference

The Arkansas State Master Gardeners Conference was held on April 29 and April 30 at Hempstead Hall. The theme for this years conference was “Planting Seeds of Hope.” They held a silent auction, so while browsing around the vendors, guests could place their bids on items such as flower pots, coolers, and much more. Vendors, had live plants, woodwork, birdhouses, and arrangements of greens for sale.

During the event they held different workshops. The workshops consisted of homesteading, papercrete, and gardeners markets. They also had presentations from Brent Pemberton; on the search of new plants, Lelia Key; on vegetables, more than tomatoes and peppers, and Aaron Harding on keyhole gardening.

An awards presentation took place were Hempstead County received two awards. The 2019 aster Gardeners Project of the Year, went to HAPS School Garden-Denny’s Place. The award was presented to Marion Wright and Nan Wright who were joined on stage with Kathy Dickinson. Bruce Ward was presented the 2019 Friend of Master Gardener award.

On Wednesday, May 1 they will tour the UA Hope Extension Station and take part in a propagation workshop, then will travel to Grandview Prairie to tour the facilities. A Miller County Landscape bus tour of “gardening on the edge” will bring the convention to an end.

For the 2020 Conference the Master Gardeners will travel to Craighead County, Jonesboro to the Arkansas State University Campus. The new theme will be “A View from the Ridge.”