The preparations for the 2017 Master Gardener Conference started long before the event happened. "What would be the topics of interest for the Master Gardening community." And, " Who would be the speakers to address these topics." Email was very helpful in getting things like these coordinated. Some things came together easily while other things were not completely overcome until right down to the wire.
The gardens were planted, weeded, watered, and weeded again. The lawn and trees were meticulously manicured. Lunches were ordered. Locations for the classes were chosen and tables and chairs were ordered. I for one was not sure what to expect and was nervous about my presentation. Last year I attended the Master Gardener Convention and attended parts of several classes, but mostly directed traffic by helping lost attendees find their way to a class they wanted.
The morning of the MG Conference was beautiful! The sun was shining and the air was cool and still. The finishing touches were completed and gardeners began to arrive. Some of the attendees were from close by. Others came from Montana, and with some students from BYU-Idaho even New York was represented as well.
I was given the opportunity to teach a class. What is "new and novel" in bedding plants. There ended up being two classes of approximately 35 people each, more interest than I thought there would be. It would be good next time to find a way for me to speak louder or have some sort of microphone so everyone can hear on the tour.
In the end, it all turned out beautifully and there were many happy gardeners that went home with encouragement to use what they already knew or, to use the new knowledge they gained while in Rexburg.
