“The workshop is about providing options for homeowners with an emphasis on local species of plants,” said Raleine Sillman, public affairs officer for the Lee County Master Gardeners Association. “We’re big promoters of taking soil tests and learning what kind of plants and nutrients you might need to put in your soil to support your plants. Some of it is going to be about landscaping in the sense of shrubs, trees and flowers.”

“A lot of people overlook the importance of the design of their outside space,” Sillman said. “If you have well-designed landscaping, it can actually improve the looks of your home with the right plants, flowers and shrubbery.”

“The Master Gardeners have done a number of free workshops for us over the years,” said Meg Rainey, public relations specialist for the city of Auburn Parks and Recreation Department. “We’re always happy to partner with them. They have a lot of expertise they can provide.”

In the past, the LCMG and Auburn Parks and Recreation have co-hosted workshops on garden photography, creating a terrarium and growing citrus trees.

“They’re a great outreach group in the community and they do a lot to educate citizens on landscape practices,” Rainey said. “We’re excited to host this workshop. It’s a great volunteer based organization that has a wealth of knowledge on gardening and best practices for gardening and outdoor ventures.”

“We typically have a very good turnout for these seminars. There are topics of interest to a wide variety of people. The workshops appeal to all ages and interests. We’re always looking for new programming to bring to the citizens."

The LCMG, a non-profit organization under the Lee County Extension Service, maintains three community gardens: Kiesel demonstration gardens (seven gardens demonstrating native plants, vegetable gardening, herbs, cut flowers, heritage, butterfly and meditation, Grandma’s Garden at Pioneer Park in Loachapoka (heirloom plants) and the Caroline Dean Wildflower Garden at Opelika Municipal Park.

The Caroline Dean Wildflower Garden is the newest garden maintained by the LCMG.

“We’re a big promoter of native plants,” Sillman said. “We’re putting nothing but native plants from the southeast Alabama area in this garden.”

The Master Gardener course is a 16-week course.

“When you take the classes, you commit to giving at least 50 hours community service back,” Sillman said.

The LCMG hosts monthly meetings that last an hour.

“At the end, we usually have a training session and we have different speakers from the area that come in and speak about such things as butterflies or canning vegetables and fruits.”

The training sessions were recently opened to the public, according to Sillman.

“We normally have our meetings at the Lee County Extension Office in downtown Opelika,” Sillman said. “We have started working with the Auburn Parks and Recreation at the Harris Center.”

For more information on the LCMG, visit leemg.org .

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