Master Gardeners Peter Bostanescu and Raymond McNeal will each be recognized for more than 30 years of volunteer service to Marion County during the Master Gardeners’ annual awards and recognition dinner at 6 p.m. on April 27 in the Marion County Extension Service Auditorium, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala.
Bostanescu and McNeal first became certified through the Marion County UF/IFAS Master Gardener program in 1987 and have completed annual recertification requirements ever since. At 95 and 96, respectively, these Master Gardeners are a tremendous resource for Marion County’s growing population of property owners looking to enhance their lawns efficiently.
So just what does it take to become – and remain – a Master Gardener?
The University of Florida provides a 13-week training course to certify residents as Master Gardeners. The newly certified experts commit to 75 hours of volunteer service and 10 learning hours within their first year of certification. Annual certification renewal is only possible after the Master Gardener completes an additional 35 volunteer hours and 10 learning hours.
Master Gardeners educate residents on how to design, plant and care for their plants and landscapes using Florida-Friendly techniques on a volunteer basis. Get to know more at the next Master Gardener orientation at 10 a.m. on May 24 in the Marion County Extension Service Auditorium, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala.