The International Master Gardener Conference has selected the Spokane County Master Gardner’s diagnostic plant clinic and plant clinic specialist volunteers program to receive its Search for Excellence Community Service Award.
The Search for Excellence program, hosted by the International Master Gardener Conference, recognizes Master Gardener extension volunteer work throughout the United States, Canada and South Korea. These awards are given out every two years.
The award will be presented at this year’s International Conference, June 17–21 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
The Spokane County Extension Plant Clinic has about 160 active volunteers and 22 diagnostic specialists currently. The program is open six days a week, March 1–Oct. 31, with the busiest season in the spring.
Participating master gardeners answer questions from home gardeners on plants ranging from ornamental flowers to garden veggies to home fruit trees and more, Kohlhauff said. Topics vary from disease to infestation, weeds, fertilizer, pruning, heat, among many other issues.
Most of the volunteers are Master Gardeners, people who love growing plants and have taken classes to earn their distinction. But a few of the volunteers go to additional lengths and take special diagnostic training courses. Those specialists will be honored later this year at the International Master Gardener’s conference for winning first place in the Search for Excellence program, Community Service category.
“These volunteers give so much of themselves to this program,” said Tim Kohlhauff, WSU’s Spokane County Master Gardener coordinator. “They really want to be part of this and are incredibly motivated to give back and keep learning. It’s inspiring.”
The program, which celebrated its 10th year with the specialists last year, is available to answer questions from gardeners anywhere, not just those in Spokane County.
“We’ve gotten calls from Mexico,” said Kohlhauff, who is also a WSU Extension urban horticulturist. “The best compliment for us is that we get a lot of repeat customers. They come back because we’ve helped them with other problems in the past.”
They answer questions on plants ranging from ornamental flowers to garden veggies to home fruit trees and more, Kohlhauff said.
“We get dozens of phone calls and emails every week during the early growing season,” he said. “And our regular volunteers can handle most questions. But when they’re stumped, then they’ll reach out to the specialist in the office at that time. It’s a great system that really helps people grow better plants.”
Media Contact:
- Tim Kohlhauff, WSU Spokane County Extension, 509‑477‑2172, tkohlhauff@spokanecounty.org
