Page 5 - Searcy Parks Rec 2015

Keeping
the parks
beautiful
Master Gardeners enrich parks through volunteerism
By Misty S. Heaton
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
For more than 17 years, volun- teer Master Gardeners in White County have provided a valuable ser vice that has helped keep Searcy parks and other destina-
tions in the city attractive for residents and visitors alike.
White County Extension Agent Sherri Sand- ers said Master Gardeners help beautify the city with many sanctioned projects, including the grounds of the historic Black House, Spring Park and Pioneer Village, as well as areas in Beebe, El Paso and Rose Bud.These areas also draw ma- ny tourists throughout the year. Each sanctioned project requires funding from an outside source, such as the Parks and Recreation Department budget, and the Master Gardeners provide “the brawn and the brains,” Sanders said.The part- nership between the Master Gardeners and the Searcy Parks and Recreation Department saves the county money in the form of manpower. An annual report shows that the Master Gardeners save the city more than 6,000 manpower hours, or $162,000, Sanders said.
“It’s pretty impressive what they give back to this county,” Sanders said.
Sanders said the benefits of becoming a Mas- ter Gardener are two-fold: “Gardening is good therapy, and there is a sense of pride when you are making a difference where you live.”
Terri Brannon, program coordinator at the Carmichael Community Center, is also a Master Gardener who oversees the Master Gardeners group that takes care of Spring Park.
“It is the oldest park in the city, dating back to around 1840. ... We at Parks and Rec appreci- ate everything that the Master Gardeners do. It would be next to impossible for us to keep up with all that they do,” Brannon said. “They are a dedicated group that volunteer their time and
put their blood, sweat and tears into the projects on which they work.”
Spring Park is one of the largest projects the Master Gardeners work on throughout the year. “Spring Park is the most demanding, and our Master Gardeners have done the vast majority of the landscaping in different phases — the big butterfly habitat, irrigation system and all — over
several years,” Sanders said.
The two butterfly gardens at Spring Park
serve as a feeding ground and waystation for all types of butterflies, including monarch butterflies. The Master Gardeners maintain the bushes and flowers that make up the larger garden, which was the first butterfly garden to be added to the park.The smaller garden is maintained by Danna and Brian Mayall.The couple has also released many monarchs at the park in dedication of their daughter, Amelia.
Marilyn Simms, a Master Gardener since 2007, has lived in the White County area her entire life and enjoys working at PioneerVillage, a late-19th-century village that features a log house, a jail, the Little Red School, an old post office, a smokehouse, a barn and a blacksmith shop.
“I love plants, I love being outside, and I love PioneerVillage,” she said.“So I took the class, and we got to choose which projects we wanted to work on.This was a win-win for me because I love history, and I get to work there.Three of the buildings came from just a little ways from where I grew up.”
The landscaping at Pioneer Village features heirloom plant varieties that would have been available 100 years ago, such as daffodils and irises and 100-year-old rose bushes that came from people living nearby, Simms said.
“We try to have stuff blooming for all seasons so that it always looks nice,” Simms said.
The village attracts a variety of visitors, from school groups to nursing-home residents, Simms said.Throughout the year, the village holds two open houses so guests can walk through the
Top: Master Gardeners Ron Rupe, from left,Therell Mullens and Bryce Roberson assist in the landscaping work at Spring Park. Right: Master Gardener Marilyn Sims tends to the heirloom roses at Pioneer Village. Middle Right: Master Gardeners are responsible for the landscaping at the historic Black House on Race Street. Bottom: A monarch butterfly lands in the Amelia Smiles Butterfly Garden at Spring Park.
buildings and talk with gardeners. In the summer months, the village buildings are open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, but people can view the grounds at any time.
“Anytime a group wants to come and see the buildings, other than the open houses, they can con- tact us to set up a time,” Simms said.
Becoming a Master Gardener
volunteer doesn’t require an ad-
vanced knowledge of gardening and hor ticulture skills. People who have a willingness to learn and a desire to help others can contribute in many capacities to the University of Arkansas Extension Servicesprogram,Sanderssaid.Eachyear,Master Gardeners must do 20 hours of education and 20 hours of volunteer work to maintain their Master Gardener status. There are currently 86 active members in the White County area, Sand- ers said, but more classes will be conducted in late February and early March for those who want to contribute to the group’s efforts.
For more information on the Master Garden- er program, email Sherri Sanders at ssanders@ uaex.edu or call 501-268-5394.
MAIN PHOTO: TERRI BRANNON/SEARCY PARKS & RECREATION; TOP OF SERIES: VINCE HENDERSON/MASTER GARDENERS; CENTER OF SERIES: ROSE ANN HOUSTON/MASTER GARDENERS; BOTTOM OF SERIES: JENNIFER ELLIS/THREE RIVERS EDITION
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE THREE RIVERS EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE // SEARCY PARKS & RECREATION // SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2015 5SS