Welcome

Planning for the 2010 Florida Master Gardener Continued Training Conference is now complete and I am thrilled to bring the conference to northwest Florida. The conference is scheduled for October 25-27 and will be held at the beautiful Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa. The conference provides a unique opportunity to get the latest information directly from the specialists, and is a great place to escape to for a vacation.

This year things start a day early with two optional field trips and a Master Gardener Palm School being held on the afternoon of October 24th. Each of these opportunities will provide you with new knowledge and experience to help make this conference even more special.

There are general sessions highlighting disease diagnosis, the issues surrounding our pollinators, guidance on using color in the landscape, a presentation on sustainable landscape care, and new and underutilized plants. In the concurrent sessions, we have a Florida-Friendly Landscape track and a wide range of topics sure to increase your knowledge base and make you an even better volunteer.

As we do each year, we have a welcome reception and the awards program where you can see your fellow volunteers get recognized for their service and excellent projects. Don’t forget to organize your county team to participate in the 4-H Plant ID and Judging Competition.

If you enjoy playing golf or tennis, swimming in the indoor and two outdoor pools or any other outside activity, this is the place for you and your family. There is plenty of high-end and outlet shopping and a wide variety of restaurants nearby. The Florida panhandle has many great places to visit and incredible sights to see. Make this trip to the conference a vacation by including your family for some quality time before or after the conference to enjoy this unique area of Florida.

Come learn the latest Master Gardener information, walk the beautiful beaches, shop for all the things you have been wanting, make new friends and reconnect with those from the past. I hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
Tom Wichman
State Master Gardener Coordinator

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