Note: This site is for reviewing legacy plan of work data from 2007-2011. If you are looking for the current plan of work interface, visit pow.nmsu.edu.
Plant Management Systems: Urban Horticulture (Los Alamos County)
Plan Goals
Communicate knowledge about the principles and practices of urban horticulture to a broad audience, with an emphasis on promoting sustainable practices that protect resources and enhance ecosystems.
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Plant Management Systems: Urban Horticulture
Impact Reports
Los Alamos Master Gardeners Association
The Los Alamos Master Gardeners Association (LAMGA) was organized by the agent in 1996 and has continued to be an integral part of horticulture programming within the county. Sustainable membership is at approximately 50 volunteers. The goals of the association include the promotion of knowledgeable, effective, and safe horticultural and gardening practices in furtherance of NMSU; and promotion of goodwill in our community by participating in horticultural and educational service projects. Although the primary function for the Association is to provide knowledgeable, research based information to the public, there are limits to what can be expected of volunteers to master, therefore there is continued reliance by the community on the agent.
Twenty one participants are enrolled in the Master Gardener training program [21(W); (19(F), 2(M)]. Participants receive 45 hours of college level training in the area of urban horticulture. Classes are taught by the horticulture agent and NMSU specialists from the Extension Plant Sciences Department. Topics included in the training were: Soils, Basic Botany, Fruit Trees and Small Fruits, Vegetables, The Plant Environment, Composting, Water Harvesting, Roses, Houseplants and Container Gardening, Wildlife Damage Control, Turf, Evergreens, Defensible space, Roses, Ornamental Plants, lant Diseases, Weed Identification & Control and Insect Identification and Control. All twenty one participants passed the minimum criteria for certification which included attendance of 80% of classes and the achievement of 80% accuracy on all quizzes following each of the 14 classes.
The major emphasis for the Association continues to be the development and maintenance of the Los Alamos Demonstration Garden, one of the largest demonstration gardens in New Mexico. This educational garden started in 1990 by the Los Alamos County Cooperative Extension Service and PRIDE Committee. It was adopted by the Los Alamos Master Gardeners’ Club(LAMG) in 1995. LAMGA maintains the Garden with support from Los Alamos County Parks Division, grants and memorial donations. Under the supervision of the agent, Master Gardeners contributed 745 hours to the LA Demonstration Garden and other programs during the reporting period with the approximate value of $13,075.00. The agent also dedicated time to projects which included the continued development of a dry shade garden, addition of a vertical rock garden and expansion of the herb garden. There was also continued development of the xeric, transition and oasis gardens.
Under agent supervision, the Los Alamos Master Gardeners Association hosted its first biennial Garden Fair in June at the Demonstration Garden as part of Chamber Fest, a community-wide festival. A wide variety of gardening activities and seminars were provided for the general public. Tours of the garden, seminars on defensible space, gopher management, automatic irrigation and plant selection were included. In addition there was a plant sale and activities for children.
Los Alamos became the first county in New Mexico to offer the Junior Master Gardener Program. The program engages children in novel, “hands-on” group and individual learning experiences that promote a love of gardening, develop an appreciation for the environment, and cultivate the mind. JMG encourages youths to be of service to others through service learning and leadership development projects and rewards them with certification. Twelve members completed the program where they participated in hands-on activities and projects which included:
• Plant Growth and Development
• Soils and Water
• Ecology and Environmental Horticulture
• Insects and Diseases
• Landscape Horticulture
• Fruits and Nuts
• Vegetables and Herbs
• Life Skills and Career Exploration
Participants were certified and awarded pins based on their completion of the interactive youth handbook.
Additionally volunteers were involved in offering a joint public program with the Los Alamos Photography Club which featured famed author and photographer Charles Mann who lectured on “Art Gardening and Photography” There were 37 participants. Three volunteers judged at the Science Fair. Volunteers were also involved in adding the Los Alamos Demonstration Garden to the “Walking Tour” brochure which is published by the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce. Approximately 2600 of these brochures are distributed to Los Alamos visitors each year.
Green Industry
The County is also home to many landscape professionals. Several of these businesses take advantage of the services provided by the Los Alamos Cooperative Extension Service, not least among these consultations on problems they are not able to solve to their own, or their clients, satisfaction. The agent provided 57 such consultations over the course of the year.
Other Activities
The horticulture agent attended five Landscape Review Committee meetings to review and approve landscapes for the KRSN tower, White Rock Visitors Center, Bechtel Corporation Site, County Judicial Site and LA County Golf Course Clubhouse. The approvals are part of the planning and zoning approval process within the Los Alamos Community Development Department for all commercial and County building projects.
The Los Alamos Master Gardeners Association (LAMGA) was organized by the agent in 1996 and has continued to be an integral part of horticulture programming within the county. Sustainable membership is at approximately 50 volunteers. The goals of the association include the promotion of knowledgeable, effective, and safe horticultural and gardening practices in furtherance of NMSU; and promotion of goodwill in our community by participating in horticultural and educational service projects. Although the primary function for the Association is to provide knowledgeable, research based information to the public, there are limits to what can be expected of volunteers to master, therefore there is continued reliance by the community on the agent.
Twenty one participants are enrolled in the Master Gardener training program [21(W); (19(F), 2(M)]. Participants receive 45 hours of college level training in the area of urban horticulture. Classes are taught by the horticulture agent and NMSU specialists from the Extension Plant Sciences Department. Topics included in the training were: Soils, Basic Botany, Fruit Trees and Small Fruits, Vegetables, The Plant Environment, Composting, Water Harvesting, Roses, Houseplants and Container Gardening, Wildlife Damage Control, Turf, Evergreens, Defensible space, Roses, Ornamental Plants, lant Diseases, Weed Identification & Control and Insect Identification and Control. All twenty one participants passed the minimum criteria for certification which included attendance of 80% of classes and the achievement of 80% accuracy on all quizzes following each of the 14 classes.
The major emphasis for the Association continues to be the development and maintenance of the Los Alamos Demonstration Garden, one of the largest demonstration gardens in New Mexico. This educational garden started in 1990 by the Los Alamos County Cooperative Extension Service and PRIDE Committee. It was adopted by the Los Alamos Master Gardeners’ Club(LAMG) in 1995. LAMGA maintains the Garden with support from Los Alamos County Parks Division, grants and memorial donations. Under the supervision of the agent, Master Gardeners contributed 745 hours to the LA Demonstration Garden and other programs during the reporting period with the approximate value of $13,075.00. The agent also dedicated time to projects which included the continued development of a dry shade garden, addition of a vertical rock garden and expansion of the herb garden. There was also continued development of the xeric, transition and oasis gardens.
Under agent supervision, the Los Alamos Master Gardeners Association hosted its first biennial Garden Fair in June at the Demonstration Garden as part of Chamber Fest, a community-wide festival. A wide variety of gardening activities and seminars were provided for the general public. Tours of the garden, seminars on defensible space, gopher management, automatic irrigation and plant selection were included. In addition there was a plant sale and activities for children.
Los Alamos became the first county in New Mexico to offer the Junior Master Gardener Program. The program engages children in novel, “hands-on” group and individual learning experiences that promote a love of gardening, develop an appreciation for the environment, and cultivate the mind. JMG encourages youths to be of service to others through service learning and leadership development projects and rewards them with certification. Twelve members completed the program where they participated in hands-on activities and projects which included:
• Plant Growth and Development
• Soils and Water
• Ecology and Environmental Horticulture
• Insects and Diseases
• Landscape Horticulture
• Fruits and Nuts
• Vegetables and Herbs
• Life Skills and Career Exploration
Participants were certified and awarded pins based on their completion of the interactive youth handbook.
Additionally volunteers were involved in offering a joint public program with the Los Alamos Photography Club which featured famed author and photographer Charles Mann who lectured on “Art Gardening and Photography” There were 37 participants. Three volunteers judged at the Science Fair. Volunteers were also involved in adding the Los Alamos Demonstration Garden to the “Walking Tour” brochure which is published by the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce. Approximately 2600 of these brochures are distributed to Los Alamos visitors each year.
Green Industry
The County is also home to many landscape professionals. Several of these businesses take advantage of the services provided by the Los Alamos Cooperative Extension Service, not least among these consultations on problems they are not able to solve to their own, or their clients, satisfaction. The agent provided 57 such consultations over the course of the year.
Other Activities
The horticulture agent attended five Landscape Review Committee meetings to review and approve landscapes for the KRSN tower, White Rock Visitors Center, Bechtel Corporation Site, County Judicial Site and LA County Golf Course Clubhouse. The approvals are part of the planning and zoning approval process within the Los Alamos Community Development Department for all commercial and County building projects.
Based on the objective to respond to 95% of the requests for horticultural information providing Los Alamos clientele which will lead to a minimum of 20% increase in knowledge.
Impact: The agent made 2053 one-on-one contacts with Los Alamos residents in the area of integrated pest management and general cultural issues during the program year. Each client contact is approached with a strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination of techniques such as pesticide use, biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties. Of the 463 contacts surveyed, all indicated at least a 60% gain in knowledge.
Impact: The agent made 2053 one-on-one contacts with Los Alamos residents in the area of integrated pest management and general cultural issues during the program year. Each client contact is approached with a strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination of techniques such as pesticide use, biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties. Of the 463 contacts surveyed, all indicated at least a 60% gain in knowledge.
Medium-term successes
Eddy County
Living Desert State Park, Eddy County Cooperative Extension, and the NMSU Extension Horticulture Specialist offered a Water Wise Landscape workshop attended by 38 citizens. This is an annual event that has resulted in increasing knowledge of plants and techniques to conserve water in Southeastern New Mexico landscapes. Attendees report successful changes in their landscape and irrigation practices as a result of this annual workshop.
Santa Fe (on-going projects) -
Habitat for Humanity has been using Santa Fe County Master Gardeners to design and install water efficient landscapes at the homes they build. The Master Gardeners then teach the new homeowners how to garden appropriately and conserve water.
El Rancho de los Golondrinos has worked with Master Gardeners maintaining a heritage apple orchard to demonstrate historical gardening practices to visitors.
Master Gardeners have maintained demonstration gardens and collaboration with NMSU Extension faculty (George Dickerson’s herb garden and Curtis Smith’s olla garden). This provides hands-on experience for the Master Gardeners who then teach this to their fellow citizens and to visitors to the demonstration garden site adjacent to the County Extension Service office.
CNM (formerly TV-I) – as chairman of the advisory committee for the Landscape Horticulture training program at CNM the NMSU Extension Horticulture Specialist was in a position to encourage cooperation between NMSU and CNM. Dr. St. Hilaire on the NMSU end and Paul Zalesak at CNM have developed articulation agreements between NMSU and CNM. Distance learning venues were developed so that NMSU professors could teach some of the classes at CNM and some CNM teaching could be made available to NMSU students as desired by the faculty.
Eddy County
Living Desert State Park, Eddy County Cooperative Extension, and the NMSU Extension Horticulture Specialist offered a Water Wise Landscape workshop attended by 38 citizens. This is an annual event that has resulted in increasing knowledge of plants and techniques to conserve water in Southeastern New Mexico landscapes. Attendees report successful changes in their landscape and irrigation practices as a result of this annual workshop.
Santa Fe (on-going projects) -
Habitat for Humanity has been using Santa Fe County Master Gardeners to design and install water efficient landscapes at the homes they build. The Master Gardeners then teach the new homeowners how to garden appropriately and conserve water.
El Rancho de los Golondrinos has worked with Master Gardeners maintaining a heritage apple orchard to demonstrate historical gardening practices to visitors.
Master Gardeners have maintained demonstration gardens and collaboration with NMSU Extension faculty (George Dickerson’s herb garden and Curtis Smith’s olla garden). This provides hands-on experience for the Master Gardeners who then teach this to their fellow citizens and to visitors to the demonstration garden site adjacent to the County Extension Service office.
CNM (formerly TV-I) – as chairman of the advisory committee for the Landscape Horticulture training program at CNM the NMSU Extension Horticulture Specialist was in a position to encourage cooperation between NMSU and CNM. Dr. St. Hilaire on the NMSU end and Paul Zalesak at CNM have developed articulation agreements between NMSU and CNM. Distance learning venues were developed so that NMSU professors could teach some of the classes at CNM and some CNM teaching could be made available to NMSU students as desired by the faculty.
Short-term successes
As reported in County Agents’ impact statements, specialist support of county agents and county Master Gardeners has enabled them to meet the changing needs of the nursery industry and home gardeners in their counties, to develop educational programs in schools and among the public.
Specialist support of county Extension programs have enhanced agent respect within the counties to the point that they are often the primary source of information that cities, counties, and other organizations use for referrals.
With specialist assistance Master Gardener programs in the counties are growing and providing increased assistance to the Extension Service agents as stated in the Agents’ impact statements. Master Gardener programs have resulted in significant teaching opportunities for county residents:
Lea Co. – Waite House – the oldest residence in Lovington was donated to the Historical Society and Museum. The museum then gave access to this house to Lea County Master Gardeners to develop a demonstration garden and access to the house as a classroom. This is a long-term and continuing project that provides landscape design and management demonstrations to citizens of Lea County.
NM Jr. College in Hobbs has been impressed by the Lea County Master Gardener program and has offered to provide classroom space for teaching Master Gardeners, advertising for the Master Gardener classes, and willingness to offer Junior College continuing education credits to people who take the Master Gardener classes. This collaboration began in 2009 and is continuing and growing. The New Mexico Junior College experienced a 60% increase in enrollment as a result of collaboration with NMSU and Lea County Master Gardeners.
Otero - Otero County Master Gardeners provided 6 educational programs to educate local gardeners about techniques for landscaping and gardening in a water conserving manner. They were provided NMSU publications and information. Through the year 49 Otero County Master Gardener volunteers provided 2269 hours of horticultural educational service to their fellow citizens.
Sandoval - A demonstration garden in developed in cooperation with city of Rio Rancho, Sandoval Extension Service, and Master Gardener has been highly regarded locally and nationally. In 2009 Master Gardeners had donated by the time of the county report over 2000 pounds of vegetables from this garden to two charities that distribute vegetables to people in need. The provision of fresh vegetables was a much needed addition to the foods available and the nutrition of program participants.
Master Gardeners provided well-attended plant clinics to answer gardening questions from 200 citizens annually. They conduct numerous educational programs for 500 county residents utilizing Master Gardeners, County and State Extension professionals as instructors. These have resulted in ongoing changes in gardening practices in Sandoval County.
Over 100 active Master Gardeners have contributed more than 5,000 hours of educational service to Sandoval County.
Bernalillo- About 200 active Master Gardeners assist the Bernalillo County Extension Program in offering horticulture education programs to the public. Many contribute more than the required 40 volunteer hours due to their commitment to the success of the program and desire to teach their fellow citizens. Volunteer activities exceed 10,000 hours in providing gardening information at libraries, the Downtown Growers Market in Albuquerque, 4-H Seeds program, the Organic Demonstration Garden, Tomato Fiesta, and various joint activities with the Albuquerque Council of Garden Clubs.
Valencia- Twenty-one Master Gardeners contributed 1, 297 volunteer hours in support of the Valencia County Extension horticulture educational program. The Master Gardeners maintained a demonstration water harvesting/container garden at the Valencia County Extension office using information provided by the NMSU Extension Horticulture Specialist and the County Agent. Master Gardeners conducted 50 plant clinics to provide educational outreach to Valencia County residents.
Los Alamos- Forty-two Master Gardeners volunteered 688 hours of a variety of horticultural educational service to county residents.
As reported in County Agents’ impact statements, specialist support of county agents and county Master Gardeners has enabled them to meet the changing needs of the nursery industry and home gardeners in their counties, to develop educational programs in schools and among the public.
Specialist support of county Extension programs have enhanced agent respect within the counties to the point that they are often the primary source of information that cities, counties, and other organizations use for referrals.
With specialist assistance Master Gardener programs in the counties are growing and providing increased assistance to the Extension Service agents as stated in the Agents’ impact statements. Master Gardener programs have resulted in significant teaching opportunities for county residents:
Lea Co. – Waite House – the oldest residence in Lovington was donated to the Historical Society and Museum. The museum then gave access to this house to Lea County Master Gardeners to develop a demonstration garden and access to the house as a classroom. This is a long-term and continuing project that provides landscape design and management demonstrations to citizens of Lea County.
NM Jr. College in Hobbs has been impressed by the Lea County Master Gardener program and has offered to provide classroom space for teaching Master Gardeners, advertising for the Master Gardener classes, and willingness to offer Junior College continuing education credits to people who take the Master Gardener classes. This collaboration began in 2009 and is continuing and growing. The New Mexico Junior College experienced a 60% increase in enrollment as a result of collaboration with NMSU and Lea County Master Gardeners.
Otero - Otero County Master Gardeners provided 6 educational programs to educate local gardeners about techniques for landscaping and gardening in a water conserving manner. They were provided NMSU publications and information. Through the year 49 Otero County Master Gardener volunteers provided 2269 hours of horticultural educational service to their fellow citizens.
Sandoval - A demonstration garden in developed in cooperation with city of Rio Rancho, Sandoval Extension Service, and Master Gardener has been highly regarded locally and nationally. In 2009 Master Gardeners had donated by the time of the county report over 2000 pounds of vegetables from this garden to two charities that distribute vegetables to people in need. The provision of fresh vegetables was a much needed addition to the foods available and the nutrition of program participants.
Master Gardeners provided well-attended plant clinics to answer gardening questions from 200 citizens annually. They conduct numerous educational programs for 500 county residents utilizing Master Gardeners, County and State Extension professionals as instructors. These have resulted in ongoing changes in gardening practices in Sandoval County.
Over 100 active Master Gardeners have contributed more than 5,000 hours of educational service to Sandoval County.
Bernalillo- About 200 active Master Gardeners assist the Bernalillo County Extension Program in offering horticulture education programs to the public. Many contribute more than the required 40 volunteer hours due to their commitment to the success of the program and desire to teach their fellow citizens. Volunteer activities exceed 10,000 hours in providing gardening information at libraries, the Downtown Growers Market in Albuquerque, 4-H Seeds program, the Organic Demonstration Garden, Tomato Fiesta, and various joint activities with the Albuquerque Council of Garden Clubs.
Valencia- Twenty-one Master Gardeners contributed 1, 297 volunteer hours in support of the Valencia County Extension horticulture educational program. The Master Gardeners maintained a demonstration water harvesting/container garden at the Valencia County Extension office using information provided by the NMSU Extension Horticulture Specialist and the County Agent. Master Gardeners conducted 50 plant clinics to provide educational outreach to Valencia County residents.
Los Alamos- Forty-two Master Gardeners volunteered 688 hours of a variety of horticultural educational service to county residents.
C. A demonstration xeriscape garden has for several years been a very visible and effective means of landscape water conservation. It has been highly regarded locally and nationally. In 2009 the Sandoval County Master Gardeners received the 2009 Search for Excellence Award at the International Master Gardeners Conference in Las Vegas, NV for this demonstration xeriscape garden they have maintained for many years . The demonstration garden was also featured on the “Gardening by the Yard” television program hosted by Paul James and broadcast nationally by the Home and Gardening Network.