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Urban Horticulture (Valencia County)

Plan Goal

Increase, enhance, and sustain urban (non-commercial) horticulture in Valencia County by teaching proper landscape plant selection, management, and efficient water use.

Situation Statement

New residents, beginning gardeners, and Valencia County natives confront challenges due to unique soils, climate, and limited water supplies. Successful development and maintenance of landscapes and gardens require understanding of these unique challenges and appropriate techniques for adapting to them. Althought the majority of Valencia County residents live in an urban setting, both urban and rural home gardeners face common gardening challenges. Approximately 60 percent of residential water consumption is used to maintain landscapes. As Valencia County's population increases at 1.5% per year, water demands will increase and availability may become a limiting factor. Proper plant selection and management may reduce water residential water consumption while simultaneously maintaining healthy and productive landscapes and gardens. Failure to adapt to the challenges of gardening in New Mexico will result in increased competition for a limited water supply. New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service educate local gardeners on how to adapt to challenges offered by soil, climate, and drought by providing training and support to become Extension Master Gardeners. These efforts continuously apply new technology and science relevant to mitigating gardening challenges. Evidence of successful Extension Horticulture teaching will result in the training and certification of Valencia County Master Gardeners (VCEMG) which requires 40 volunteer hours per individual in approved urban horticulture educational programming. In addition, a successful program will include local gardeners changing their landscapes without loss of beauty or livability, a reduction in individual landscape water use, and the implementation of a variety of water conserving practices, soil preparation, and appropriate planting, pruning, and plant maintenance practices by residents of Valencia County.

Target Audience and Actions

The target audience will consist of Veteran and Trainee VCEMG who will receive training and support in meeting the demands of teaching the gardening public and horticulture professionals with research based gardening information specific to Valencia county. NMSU VCEMG will increase their ability to teach appropriate landscaping practices through the annual training and certification process, by attending approved continuing education trainings, by receiving relevant educatinal materials, and as experience in teaching and implementing improved landscaping techniques is gained. VCEMG will also log the type/kinds of volunteer jobs they are performing each program year.

Target audiences also include the gardening public and horticultural professionals throughout Valencia County who will be provided research based information necessary for successful gardening in the varied and challenging central New Mexico environment.

Short-Term Objectives

Short-term (1-2 years) objectives include the training, certification and re-certification of 15-20 VCEMG. This constitutes the completion of a minimum of 600 volunteer hours per program year focused in urban horticulture educational programs in Valencia County.

In addition, the gardening public and horticultural professionals who currently use gardening techniques not best suited for Valencia County will become aware of efficient means to solve their common gardening problems through means of mass media and direct contact educational programs. Gardeners will learn more appropriate gardening techniques for the area. NMSU VCEMG will develop and disseminate educational and outreach brochures specific to common gardening issues in Valencia County.

Medium-Term Objectives

Medium-term (3 years) objectives include the training, certification and re-certification of 20-25 VCEMG. This constitutes the completion of a minimum of 800 volunteer hours per program year focused in urban horticulture educational programs in Valencia County.

VCEMG will be able to report that at least 50% of the advice they disperse focuses on using more water tolerant plant materials and management practices. They will be able to list three to five drought tolerant or water wise plants that are adapted to Valencia County and will be able to list 3-5 other landscape practices used to reduce water consumption in urban landscapes.

In addition, at the end of each program year 3 to 5 clientele who received VCEMG advice will be identified as having adopted 1 or more hoticultural and/or water conserving landscape management practices. These may include improved irrigation systems and/or utilize better adapted plant material in their landscapes. NMSU VCEMG receiving requests for problems solutions and programs will be supported by NMSU CES Agents and Specialists through presentations, personal visits, appropriate teaching materials, and further program development, so Master Gardeners can continue to provide accurate information to the public.

Long-Term Objectives

Long-term (4-5 years) objectives include the training, certification and re-certification of 25-30 VCEMG. This constitutes the completion of a minimum of 1000 volunteer hours per program year focused in urban horticulture educational programs in Valencia County.

VCEMG will be able to report that at least 50% of the advice they disperse focuses on using more water tolerant plant materials and management practices. They will be able to list five to seven drought tolerant or water wise plants that are adapted to Valencia County and will be able to list a minimum of 5 landscape practices used to reduce water consumption in urban landscapes.

In addition, visible changes in clientele's landscapes will be apparent as more appropriate, water efficient plant material and landscape designs will be employed. Water conservation measures will enhance landscape beauty and survivability while reducing cost of water required for maintaining the landscapes. Improved landscape management practices will also be observed and inappropriate techniques will be reduced.

Evaluation Plan

Program evaluation will be conducted annually based on medium and long-term target objectives of a 25% increase in VCEMG participation. In addition, veteran and trainee VCEMG will be presented pre and post training surveys to determine knowledge gained and evaluate the success of training programs. Personal discussions with clientele such as local gardeners and professionals will be employed to better understand the effectiveness of VCEMG programs. The number of publications and county brochures will be monitored to serve as a gross representation and long-term trend index of county involvement in VCEMG programs and activities. Visible observations of landscape gardening techniques will reveal the extent and success of new landscaping techniques. NMSU VCEMG will participate in an end of the program year meeting to evaluate and discuss the outcome of volunteer opportunities. Input from all sources will be utilized to develop new materials and resources, and direct further programs of the NMSU Master Gardener program in Valencia County.