Projects

Wilson County Master Gardeners (WCMG)
2024 Volunteer Projects and Events

The projects and events listed below provide an opportunity for Master Gardeners and interns to learn about various aspects of gardening in Middle Tennessee, to give back to the our community and to make ongoing connections with others who love gardening. Both are supported by WCMGs and your volunteer hours may be counted towards WCMG annual certification credits. Interns are encouraged to try as many projects and events as practical.

WCMG  PROJECTS

WCMG projects are ongoing throughout the year.

Demonstration Vegetable Garden

  • Beneficiary: The harvest is shared with the WCMG volunteers who maintain the garden and with SCAN*. Visitors to Fiddlers Grove** and the Wilson County Fair may enjoy an aesthetically pleasing garden.
  • Location: James E. Ward Agricultural Center, Lebanon, TN; inside Fiddlers Grove** & next to the WCMG building
  • Date: April through October. Regularly scheduled workdays include Monday mornings at 9:00 am (earlier as the weather gets hotter) & Saturday afternoons.  Some extra days may be announced as needed.
  • Chairperson:  Barbara Nissel
  • Volunteer Hours Code: Demonstration Vegetable Garden in Fiddlers Grove
  • Brief description: We provide Master Gardeners with a place to learn and hone their skills, mentor interns in UT Extension gardening practices, as well as provide a showcase garden to Fiddlers Grove and Wilson County Fair visitors. We prepare the soil, plan the garden plots, plant, water, fertilize, weed, harvest, have fun, take pride in a great project, then put the project to bed at the end of the season. Choose to adopt a plot of your own in the garden or participate in scheduled workdays.

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Mt. Juliet Community Garden (Labor of Love Garden)

  • Beneficiary: SCAN*
  • Location: Charlie Daniels Park, Mt. Juliet, TN
  • Date: Workdays and times are communicated via email and the WCMG website.
  • Co-Chairs: Deb Williams and David Bates
  • Volunteer Hours Code: Community Garden at Charlie Daniels Park
  • Brief description: The Community Garden at Charlie Daniels Park is a true working garden with raised beds and a regular row garden. Located in Charlie Daniels Park, it is a wonderful advertisement for the Master Gardener program. Work in this Garden begins when Mother Nature allows the soil to be worked and stops when Mother Nature says it is time to rest. The garden not only grows vegetables, it also grows friendships that are priceless. The blessings that you will receive from giving a senior citizen a fresh tomato, cucumber or pepper will leave a lasting mark on your heart. So, really, the workers of the Labor of Love Garden are really it’s largest benefactors.

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Help Line – NOT PRESENTLY IN EFFECT

  • Beneficiary: Citizens of Wilson County, TN
  • Location: The University of Tennessee Extension office at 925 E Baddour Pkwy, Suite 100, Lebanon, TN 37087
  • Date: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am to 11 am 
  • Co-chairs:
  • Volunteer here: https://wilsoncountymg.org/projects/help-line-schedule/    
  • Volunteer Hours Code: Master Gardener Help Line
  • Brief description: Volunteers work with experienced WCMG’s to research and respond to calls, drop-in visits and emails regarding horticultural related questions and problems. Also, volunteers work events (Ask A Master Gardener) to make personal contact with the public and assist the Extension agents with research, etc.
  • Volunteer here: https://wilsoncountymg.org/projects/help-line-schedule/

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Cedars of Lebanon Butterfly Garden

  • Beneficiary: Any visitors to Cedars of Lebanon State Park. This includes field trips for local schoolchildren and campers at the campground.
  • Location: Cedars of Lebanon State Park, 328 Cedar Forest Rd, Lebanon, TN 37090
  • Date: Second Friday and fourth Monday of each month.
  • Co-Chairs: Rosemary Marshall and Deb Shields
  • Volunteer Hours Code: Cedars of Lebanon Butterfly Garden
  • Brief description: This garden is located behind the Nature Center in the park. It was planted with plants, trees and shrubs that attract and support butterflies.New walking and wheelchair paths to be built in 2019 will require moving some plants.
  • Download PowerPoint Presentation: cedars of lebanon presentation 2018

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Fairgrounds Demonstration Flower Beds

  • Beneficiary: WCMG volunteers, visitors to Fiddlers Grove from April – October and the Wilson County Fair, Garden Volunteers
  • Location: James E. Ward Agricultural Center, 945 E. Baddour Parkway, Lebanon, TN
  • Date: March – November
  • Chairperson: Marianne Pelletier
  • Volunteer Hours Code: Fairgrounds Demonstration Flower Beds or History Garden at Fiddlers Grove
  • Brief description: The Demonstration Flower Beds at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center is considered the classroom for the Wilson County Master Gardeners and Interns. We are fortunate to have everything from learning how to grow vegetables, flowers and trees in one place. In partnership with the Wilson County Fair and Fiddlers Grove we are able to not only maintain, but create beds that are educational for not only ourselves, but for the public. We are able to show what grows in full shade, dapple shade and of course full sun. There are a wide range of plants installed throughout the grounds that include today’s varieties and heirloom varieties. No mater what your passion, we probably have a bed that would be of interest to you!

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Baddour Parkway Arboretum (BPA)

  • Beneficiary: WCMG volunteers, visitors to Fiddlers Grove** and the Wilson County Fair visitors
  • Location: James E. Ward Agricultural Center, Lebanon, TN (in and around Fiddlers Grove Historical Village)
  • Date: Generally April through October
  • Chairpersons: Mary Ellen Lewis, Judy and Chad Burgess
  • Volunteer Hours Code: Baddour Parkway Arboretum/Tree Committee Project
  • Brief description: 2024 is the BPA’s 10th anniversary! WCMG’s with an interest in trees provide care and maintenance of the trees. Typical workdays are Mondays at 9:00 am or earlier as the weather becomes hotter. Choose to participate in workdays or adopt a tree to become a Tree Steward.
  • Other BPA activities include: Free classes for the public and Master Gardeners (see CE*** credit below) in topics such as Pruning Class, Beginning Tree Identification, Winter Tree Identification, and other classes/speakers as requested. Participation in programs such as Notable Trees of Wilson County, Trees Across Tennessee (250k trees planted), and Arboretum Research. Pioneer Days is an annual event for fourth graders of Wilson County at which Arboretum volunteers provide a “tree class” for the students.

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Mt. Juliet Library

  • Beneficiary: Library visitors
  • Location: Mt. Juliet, TN
  • Date: Workdays and times communicated via email and the WCMG website.
  • Co-Chairs: Veronica Gammons, Patti Stein
  • Volunteer Hours Code: Mt. Juliet Library Project
  • Brief description: WCMG volunteers maintain perennial and shrub beds at the main entrance and 3 smaller gardens in the back. The gardens are designed to attract butterflies and provide seeds for birds. Two workdays are scheduled in the Spring to add soil amendments, clean up and mulch the beds. Once a week during the Summer we water and remove weeds.

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Zinnie Project – NOT CURRENTLY IN EFFECT

  • Beneficiary: SCAN* and Quality Center for Rehabilitation & Healing
  • Location: The University of Tennessee Extension office at 925 E Baddour Pkwy, Suite 100, Lebanon, TN 37087 (garden plot is behind the building)
  • Date: Wednesdays 9 am to 11 am
  • Co-chairs:
  • Volunteer Hours Code: Zinnie Project
  • Brief description: Fresh bouquets of zinnias are delivered weekly to the Sheriff’s office for delivery to SCAN recipients and to the Quality Center for in-patients. A group of master gardeners prepare the soil, plant zinnias, maintain the garden, harvest the flowers, and fill and deliver the vases.

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EVENTS

Events are short-term in duration ranging from one day to multiple days. Generally, sign up information is communicated prior to the event.

Wilson County Fair Activities

  • Beneficiary: Wilson County Fair
  • Location: James E. Ward Agricultural Center, Lebanon, TN
  • Date: August 15 – 24, 2024
  • Co-Chairs: Various
  • Volunteer Hours Code: Wilson County Fair Activities
  • Brief description: WCMG’s support fair activities throughout the Spring and Summer by planting and maintaining demonstration gardens, a number of flower beds and the trees in and around Fiddlers Grove**. WCMG volunteers staff the Demonstration Vegetable Garden during peak Fair times to welcome fair-goers and answer gardening questions. WCMG’s also provide assistance with various shows and competitions such as the Fruit & Vegetable Competition, the Flower Show, the Amateur Wine Show, the Honey Show, and many more.
  • Volunteer Sign Up:  Sign up online on the WCMG website under the “Members Only” tab beginning in June.  wilsoncountymg.org.

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Wilson County Farm Days

  • Beneficiary: Wilson County Second-Graders
  • Location: James E. Ward Agricultural Center, Lebanon, TN
  • Date: May 9 & 10; 8 am to 2 pm
  • Chairperson: Vicki Folsom
  • Volunteer Hours Code: Extension Agent Support or Outreach Project
  • Brief description: For the 18th year, second-graders will learn about agricultural topics with over 100 volunteers contributing each day. WCMGs have supported this for many years. Exhibits include all types of farm animals to teach about production agriculture, a veterinarian on caring for farm animals, live bees with volunteers discussing pollination, sheep-sheering demonstrations and the process of seeds becoming different products. Sponsored by Wilson County Soil Conservation, Wilson County Farm Bureau Women and the University of Tennessee Agriculture Extension office. WCMG’s are among the many volunteers that make this event a success.
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  • A sample of other events supported by WCMG’s have included:
    Staffing the WCMG booth at the Batch & Bushel and the WB&T Southern Home & Garden Expo in February..

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Spring Fest in the Grove

  • Beneficiary: WCMG, Fiddlers Grove, Public
  • Location: Fiddlers Grove Historic Village, Poultry Barn, 945 E. Baddour Parkway, Lebanon, TN
  • Date: May 4, 2024
  • Chairperson: Marianne Pelletier (Vendors & Advertising)
  • Volunteer Hours Code: Extension Agent Support or Outreach Project
  • Brief description: Fiddlers Grove has partnered with the WCMG to present “Spring Fest in the Grove”. This annual event is for those who love to garden, shop and learn. There will be plants for sale, artisans selling their wares, garden lectures throughout the event and some farm animals. The proceeds of the event go towards helping the Master Gardeners with their projects in Fiddlers Grove. WCMG Volunteers help with the planning, set up, plant sale, tear down and anything else needed the day of the event.

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CONTINUING EDUCATION (CE) and CERTIFICATION ***

Within one year of graduating the MG Training Program, completing and documenting a minimum of 40 volunteer hours and completing 8 CE hours, you receive the designation of “Certified Master Gardener Volunteer”.

Examples of ways to earn CE’s include:


RECERTIFICATION and CONTINUED VOLUNTEER SERVICE ***

Maintaining your status as a “Certified Master Gardener Volunteer” requires a minimum of 25 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of personal continued education (CE) each year.

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*SCAN is a 501c3 nonprofit organization developed by the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office to take a proactive approach to address the needs of seniors of Wilson County. Reports show Americans age 55 and older will double between now and the year 2030. As our senior population increases in record numbers so do issues related to addressing the needs of isolated, lonely, at risk and financially challenged seniors. To learn more go to http://wcso95.org/home/scan/

**Fiddlers Grove Historical Village is a 501c3 nonprofit organization located on the grounds of the James E. Ward Agricultural Center. It is the mission of Fiddlers Grove to preserve the history of the citizens of Wilson County, Tennessee by preserving buildings, artifacts, oral and written histories. To learn more go to http://fiddlersgrove.org

***For more information please refer to the Tennessee Master Gardener Volunteer Handbook, Statewide Guidelines and Procedures at the following link and look for the Master Gardener Resources tab. http://extension.tennessee.edu/mastergardener

WCMG 2023 Projects and Events Rev 12-05-2023

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