Please don't confuse "Master" with "Expert." I've obviously still got tons to learn. But, I did complete my 40 hour Master Gardener training course, and I have the name badge to prove it!

I am so very glad that I took this class! The 40 hours included sessions on plant diseases, bees, pests, pesticide safety and environmental issues, soils, small fruits, tree fruits, pecans, plant viruses, pruning, container gardening, gardening tools, fire ants, cool season vegetable production, warm season vegetable production, herbs, Arkansas' native trees, tree care and establishment, water and rain gardens, roses, composting, annuals, perennials, ornamental shrubs, lawn, and high tunnels. Whew!!!

Clearly, some sessions were of more interest to me than others, but I came away with the giant handbook and about 100 pages of handwritten notes. The deluge of information was overwhelming at times, so I'm glad I'll have all that to look back at when I need to reference certain topics.

A huge "thank you" goes out to my amazing husband who managed school pick-up for me on days I had classes and who put up with my post-class recaps wherein I'd read him all the notes I'd taken during the course of the day and he'd acted convincingly interested in every last bit of it!

Now, will all this education help me defeat this year's army of squash bugs?

I don't know.

But, maybe I'll wear my name badge out in the garden, just to try to intimidate them.