Producer: Janina Birtolo
Southwest Florida seems made for growing things. Just a cursory look around shows the wide variety of plants that are happy to make homes here. So it’s hardly surprising that human transplants to the region often are inspired to take up gardening. The trouble is that growing conditions, seasons and even plant pests here are different from up North, leaving many a would-be gardener unsure how to proceed. That’s where the Master Gardener program comes in. Started in the 1970s through the cooperative extension service system, the nationwide program is available in 45 states and nearly all of Florida’s counties. And it’s entirely manned by volunteers.