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March 27, 2009
International Master Gardener Conference
I just returned from the International Master Gardener Conference in Las Vegas. It was worth the money and time spent, and I learned much more about Las Vegas than I knew before.These conferences happen every two years. The next one is in 2011 in Charleston, West Virginia. Look for a web site beginning next year.
These conferences are usually 3 days with extra tours the day before and after. They allow you to not only learn about gardening in the area your visiting, but to learn more about the culture of the area. I spent my first day on Sunday touring Pahrump and visiting the Master Gardener program there. It is in Nye County, NW of Las Vegas. They have a very active group of master gardeners for a population of just 37,000. They have a demonstration garden at their extension with drought tolerant trees, shrubs and plants, and hosted us for a tour and lunch that day. The only winery in Nevada is also in this county (Pahrump Valley Wines) and we visited for a wine tasting. In case your wondering, they import most of their grapes from California and Oregon, except for their Zinfindel. They make more than 10 different wines including a tasty one called Symphony. Other highlights of the tour included "Chicken Ranch" (I won't explain that one if you haven't heard of it), and a museum with local history on Pahrump.
My first conference day was spent listening to a keynote and in the afternoon touring the Springs Preserve. The keynote speaker was Jeff Lowenfels. He spoke on Organic Gardening and why it is necessary. Along with Wayne Lewis he has written and excellent book on soil "Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web." He talked about what healthy soil contains - bacteria, fungi, and other microrganisims - and how when we use chemical fertilizers, we injure microbial life that sustains healthy plants. As a result we become dependent on an arsenal of artificial substances, many of them toxic to humans as well as other forms of life. The term "soil food web" refers to the interactions of the healthy organisms, which feed on one another and in doing so provide an environment in which plants can grow and prosper. His lecture made understanding what soil is simple and entertaining.
In the afternoon I toured the Springs Preserve, a must see if you ever go to Las Vegas. It is not far from the Strip and is the not only the site of the founding of Las Vegas (who knew that it meant "the meadows"), but a large demonstration green building and water conservation area built by the Southern Nevada Water Authority with many donor funds. I was there for 2.5 hours and decided to come back on my own after the conference, because there was so much to see. You could actually make a day or two out of visiting this site. This is a note from their web site: The Springs Preserve is a 180-acre non-gaming cultural and historical attraction designed to commemorate Las Vegas' dynamic history and to provide a vision for a sustainable future.
Known as the birthplace of Las Vegas, the site of the Preserve was once home to bubbling springs that were a source of water for Native Americans living here thousands of years ago. It also sustained travelers of the Old Spanish Trail and Mormons who came to settle the West.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978, the Preserve is located approximately three miles west of downtown Las Vegas. The site represents one of the richest and most unique cultural and biological resources in Southern Nevada.
This exciting attraction offers a unique cultural experience for people of all ages. The Springs Preserve experience includes colorful desert botanical gardens, museum galleries, outdoor concerts and events, an indoor theater, a historic photo gallery and a series of walking trails that meander through a scenic wetland habitat.
The rest of my time at the conference was spent touring local resident gardens, visiting with master gardeners from all over the county and Canada, the Arboretum at UNLV, attending mini-sessions (1 hour each), and eating way to much food. I only stepped into a casino one time, as there were so many things to keep us busy. The conference hotel was non-gaming, and had a large marketplace to look at garden related merchandise (tools, books, and local master gardener resources. I came home with a filled goodie bag. It was enough to share with my gardening friends at hospice. If you are an active Master Gardener, attending this conference at least once is a must. If you are a gardener who needs to go to Las Vegas for something, know that there is plenty to do and see not related to gambling or shows, and most of it is free.
Loni Shapiro
Posted by maxmaddy at March 27, 2009 4:48 AM