The Warren County Master Gardeners are a part of the county’s MU Extension programs and provide education opportunities to aspiring green thumbs throughout the area. 

The group operates a community garden in Truesdale and conducts educational programming at locations like the Scenic Regional Library in Warrenton. 

“We have the library programs, we have a speakers bureau, anybody that wants information, one of us will go out and talk to them about it,” said Master Gardener Wanda Thomas. 

Thomas has been a master gardener for nearly 20 years and said she found the program following her retirement. She was looking for additional volunteer opportunities and discovered the master gardeners while attending a different class through the MU Extension office.

“I went to a master wildlife class, which was also at the extension, and was made aware of the master gardener program, which I had never heard of before,” said Thomas. “And I thought, well there I go, that’s for me.”

She said in order to become a master gardener, interested parties can take an online course at a cost of $200 through the extension. The course material covers a wide variety of topics within gardening from grasses to fertilizers and flowers. 

Master gardeners are also required to complete at least 30 hours of volunteering through the organization’s programming each year and attend six hours of continuing education each year. 

Thomas said there are a wide variety of options to complete those volunteer hours. 

She focuses on growing flowers in her own garden, but said her favorite part of her work as a master gardener is teaching. 

“I can only teach people that really want to learn something,” said Thomas. “And anybody that comes to a master gardener, they’re there because they want to learn, and so the teaching part is where I get my fulfillment from.”

Truesdale Community Garden

The community garden is located in Truesdale at the corner of Conrad Circle and Laura Street and provides space for anyone in the community to garden, for a fee of $20. 

“We charge a $20 fee, and that usually includes all the plants and seeds. We charge a fee because you kind of want to have some skin in the game come July and August, and you want people to get out there and weed,” said Thomas. 

She said while some master gardeners enjoy teaching and the public speaking aspect of the organization, others prefer to spend their time outdoors, maintaining the community garden. 

“They mow and help people that are actually gardening there, that maybe haven’t gardened before,” said Thomas. 

She focuses on growing flowers in her own garden, but said her favorite part of her work as a master gardener is teaching. 

“I can only teach people that really want to learn something,” said Thomas. “And anybody that comes to a master gardener, they’re there because they want to learn, and so the teaching part is where I get my fulfillment from.”

The garden is regularly planted in the spring and fall with items like corn, squash, green beans and tomatoes, which Thomas said are especially popular. 

The garden is maintained by community members but the master gardeners maintain a presence providing their knowledge and expertise so people can make the most of their experience. 

Gardening tips

Thomas said her first tip to people looking to grow their own garden is to start small. A smaller garden allows beginners to focus more on their plants and requires less weeding. 

She did say everyone’s gardening needs are different and are largely based on what they want to grow, and more importantly, where. 

“In the garden, it’s tricky,” said Thomas. “Even if you plant a row garden, you need to make sure that you don’t put your corn on the southwest side, because now that’s going to shade your whole garden in the evening.”

According to Thomas, the most common mistake she sees with beginners is overwatering, saying it is the easiest way to kill a plant. 

She said for houseplants, she likes to stick a wooden skewer into the pot. If soil sticks to the skewer, then it is moist and the plant does not need watering yet. 

For outdoor gardens, she said she aims to water once every three to five days in the absence of rain, but emphasized the importance of proper soil drainage as well. 

“People are out there watering their lawn every day, and I’m like no, let it go for a week,” said Thomas. “The roots have to go down further to get water, and it makes it a stronger plant.”

Another point Thomas wanted to make clear was the difference between annuals and perennials. Annuals are plants that will not survive the colder months and will need to be replanted each spring. Perennials will survive the colder months and return in the spring. 

According to Thomas, the difference between annuals and perennials is largely decided by where they are being planted. 

For example, a plant that may be an annual in Missouri could be a perennial in a state like Florida with a warmer climate. Thomas said gardeners can preserve their annuals by uprooting and potting their annuals during the colder months and storing them in a warmer environment like a garage. 

While the planting season for this year has largely come to an end and the master gardeners do not have any educational events planned in the near future, Thomas said they are always available for gardeners in need. 

Interested parties can reach them through the Warren County MU Extension office at 636-456-3444. 

“The more people we can get involved in it, the more the gear of gardening goes away,” said Thomas.