On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 04:10:19 GMT, Lynda LeCompte
wrote:

In response to one of my posts about my recently acquired garden, someone
posted that an agricultural organisation would send someone out, usually a
volunteer master gardener, to help with identification of plants. I thought
this was an excellent idea, but didn't think to ask how to go about this.

Over here in Tennessee what I advise the newly arrived to this region
(the ones from Florida who are used to zone 8 and 9 and are now facing
zone 7 with undertones of the former 6b zone and want "something to
bloom all year......'try silk plants' lol) but seriously, I would go
to the phone book and look in the blue pages. Those are the listings
for the government and such. Or yellow pages and look for University
of Texas (or closest one to where you are) and then for the
Agricultural department. The university's Master Gardening program is
thru the Agricultural department (mine was, I went to University of
Tennessee in Knoxville for my master gardening classes but since then,
they've expanded them to Walter State Community college closer to me,
just at different times). If you don't find the listing in the book,
you can just dial 1411 (I'd expect the first two or so information
calls are free thru the phone company) and ask for the number.

Here I have BellSouth and when I dial 1411 I get "if you need a number
and in English, push one, what listing? (most of them now are voice
activated) what city? what state? the number is *** *******, if you'd
like for us to connect to that number for an additional charge of bla
bla, push or say bla, again the number is..............."

Nine times out of ten, you'll get a very friendly and helpful phone
operator and they'll direct you to the proper number.

Now then, bearing in mind I'm from England and have no idea how things work
over here in Texas (but I'm learning ;-), can anyone give me some pointers
of who or where I should be approaching to go about this?
I think I did a thorough job on that one g

The alternative would be for me to take a whole bunch of pics and post them
on my website for y'all to look at. Meh, I might just do that anyway! But I
do think it would be great to have someone walk around my garden with me
and share their knowledge.

agreed. and send me some of yer pics! I'd love to see them. Get up
in the faces of the plants and such so I can see the buggers though
because although I'm getting good at this, I'm not nearly as good as
my friend in Nashville who can identify everything by it's
leaf.....I've nicknamed him the Garden Guru.........and he studied and
went to college and took Horticulture at UT (more study, gotta
study and read more, more knowledge....get more knowledge,,,,,,,)

I hope this helps more......everyone has given you good advice so far
but this is more hands on with where you're at. Let me know how it
goes.......
madgardener up on the snowy and wintery ridge, back in Fairy Holler,
overlooking a snow covered English Mountain (actually you can't SEE
English Mountain for the snow and clouds today) in Eastern Tennessee,
zone 7 (feels more like zone 5 today!) Sunset zone 36
TIA.