John Sheets, from left, Lynn Greenly and Tonty Playtis were honored as WVU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — Three WVU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers were honored from Wood County in 2023 with 10 or 20 year pins, including Tony Playtis, John Sheets and Lynn Greenly.

Volunteering and giving back to the community are an important component of the WVU Extension Master Gardening Program. They work on many community projects including the Armstrong Garden in Williamstown, The John Bloomburg Arboretum at the Wood County Main Library, The Summer Adventure Program with Wood County Rec and many educational workshops throughout the year.

Nearly all 50 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, offer Extension Master Gardener programs that include intensive training through state land-grant universities. In 1972, the Master Gardener program was created at Washington State University to meet ever-increasing requests for information and support from enthusiastic home gardeners.

“Master Gardeners are volunteers who are trained in research-based small scale food production, horticulture, and gardening through our training course. These volunteers, in turn, share their knowledge with the community” explained J.J. Barrett, WVU Extension Agriculture Agent in Wood County.

Tony Playtis, of Washington, celebrated his 20th year with the Extension Master Gardeners in Wood County. He has served as president of the organization and been involved in many volunteer projects and activities.

“I must enjoy being a master gardener, since I’ve been doing it for over 20 years,” he said.

“The Extension Master Gardener program has much to offer. You learn a lot, you share your knowledge with others, and you are involved in community service projects. You get to do all this while working with a wonderful group of people who share your enthusiasm for gardening. What’s not to like?” Playtis pointed out.

John Sheets, from Parkersburg, has been a Master Gardener for 20 years. He and fellow Master Gardener Judi White were instrumental in securing a grant for the Edison Arboretum, a 12-acre fenced-in wooded nature area with trails and an outdoor classroom. He has also traveled to several West Virginia Master Gardener state conferences and International Master Gardener Conferences

“I have truly enjoyed my time as a Master Gardener. Traveling to local, state and national Master Gardener events had provided me the opportunity to meet and connect with other master gardeners and expand my knowledge of all thinks related to gardening,” Sheets said.

Lynn Greenly celebrated her tenth year as a Master Gardener and has served as treasurer for the group.

“Becoming a Master Gardener is one of the best things I’ve ever done. Involvement with other like-minded people is the biggest perk. There is a continual reciprocity that makes us better gardeners as well as people,” Greenly commented.

“Volunteering is another benefit. Working hard to help support and enrich the lives of others through gardening is so rewarding. The past two summers I have volunteered with the Summer Adventures Program, where we taught basic gardening skills to young children. Seeing dirty hands and smiling faces says it all!” she said.

Learn about gardening. Make new friends. Share your knowledge with the community. Become a Master Gardener.

If you are interested in becoming an Extension Master Gardener contact J.J. Barrett, Agriculture Extension Agent at the Wood County WVU Extension Service Office at (304)-424-1960 or jj.barrett@mail.wvu.edu.