Sam, this happened: Found as a SDL hybrid of Abies koreana �Compact Dwarf x Abies amabilis �Spreading Star. The seedling were created in the garden of Karel Maly, late czech conifer specialist of Hvozdany. He found or created far over 100 selections. The Abies komabilis series has more 18 members, as the seedlings were anyway different in the seedbed. I think this program was very similar to what Bob Fincham made in 1999, crossing his two golden spruces, and selected from the seedbed. The other question from the other message about the possible quantity of brooms of a species? I guess its unlimited, despite brooms are very rare. Just listen to the Turrach expeditions. 5-6 people goes to a well detected area, and they are happy finding a weekend 3-5 new brooms. Its more an adventure like an industry. This year the new cembra brooms in the Alps are about 40 pieces. If 500-1000 people are hunting for brooms, they will have in 10 years over 4000 pieces, like in Cesko. Specially Picea abies is very well detected, over 2000 different brooms. I photographed over 1000 of them, and slowly I have a general view about the possibilities of the species. I see very different rasses in the species brooms. Like hanging greens, coloured budded brooms, strong stomaline needled brooms, blue needled ones, then Picea glauca-like branchlets, Colorado-spruce-like brooms, and also many others. You can recognize the differences, if you go near to the plants, as I did. I saw a new world from 10 cm with my camera. As I visited in September Mr. Verbin, we saw near the garden entrance 5 or 6 high grafted nice brooms. My friend Mr. Tarnok started the identification: this one P. glauca, this one pungens, then Picea abies, the next as omorika etc. I Told him, stop please, these are all Picea abies. Here you can see the main genetic lines of the european spruce. A strange story: Picea abies knows in his brooms other specieses. Zsolt

cindeea I became a master gardener almost 2 years ago. I love it:) Every program may be different we did not have tests every week. Ok I don't know about the classes down where you are but at ours everyone brogught food each week lol not only did I graduate as a master gardener but gained a couple pounds. we had to do 35 hours answering the phones for what I call "the confused homeowner " hot line. From what I can tell the only standing you could be doing is if you do the plant clinics. I got involved with the Junior Master Gardener program and teach 2 classes of 2nd grader each week. I also maintain my schools butterfly garden during the week. As far as the interview I do know I you stress your willingness to volunteer this is more important than the plant knowledge. They can teach the plant stuff but you can't teach how the love of volunteering. If you extension office has a phone line I bet they would love to know you would be interested in doing a lot of answering the phones. I know we get email each week looking for phone subs. I am blessed to be able to use my talents with fundrasing to help raise funds for the program and the 4-H. This is something I am so glad I did, I have met the most wonderful people. good luck karla

This might be a better question to post at the Northern Gardening forum, just because you might catch a lot more people who don't frequent this one. Any MG program is only as good as the current people involved. Here is a link that might be useful: Northern Gardening

A group of our Master Gardeners ran this program this year, following the Texas A & M University curriculum. The garden was prepared on land behind our county agricultural office building and 5th grade students were transported from a local school and they attended lessons and planted, tended and harvested in their garden with guidance from MG's who had been through a training session. Several children came back (with their parents) after school was out for the year to continue to work in the garden and even submitted produce in the County Fair. Most of the produce is being donated to a local food bank. Their garden was beautiful and apparently the endeavor has been a huge success. I was not directly involved in the JrMG program, as I've been busy, as an "intern" who will graduate in November, helping to maintain the PAR (Plant-a-Row for the Hungry) garden that the interns started last year and passed down to the current class. However, if you're interested in more details, I'm sure I could obtain same, or perhaps put you in touch with someone directly involved with the project. Diane