Haywood County Master Gardeners Attend State Conference

Pat Bailey and Sonia Outlaw-Clark were among over 300 master gardeners attending the Tennessee Master Gardener State Conference held June 8-10 in Kingsport, Tenn.

The two are pictured above with Roger Swain, ‘the man with the red suspenders’ and host of “The Victory Garden,” television’s longest-running gardening show and Erica Glasener, horticulturist, author and host of “A Gardener’s Diary” on Home and Garden Television (HGTV). Swain and Glasener were the keynote speakers for the event.

“Roger Swain was great and he didn’t just come to talk to us for a while and leave. He spent the whole 3-days attending the conference and taking the tours just like the rest of us,” says Outlaw-Clark. “We really enjoyed him.”

Breakout sessions and tours are offered over the 3-day event giving everyone a chance to learn something new, visit the area and get to know each other. “We’ve meet people from all over the state, and made some great new friends,” says Bailey.

One of the most popular activities of the convention is the silent auction. Each association brings items to donate and Haywood County has always been well represented. “Last year we drew a lot of attention when we wheeled all our auction items in piled-up in a wheelbarrow,” says Bailey. “This year our Cookbook Bouquet filled with local cookbooks, Tennessee Gold Sauce and packaged in a Victorian Hanging Basket made a big hit.”

Other local items donated this year included garden hoses from Haywood Company, a birdhouse built by Joe McCool, Tennessee Gold Sauce produced locally by Southern Food Sensations, a patriotic welcome mat from Merle Norman and a bird feeder from Mid-South Farmer’s Co-op

“It’s fun to see all the items from the other areas of the state. We’ve attended the conference the last three years and each year it just gets bigger and better,” adds Outlaw-Clark.