Shawnee County Extension office offering free help for your garden

TOPEKA (KSNT)- With spring in full swing, Shawnee County has resources for your gardening needs you never knew you might need.

The Master Gardeners are a group of experts that can help you with almost anything you need when it comes to taking care of your plants.

The group has a helpline that is open 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, where anyone can call in to get assistance with their flowers, vegetables, fruits, trees and even grass questions. Knowing the answer to every question does not come easy, as gardeners have to go through a year of online training before answering any calls.

“Every afternoon, anyone with a phone number can call, and ask questions about their houseplants, their gardens, their lawns, and our master gardeners spend one year in training to be able to answer these questions with research-based materials,” says Candis Meerpohl, director of Community Vitality.

If a Master Gardener cannot find an answer in their research, they will not answer the question as they rely solely on factual evidence. Applications to become a Master Gardener will open on May 6 at the Master Gardeners Plant Sale. Applications will also be online at the extension office’s website that same day. There is a $100 application fee.