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Seneca County Master Gardeners outline 2026 training, events and scholarships
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Summary
At a Seneca County commissioners meeting, the Seneca County Master Gardener Association detailed recent outreach and its 2026 training and event plans, including a hybrid membership course, sold-out wreath workshops and a scholarship program for local students.
Steve Vitallion, publicity chair of the Seneca County Master Gardener Association, told the county commissioners that the group is expanding public outreach and training across Seneca County and into the region.
The association reported participating Oct. 18 in a Proving Grounds Family Fun Fest on Seneca County Conservation District land, and said two wreath‑making sessions on Dec. 3 are fully enrolled. Vitallion said the group will offer a new member class starting in the fall and running from October through August; the course will be a hybrid format with online instruction and in‑person labs. "You don't have to know anything about gardening to be a master gardener," Vitallion said, and described the class as 50 hours of education and 50 hours of volunteer service. He said the class fee is $150 and that participants must complete an OSU‑specific background check; course materials, lab access, a manual, a T‑shirt and a name badge are included. More information is available at go.osu.edu/joinscmgv, the association noted.
The association also described a one‑day spring conference titled "Classical Elements" planned for March 21 at the Allen Ivory Center with professional speakers focused on earth, wind, water and fire; the event will be open to Master Gardeners statewide and to the public, with local vendors and box lunches provided. Vitallion said the group's events support an annual scholarship program: "Each year, we give at least one $500 scholarship to a student whose home address is in Seneca County," he said, adding the award goes to students connected to horticulture and the program has given as many as four scholarships in a year.
Presenters Jane Stipe and Susan Nineswander described volunteer efforts, plant sales and outreach at the county fairgrounds and said they expect to return with a fuller plan in February. Commissioners thanked the group for their landscaping work and outreach; the board invited the association to provide a follow‑up presentation to outline tourism and vendor plans for 2026.
