On Tuesday of this week, Ohio State University Master Gardener volunteers Toni Bouhassin and Joan Trent worked with about a dozen members of the Ballinger Traumatic Brain Injury clubhouse on Waterloo Road, alongside about a dozen other Master Gardeners. While Bouhassin and her volunteer assistants helped members chop herbs and tomatoes for fresh, healthful salads and appetizers, Trent and other volunteers worked with members to plant containers in the clubhouse courtyard. One week earlier, the women met with clubhouse members to learn their food likes and dislikes and favorite flower colors, then returned Tuesday with annuals, herbs and recipe ingredients in hand.

Across the state in more than 65 counties, more than 3,100 OSU Master Gardener volunteers share their love for gardening by teaching gardening practices to other gardeners. After completing the initial training program of about 60 classroom hours, Master Gardener volunteers give at least 50 volunteer hours to projects including demonstration gardens, event displays, research projects, educational workshops and horticulture hot lines. In honor of their hard work and dedication, Gov. Ted Strickland has declared May 18-24 as Master Gardener Volunteer Program Week.

Here in Summit County, the Master Gardener program has been conducting annual classes since 1994. About 100 active volunteers participate in the county program, in 2007 giving more than 4,500 volunteer hours to teach others environmentally friendly gardening practices. Projects coordinated by the OSU Master Gardeners in Summit County include the Saturday Gardening Series held each March, free year-round gardening programs at Seiberling Nature Realm, the group's annual Tour of Gardens, and the TBI garden partnership, among other projects.

Since last spring, Summit County Master Gardeners have worked alongside TBI clubhouse members at least once a month, sharing and cultivating a love for plants and gardening. The TBI clubhouse members are all survivors of some type of brain injury; some members survived strokes or heart attacks, while others were involved in car accidents or work injuries.

Several times a week, clubhouse members meet to share activities, practice everyday skills like cooking and shopping, and go on group outings. Gardening has proven to be a healthful, fun outlet for the members, all of whom take great pride in their part in the growing process.

Therapy at nursing home

Later Tuesday, other Master Gardener volunteers traveled to the Regina Health Center in Richfield to work with Sister Pat McHale, who conducts the nursing home's horticultural therapy program. This week, she and the Master Gardeners worked with residents to plant containers and tend beds in Regina's wheelchair-accessible garden, named the Madonna Garden. Once a month throughout the year, Master Gardeners meet at Regina to help residents plant seeds, transplant seedlings and repot houseplants.

As the plants and gardens grow and flourish at both locations, so do the relationships between volunteers and gardeners. Greeting each other like old friends — which they quickly become — Master Gardeners and their gardening counterparts share plants, stories and laughs as they work together to pot up plants and divide perennials. In the end, the relationships become as important as the garden, and keep the volunteers returning on a regular basis.

All across the state, Master Gardener volunteers are involved in similar projects that teach horticultural practices to the gardening public. Some volunteers tend demonstration gardens, while others work with children to help them develop a love for gardening. The overall goal of the program is to bring research-based information from OSU out to every corner of the state; each county program decides which programs to deliver, based on the county's needs.

History of outreach

Summit County Master Gardeners have a strong history of outreach in the county. For nearly 20 years, volunteers have answered questions twice a week on the horticulture hot line (9 a.m.-noon Tuesday and Thursday mornings; 330-928-4769). Throughout the year, a speaker's bureau brings gardening programs to area libraries and garden clubs, teaching gardeners about topics like dahlias, container gardening and beneficial insects.

For the last few years, proceeds from the Tour of Gardens and other fundraising activities have allowed the group to give annual grants for horticulture-related projects in the county. This year, grants were awarded to the Hudson Montessori's middle school gardening program, a Child Guidance gardening project that targets at-risk youth, and a youth gardening partnership among the Akron Zoo, the Urban League and the Master Gardeners.

Interested in becoming an OSU Master Gardener volunteer? The ideal candidate has a passion for gardening and a commitment to giving back to the community. The Summit County Master Gardener program is currently accepting applications for a fall class, to be held during the day Wednesdays from late August through mid-December. A special evening and weekend class will be conducted next year for participants who aren't able to take a daytime class. Applications are available on line at http://summit.osu.edu, or call the Summit County OSU Extension office for an application: 330-928-4769, Ext. 27.