“The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.”
- Hanna Rion

I have just returned home from an hour and a half in one of the most wonderful spots in Moscow. I was watering and pruning at the Latah County Master Gardeners’ Demonstration Garden. This delightful pocket garden is open to the public every day of the year. And it has something interesting to offer every season of the year.

The garden is just six years old, but appears to have been there for a much longer time. It is a garden for the whole city to enjoy, and many residents do stroll through on a regular basis. The garden is on First Street, between Washington and Jefferson.

The garden was created in 1999 for the education and enjoyment of the entire community. That year, Dr. Robert Haug donated the 3,600 square feet of land behind his chiropractic office. Master Gardeners stripped off the sod, then dug the soil out of the 25 plots, laid the sod face down in the holes and put the soil back on to make raised beds, adding more soil from adjoining paths they also dug. This system can effectively be used in the home garden when a lawn is being removed and a garden put in its place.

Just two years later, in 2001, the Moscow Demonstration Garden was one of 10 award-winning gardens featured in an issue of USA Today.

Currently there are 20 plots, including drought tolerant, perennials, a fragrant garden, succulents and grasses. Each plot is adopted by a Master Gardener who volunteers to maintain it by weeding, deadheading and pruning as needed. Many also provide the plants for their plots. Audrey Norman is the Master Gardener in charge of the Demonstration Garden this year and she encourages the gardeners to keep the plants well labeled for public viewing. As the Master Gardener ranks are increased each year it is hoped that the garden can be regularly used for demonstrating techniques of interest to county residents.

A little plug for the local Master Gardener program: Sponsored by the University of Idaho, Latah County Extension Office, the educational program for Master Gardeners runs from January to May. Each week, a knowledgeable speaker presents a topic of interest on gardening, horticulture or general plant-related topics. To become a certified Master Gardener, volunteer work is required by giving back to the community after completion of the course. For more information online go to: http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/latah/mg.htm or contact Rachel Rausch at 883-2267.

Holly Barnes very much enjoyed the Master Gardener classes this year and satisfies some of her volunteer requirement by weeding and watering at the Demonstration Garden.