dway@heraldsun.com; 419-6654
HILLSBOROUGH -- What clinic involves health care, is free and green all over?
Give up?
Well, ask an Orange County master gardener.
In fact, that is the name of the clinics that the master gardeners, who are affiliated with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, are holding in the north and south ends of the county to help plant owners identify problems with their flora.
But a walk-in clinic for ailing greenery?
"It's kind of a neat thing for people to be able to do this, and we certainly enjoy doing it," said Verna Kuyper, one of the master gardener corps.
"It's a wonderful service to the community because people have questions, and it's all free," Kuyper said. "You can do it by phone or you can come in with your plant."
Gardeners whose green thumb needs a little assistance can walk into the Orange County Extension Office at 306-E Revere St. in Hillsborough from 10 a.m. to noon weekdays or call the master gardeners help line at (919) 245-2061. The Hillsborough clinic is open year-round.
Walk-ins also are welcome in the Green Gardener Reference area in the Eleanor Smith Pegg Exhibit and Information Center at the N.C. Botanical Garden, 100 Old Mason Farm Road, from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday and Friday or call the master gardeners help line at (919) 962-0522. The Botanical Garden clinic is open March 3 through October.
For an application to become a master gardener volunteer contact Extension Service horticultural agent Carl Matyac at carl_matyac@ncsu.edu.
