Where can I get basic gardening information?
One of the best sources for home gardening information is available locally through the Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program, which operates in all fifty states through the land grant universities. The Master Gardener Program is an outreach program of the USDA, via the land grant institutions. Master Gardeners are community volunteers who are trained to deliver scientifically-based horticultural information in support of school, home and community gardening efforts. Because Master Gardeners are community-based volunteers, they live where you live, know local growing conditions and resources, and are well-equipped to support your work. Interested in volunteering to become a Master Gardener? That's a possibility, too! Follow the link below to locate the Master Gardener Program in your area. www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/plants/
Because VictoryGrower is based in Ventura, California, I need to give a special shout-out to my friends and co-workers in the Ventura County Master Gardener Program, whose members have made so much of professional work possible. Visit their site at http://groups.ucanr.org/vcmg/
Another special shout-out to the San Diego Master Gardener Program, whose work will especially benefit those needing ideas and resources for school gardening work. Their web guide to school gardening is amazing. Visit these incredible volunteers at http://www.mastergardenerssandiego.org/
Another resource for those working with school and youth-oriented gardens is the California School Garden Network http://www.csgn.org, a non-profit collaborative of public and private interests, businesses, agencies and educational institutions dedicated to supporting school gardens in California. While focusing on California, this website provides comprehensive resources that will prove valuable to anyone working on school and youth gardening. Free curricular resources, compilations of research, superb links to collaborating organizations, etc.
Another notable resource is LifeLab, http://www.lifelab.org/ a non-profit affiliated with UC Santa Cruz. LifeLab hosts field trips and educator trainings, provides curriculum and resources, and is one of the oldest organizations dedicated to garden-based learning. Their staff is passionate about this work.