By Allen Hamrick
I asked myself, “What is a Master Gardner?” After visiting the Boggs Walking Trail at Big Otter, they can only be described as the person who can really, with union of heart and mind, converse with nature itself and find in the natural forms around them an inexhaustible amount of power and happiness. They are able to communicate with their surroundings and create the possible from a single canvas nature has provided that gets them one step closer to grand escapes of blooming flowers and majestic shrub lines. They see the simple, yet profound, wisdom in a single bloom and the necessity and impact it has on future visitors. They create passageways in shadows of trees and open fields that can become haunted with nature’s musical charms and give passersby a glimpse into pure peace.
Flowers and shrubs, trees and climbers have been a part of human habitation since the beginning of time. Flowers are used, from birth to death, to give embellishment to any given situation, and only those who have mastered the green thumb can create the arrangement. I can remember both of my grandmas’ gardens were small but beautiful. It seemed that every color of the rainbow was represented, from the tall white lilies to the pinkish marigolds. Peonies and pansies and the sweet smells of flowers and mint were in the air. In spring you could find them in their finest aprons and singing as the birds fell silent to listen to them. They would dress up the arbors Grandpa made from rustic wood with rambling roses that would cover the porch. Visitors would come and set on their porches for hours as Grandma would proudly discuss her methods of the perfect garden.
At the Boggs Walking Trail, master gardeners from Clay and Braxton counties, along with a few folks from WVU Extension Services, have dedicated themselves to creating a paradise for all visitors of the park. The gathering on Friday was to celebrate their work in the park as well as was to honor those that have provided funding for the projects – WVU Extension Master Gardner Association and the Elk Conservation District. It was also times to remember the former Master Gardeners from Clay and Braxton that have passed on. A wind chime was placed in their memory to commemorate their life on this earth and their dedication to beautifying it. Those remembered were Miriam Hopkins, Karen Hutchens and Robert “Bob” Osborne from Clay County and Judy Beane and Jeffrey Wright from Braxton County. They are gone but certainly not forgotten. The event was coordinated by Suzie Legg and Dr. CJ Jones and enjoyed by all who participated. Those in attendance got an opportunity to walk the park, see the latest improvements and enjoy refreshments provided by volunteers. If you have not been there, you owe it to yourself to stop by and see what these Master Gardeners have created and are still creating for future park patrons. Tuckerman once said, “To analyze the charms of flowers is like dissecting music; it is one of those things which is far better to enjoy than to fully attempt to understand.” Come out and enjoy the park!