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Photo by Sam Harrel

Photo by Sam Harrel

Photo by Sam Harrel

Photo by Sam Harrel

Photo by Sam Harrel

Old Vans sneakers, a large plastic pretzel canister and a shoe box all got a second chance thanks to the kids in the 4-H Junior Master Gardener’s Program.

The odd items were used as “crazy containers” and became new homes for old seeds from the Georgeson Botanical Garden at Thursday’s meeting. Georgeson’s lab assistant and group leader, Jan Hanscom reminded the aspiring master gardeners of the crazy container category at the Tanana Valley State Fair in August.

“You have a fair entry all ready to go,” Hanscom said.

But planting flowers is just one of the multitude of activities junior gardeners must complete before earning master status. Hanscom said they must complete projects under eight categories in their handbooks: plant growth and development, soils and water, ecology and environmental horticulture, insects and disease, landscape horticulture, fruits and nuts, vegetables and herbs, and life skills and career exploration.

In addition to their workbook activities, gardeners must also complete eight community service projects. It takes two summers to be certified as an official 4-H Junior Master Gardener.

This is Christopher Seekins’ second summer in the program. He said he wanted to return because he had a good time last year and hoped this summer would be more of the same.

“It’s nice to know how to do things properly; it’s not just putting seeds into the ground,” Seekins said.

Gardening isn’t Seekins’ only 4-H activity — he also has his hands full with raising pigs. Seekins has seen his pigs win ribbons and get auctioned off at the fair in the past. Raising pigs might seem like a daunting task, but Seekins said they don’t require too much upkeep. He walks them and said they are good-natured animals that like to play.

“They’re always happy to see you,” Seekins said.

Hanscom’s group this year is a mix of new and returning gardeners. She said the program has been in Fairbanks for six years and has certified seven Junior Master Gardeners.

A new face to the program is Catherine Woody. “I wanted to learn more about gardening, and I think it’s really fun,” she said.

Woody joined the summer program at the beginning and spent part of the meeting inspecting a box of plant clippings she prepared in early May. Hanscom had her group put plant clippings and leaves into a box filled with vermiculite, a water-holding mineral that helps provide rootless plants with an adequate amount of water.

Inspecting her box, Woody said some of her plants grew roots, and the Easter cactus did especially well.

Colleen Johnson was another first-timer looking for roots in her vermiculite box. Johnson’s mother, Sharon, said the program has instilled an enthusiasm for gardening in her daughter. Colleen carries the enthusiasm home as well. Gardeners get extra credit for activities performed outside meetings, such as weeding and raking.

“Colleen is at home raking the yard for extra-credit,” Sharon said. “She’s just tuned into stuff a lot more.”

Colleen isn’t the only one enjoying the experience.

“I feel kind of guilty because I learn a lot on the side. Jan is just a fountain of knowledge,” Sharon said.

Hanscom is indeed knowledgeable. As her junior gardeners peppered her with a wide variety of questions — ranging from what flowers will look like when they bloom to which parts of various plants will regenerate roots — Hanscom had answers for everything.

In addition to their crazy containers, the gardeners have planted a garden and were eagerly waiting for something to sprout, but the cold weather left them disappointed.

In the near future, their garden will be filled with different types of vegetables including various potatoes, baby greens and turnips. Some of the vegetables will be entered into contests at the fair later in the year.

But it’s not all manual labor for the gardeners, who spend time studying the science of gardening. At Thursday’s meeting, Hanscom taught the gardeners about the chemistry of fertilizer. They learned that the three numbers on a fertilizer package represent the amount of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium contained within. Knowledge of these coded numbers will ensure success in a garden. Nitrogen is needed for a green garden and commonly used on grasses. Phosphorous helps produce healthy flowers, and potassium is most helpful for plant roots.

The program also incorporates visual aesthetics and practicality. An important component junior gardeners must learn the best way is how to design their garden to accommodate the sunlight and space needs.

“There is a huge range of activities. It’s more of a whole system,” Hanscom said.