HO-96: Basic Botany: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 1

Rick Durham | Jan. 16, 2024 (Major Revision)

Plants are essential to life on earth. Either directly or indirectly, they are the primary food source for humans and other animals. Additionally, they provide fuel, replenish the earth's oxygen supply, prevent soil erosion, slow down wind movement, cool the atmosphere, provide wildlife habitat, supply medicinal compounds, and beautify our surroundings.

---

HO-102: Annual and Perennial Flowers: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 18

Sharon Bale, Rick Durham | Jan. 16, 2024 (Major Revision)

Can you imagine a world without flowers? Their textures, colors, scents, and forms inspire gardeners, artists, and writers. The desire to grow flowers often motivates novices to take up gardening and moves experienced gardeners to become flower specialists. Annuals, biennials, and herbaceous perennials offer variety and interest to all styles of gardens.

---

ID-201: Your Yard and Water Quality: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 12

Rick Durham, Brad Lee | Jan. 16, 2024 (Major Revision)

We generally view gardening as a wholesome activity that enhances our environment. But pesticides, fertilizers, and erosion from gardens and landscapes can contaminate lakes, streams, rivers, oceans, and groundwater. Since the quality of our water resources affects our quality of life, we must learn how gardening practices can contribute to water contamination and how to reduce the threat to
water quality.

---

HO-103: Indoor Plants: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 19

Sharon Bale, Rick Durham | Jan. 16, 2024 (Major Revision)

Cultivating plants inside the home is both a popular hobby and an interior decorating technique. More than 75 percent of all American families use living plants as part of their home decor or cultural expression.

---

HO-97: Plant Identification: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 2

Rick Durham | Jan. 16, 2024 (Major Revision)

Learning about new plants is an exciting venture. Sometimes you are looking for a plant to fill a certain spot in your garden. At other times, you want to complete a particular color scheme, or your attention is caught by a magnificent tree, shrub, or perennial in a public or private garden.

---

ID-192: Composting: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 13

Rick Durham, Brad Lee | Jan. 16, 2024 (Major Revision)

Gardeners have long made and used compost to improve garden soil.

---

HO-105: Landscape Design: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 14

Rick Durham | Jan. 16, 2024 (Major Revision)

Landscape designs differ depending on how the landscape will be used. Although the principles are the same, a homeowner who wants an aesthetically pleasing, low-maintenance landscape will create a design very different than that of an avid gardener whose main purpose in life is to spend time in the garden.

---

HO-101: Care of Woody Plants: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 17

Rick Durham | Jan. 16, 2024 (Major Revision)

To prune or not to prune? This is a question that often faces gardeners. Most feel they ought to prune but are not sure why or how.

---

ID-194: Diagnosing Plant Problems: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 6

Jessica Bessin, Rick Durham, Nicole Ward Gauthier, Adam Leonberger, Kimberly Leonberger, Matthew Springer, Lee Townsend, Stacy White, Erica Wood | Jan. 16, 2024 (Major Revision)

For those with a green thumb, growing plants may seem easy. However, when plant problems arise, determining the cause of these issues can be difficult. Developing the skills necessary to determine the cause of a plant problem takes experience and time.

---

HO-98: Plant Propagation: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 3

Rick Durham | Jan. 16, 2024 (Major Revision)

Sexual propagation involves the union of the pollen (male) with the egg (female) to produce a seed. The seed is made up of three parts: the outer seed coat, which protects the seed; the endosperm, which is a food reserve; and the embryo, which is the young plant itself.