The Penobscot County Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Maine is kicking off another successful year of Master Gardener classes to help beautify Bangor, Hampden and all of Penobscot County.

The new year of education and training begins in early February, and interested gardeners can request application materials right now.

Gleason Gray, Extension educator and program coordinator, said, “The landscaping completed at the Lura Hoit Memorial Pool in Hampden by Master Gardeners Jim Feverston and Julie Hintz is an excellent example of how our program benefits our community.”

The pool was in need of landscaping and a new sign. Jim Feverston, who serves as treasurer on the volunteer Laura Hoit Pool Board of Trustees, suggested that this could be done as his Master Gardener project.

He recruited classmate Julie Hintz to help with the landscape design.

“It was an amazing community effort,” Gray said. “Jim Feverston – along with the board – was able to develop the project and recruit the help of the Hampden community to donate all the plant materials, supplies and labor to complete the job, and it looks great.”

In the past, people would drive right by the small pool sign, but not now.

“Jim Feverston recruited a new Master Gardener from this past year’s class, Joan Fowle, to help him and Julie design and install a very attractive planting around the beautiful big new sign,” Gray said.

Many other Master Gardener projects help the community, including the Plant a Row for the Hungry at Rogers Farm and Medway Gardens, both of which supply fresh produce to local food pantries, the homeless shelter and Manna.

Other projects include nurturing gardens at senior centers and senior housing complexes; and working at Ecotat Garden in Hermon and at the Fields Pond Nature Center in Holden.

There are all sorts of ways to help beautify your community as a Master Gardener.

“You also meet some great folks like Jim Feverston, Julie Hintz and Joan Fowle, and of course, learn a lot about gardening,” said Gray.

Call the Penobscot County Extension Service at 942-7396 or e-mail Linda Kinney at lkinney@umext.maine.edu to request additional information or application materials.

This year’s classes begin on Feb. 6, and the application deadline is Jan. 17.