State Master Gardener Conference 2017 – East Meets West - was held at Scott Co. Cooperative Extension Building, Georgetown, KY, in September 2017.  The culmination of a year’s planning that involved all District 4 Horticulture agents and their extension master gardeners volunteers; the annual conference was filled with multiple opportunities to learn everything horticultural, from soil health to designing with natives.  
     The annual conference brought 177 extension master gardener volunteers from around the state to learn from experts in the field of horticulture. The conference began with an opening session featuring John Carloftis, a Kentucky native and nationally known landscape designer.   He shared pictures of his work with roof top gardens in New York and his designs from around our country and England.  In breakout sessions, eleven UK Extension Specialists, as well as experts from the horticultural field, provided participants with researched-based information that deepened their knowledge of various horticulture topics.  Master Gardener volunteers from across the state also shared their programs that make a difference in their communities. The evening activity featured a local landscape architect who revealed how the community came together to create Yuk-En on the Elkhorn Friendship Garden, a Japanese style, Kentucky native public garden.  The conference events were completed Friday afternoon with choice of tours to Bi-Water Gardens and Evans Orchard, Elmwood organic operation, the Georgetown Scott County Community Garden and local Country Boy Brewing Company, or additional classes in terrariums and floristry.  The majority of attendees deemed the two-day event as “fun, informative, and a great way to meet other Master Gardeners volunteers from around the state.”  One volunteer said “Thank you for doing such an excellent job. I loved the conference and found it very informative. Great job!”