Pulaski County is a growing community. It is projected that by 2020 Pulaski County’s population will be 71,036 or 11% more than our current population. Many of these incoming residents will benefit from home horticulture programming

Gardener’s Toolbox classes were held focusing on various home gardening topics. Fourteen Gardener’s Toolbox classes were scheduled and an additional 17 home horticulture classes and events were conducted throughout the year held in various parts of the Pulaski County. This includes big days such as Earth Day and the Green Living Fair.  More than 1830 people participated in all programs.

Fourteen youth-oriented programs were conducted as well. Of course, adults end up getting a lot out of these programs too. Programs on worm composting, career information, insects, honeybees, safety, and others were conducted specifically for kids, reaching over 1840 youth (and adults).

During 2017-18, Pulaski County Horticulture was on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Over 500 posts to these accounts were made during the year. Postings are mainly related to home horticulture topics but also include home or commercial programs and other Pulaski County agents’ events. 

The Pulaski County Extension website is updated as needed. All events are advertised through it and direct emails. In addition, a Pulaski County Horticulture Newsletter was begun starting in January 2018. It is a monthly newsletter distributed to 400 homes and to roughly 250 email boxes. Newspaper articles are still important to a certain subset of clientele. Forty-two articles were published in the local paper (circulation is about 5000) 

The Pulaski County Horticulture Agent made roughly 30 home visits to help with various problems in their landscapes. Almost 175 soil tests were done for home gardens, lawns, and landscapes. Home and farm visits are a great service that Extension provides that the internet cannot compete with. Those visits are remembered and passed along through relatives and friends.

As growth in Somerset and Pulaski County continues, Extension will be there to educate these new citizens and ensure they are making judicious decisions in their home landscapes as well as reducing environmental impacts in this rural community.