10 Things from a Tribune Tastemaker: Pat Sharpton

Pat Sharpton, 2019 president of the Cullman County Master Gardeners, encourages everyone to consider joining the program.  (contributed)

In this creative weekly series, local author, artist and all-around entertaining and eccentric (not to mention classy!) Southern gentleman Ben Johnson South introduces Cullman Tribune readers to the creative thinkers and doers in the Cullman community.

“10 Things from a Tribune Tastemaker”

This week, meet Pat Sharpton, 2019 president of the Cullman County Master Gardeners

“MAKE CULLMAN EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL IN 2019” is a New Year’s message from Cullman County Master Gardeners President Pat Sharpton. Growing up a U.S. Air Force kiddo, Pat has lived in many places. She finished high school in Savannah, Georgia and completed undergraduate school at Emory University (Atlanta). A newcomer to Cullman, moving here in 2013, Pat read a local newspaper article (“YAY, NEWSPAPERS!”) encouraging people to become a Master Gardener. She is a retired science teacher with a master’s degree but admits she “could not seem to be successful with plants.”

Shared Pat, “Once in the Master Gardeners class, I found out I was skipping over the basics, starting with having the right soil!”

She added,  “An important reason for joining Master Gardeners is the wealth of gardening knowledge you gain from other members and their willingness to share their expertise and plants.”

Here are 10 things from this Cullman County Master Gardener as we head into a beautiful new year.

1. CHAMBERS FARM AND GARDEN SUPPLY, GIBBS NURSERY, MUSTARD SEED NURSERY, BIG CEDAR NURSERY—superb Cullman gardening sources
2. CELEBRATE 200 YEARS OF ALABAMA GARDENING—2019 is our Bicentennial and Cullman County Master Gardeners are reimagining the Richter Chapel (downtown) landscaping as a salute
3. INTROVERTS & EXTROVERTS—Master Gardeners have opportunities for gardening with others and gardening in solitude
4. GIFT CERTIFICATES FOR MASTER GARDENER CLASS AND LOCAL NURSERIES—great Holiday 2018 gift suggestions
5. MONET’S GARDEN PAINTINGS—Pat’s favorite gardening works of art
6. ALABAMA GARDENER MAGAZINE—great FREE read at the Cullman County Public Library
7. THOMAS JEFFERSON’S GARDENS (Monticello, Virginia)—a major garden adventure on her “bucket list”
8. OUTDOOR GARDEN CLASSROOMS—grow a new generation of gardeners; Pat volunteers with the North Alabama AGRIPLEX at West Elementary School
9. BLOOMIN’ FEST, DEMO GARDEN, RAIN GARDEN, FESTHALLE POWER OF PRODUCE, RAISED BED GARDENS AT THE FAIRGROUNDS—opportunities for Cullman County garden enthusiasts to give to the community
10. BECOME A MASTER GARDENER IN 2019—Call the Cullman County Extension Office at 256-737-9386; classes begin in late-January; cost is $125 before Jan. 1 and $150 after.

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