There are a group of masters behind the beautiful gardens surrounding homes, city offices and historical sites in Cape Girardeau County.

Since 1994, the Cape County Master Gardeners beautified the area through volunteer work and provided education for those who choose to join.

Donna Aufdenberg, a horticulture specialist for the University of Missouri Extension, which sponsors the group's programs, serves as coordinator of the Master Gardeners. The group provides a giveback program, Aufdenberg said.

Anyone can sign up for one of the group's 10-week educational sessions, like the Master Gardener program starting this month, where participants learn the basics of becoming a Master Gardener from Extension staff. The classes, Aufdenberg said, include topics like plant anatomy, annuals and perennials, flower, vegetable and herb gardening, landscaping, working with woody ornamentals, insects and diseases, and turf and lawn care.

The participants, also known as interns, serve 30 hours of garden-related community service after they have completed 30 hours in the classroom in order to become a Master Gardener. After the initial 30 hours, gardeners must perform 20 hours of service each year to maintain membership.

Aufdenberg said Master Gardeners in the Jackson area have planted and maintained gardens at the post office, churches, schools and an heirloom garden at the historical Oliver House.

"Some people even go as far as helping older local gardeners in the area, tilling their garden or weeding," she said.

Judi Niederkorn, vice president of Cape County Master Gardeners, went through training in 2004. Since then, she has become the coordinator of the Oliver House heirloom garden.

According to Niederkorn, the Master Gardeners and Jackson Heritage Association agreed to establish a historically accurate heirloom garden, reflecting what was grown in the 1800s.

The project's funding for the past five years has come from a grant from Niederkorn's employer, State Farm Insurance. A core group of six people and at least 25 other Master Gardeners have helped at one time or another, she said.

Niederkorn said her education as a Master Gardener has been especially useful in the project.

"One of the most important things I learned from the Master Gardeners, which I am using at the Oliver House, is good planning," Niederkorn said. "It's much easier to create a plan and think it out, and spend my money more wisely, than to buy a bunch of plants and put them all over the place. The Master Gardeners have taught me a lot about researching and putting the right plant in the right place for the right reason."

She said she also learned to use color and plant combinations and how to combine different types of plants for texture and size.

The group has done a lot this year with sequential bloom, where they make sure plants in every bed around the house are blooming every week, she said.

"This summer, even in all this heat, everything looks beautiful," Niederkorn said.

Niederkorn attends the group's meetings often in Jackson, as well as gardening tours and plant seminars.

People bring baby plants or seeds to the meetings and give them to other members, Niederkorn said.

In the fall the group has a picnic with a plant swap. This year's picnic will be in September at Shadow Rest, and attendees of the classes will be invited. The Master Gardeners also have an annual plant sale in the spring.

"We have a really active group, and each year we pick up more people from the classes," Niederkorn said.

The next 10-week session runs Aug. 31 to Nov. 2. The classes, which are about three hours long, are at 6 p.m. every Tuesday.

Individuals pay $155 and couples pay $200, which includes a state program fee, gardening book, nametag and training supplies. Participants are given a $50 refund at the completion of required community service hours. Deadline for registration is Aug. 27; sessions need a minimum of 12 students.

For more information, contact Aufdenberg at 238-2420.