The Warren County Master Gardeners’ Association recently won 2009 Outstanding Master Gardener Volunteer Project at the Ohio Master Gardeners’ Association conference held Oct. 2-3 in Mason, Ohio. This award recognized the on-going work the Master Gardeners do at several demonstration plots behind the Fort Ancient museum building.

In conjunction with the Ohio State University Extension and the Fort Ancient staff, the Master Gardeners have researched the kind of crops that may have been planted and used by the Hopewell and Fort Ancient peoples. The group then sought to obtain seeds of plants as close to these historic plants as possible. The results are demonstration plots of  amaranth, corn, gourds, medicinal plants, an historic type of tobacco and more. This all-volunteer organization also handles all of the maintenance and harvesting of crops at the garden.

In addition, the group wrote and produced a plant catalog for tour guides and a brochure that aids visitors on a self-guided tour of the gardens. 

Warren County Master Gardeners have been involved with the Fort Ancient garden project since 2005.