Seeds of knowledge, harvest of success: Oleg Valenchuk's School of Gardeners completes its 15th academic year.

      Since its founding, the School of Gardeners has conducted more than a thousand lectures featuring leading agronomists from the region. They share invaluable experience and knowledge accumulated over years of practice. The course program is constantly updated and adapted to modern challenges, including new technologies and methods in gardening. This allows participants not only to gain theoretical knowledge but also to apply it in practice.

      In the last two years, the School of Gardeners has expanded its horizons, making lectures accessible to residents of the most remote corners of the region. Classes are held both in-person and online. Live broadcasts with lecturers were streamed in more than 120 rural libraries in the Kirov region, as well as in the official group "Union of Gardeners of Russia - Kirov" on VKontakte. The total number of views for online classes exceeded 500,000, indicating a high interest in gardening and a desire to enhance their knowledge.

      The end of the academic year is traditionally marked by the beginning of the "labor quarter," when gardeners apply theory in practice. For several consecutive years, the work of gardeners has been supported by scientific online consultations. The VKontakte group has become a convenient tool for interaction between lecturers and listeners. Gardeners can receive prompt answers to their questions and have access to an archive of video recordings of past lectures. This allows them to find the information they need at any time.

      As Oleg Valenchuk notes: "Our gardeners are tireless workers. They not only grow quality, environmentally friendly products but also raise children and grandchildren, beautifying their homeland with flowers. Our task is to support them. The School of Gardeners not only educates but also forms a community of like-minded individuals who share experiences and support each other."

      Listeners report that 10-20 years ago they primarily grew crops typical of the region, but now they are ready to experiment with new varieties and methods. Moreover, even on small plots, there is room for a flower bed, a small pond, or a gazebo where the whole family gathers in the evenings for herbal tea with jam. For such creators and connoisseurs of beauty, the Union of Gardeners has been holding the "Let's Beautify Our Homeland with Flowers" competition for many years. While previously schools, kindergartens, cultural institutions, healthcare, and sports organizations participated, there are now categories for apartment buildings and private homes, as well as for owners of garden plots. This year, the prize fund will amount to 500,000 rubles. The competition conditions can be found in the group "Union of Gardeners of Russia - Kirov."

      And ahead for the listeners of the School of Gardeners is the final lecture of this academic year, which will take place online. On April 8 at 11:00, Nikolai Baryshev will talk about cucumber agronomy.