Encinitas local earns UC Master Gardener certification

by Karen Billing

Encinitas resident and business owner Paul Van Slyke has a new title as a designated UC Master Gardener. Van Slyke, the founder of Van Slyke Landscape, earned the certification after completing an extensive training program at the University of California Cooperative Extension.

Out of 300 applicants in the county, Van Slyke was among just 50 to earn the special designation, which was capped off with a graduation ceremony in June.

As a UC Master Gardener, Van Slyke is now a certified volunteer who can use research-based gardening information to grow more eco-conscious gardeners and help build more sustainable landscapes in the broader San Diego community.

Van Slyke has been a longtime volunteer in Encinitas: “I have always believed that volunteer work is the best way to give back to my community,” he said in a press release.

Van Slyke and his wife Marolyn have been in business in Olivenhain for over 50 years. They started out purchasing the Olivenhain Gardens Nursery and steadily grew their family business over the years, offering landscape design, construction and maintenance services.

Paul Van Slyke celebrated with his family after earning his designation as a Master Gardener from the University of California Cooperative Extension. (Courtesy Van Slyke Landscape)

In the 1970s, Van Slyke was elected as a member of the Olivenhain Town Council and later was appointed by the Encinitas City Council to serve on the Olivenhain Community Advisory Board. He also served on the Encinitas Planning Commission from 2006 to 2010.

For the past 30 years, Van Slyke Landscape has provided free grounds maintenance at the Historical Olivenhain Meeting Hall.

According to a press release, to earn the UC Master Gardener designation, Van Slyke underwent a comprehensive program that lasted over 100 hours and took six months to complete, covering topics like soil management, plant pathology, pest control and more.

The program is rooted in service, as last year UC Master Gardener volunteers donated 446,237 hours in 53 counties throughout the state. In his new role, Van Slyke will now commit his time as a volunteer sharing his knowledge with home gardening, non-commercial horticulture and pest management, doing community outreach and consulting on school and community gardens.

Learn more about Van Slyke Landscape at vanslykelandscape.com