Pete Douthit is picutred working on one of many projects the Masters Gardeners of Cullman County completed over the years.
“We always enjoy growing a lot of plants together.
When we started this journey in 2009, just by taking
a class, we had no idea that I would actually win
Master Gardeners of the year in 2011 and Donnie
would follow by winning Master Gardners of the
year in 2014.“
Pete said that when he heard his name called, he
was surprised and humbled to be named Master
Gardener of the year.
However, anyone who knows the Douthits knows
that is just how they are—a humble couple who
volunteer hundreds of hours per year to help other
people in their yards and gardens, as well as the
hours he devoted to the Masters Gardener’s Demon-
stration Garden First Avenue southeast, near the
Busy Bee Restaurant.
The Douthits are now collectors of unusual and
rare varieties of daylillies. Pete is also very involved
in hybridizing lilies. He shared the reason he loves
daylillies is because “they are such tough plants.”
He is often busy with some of the newer varieties
on the market, which can be quite expensive. “The
old daylily of a single color has changed.”
His love for growing plants led to him and his
wife eventually joining the Cullman County Master
Gardener Association in 2007; a decision that led
them both to working more extensively within the
Cullman community.
The first of many projects that they were involved
in, according to the Douthits, was the landscape bed
at Vinemont School.
They donated some plants left over from a sale
that the Master Gardeners organized and it turned
to be a really nice bed.
The Master Gardener course, which lasted three
months, and is taught by the Alabama Cooperative
Extension System, required that each participant
donate a minimum of 50 volunteer hours to become
certified.
One of his volunteering projects including plant-
ing and maintaining the charming little street-side
garden. He often could be found there among the
shrubs and blooming plants, pruning, mulching and
tidying up. Every month or so he calls a work day
CULLMAN COUNTY SENIOR MAGAZINE
SUMMER 2020 | 13