The man in the flashy hat possesses a vast amount of gardening knowledge.

Longtime Mercer Island resident Gordon Polson, who has spent 88 years on the planet, is itching to return to the local farmers market on July 4 to answer questions on gardening issues and chat it up with residents. The Island’s representative for the Washington State University Extension King County Master Gardener program missed soaking up the market’s lively atmosphere last year due to the pandemic.

From the excited tone of his voice beaming forth with his Surrey, England, accent, Polson sounds like he just might be ready to roll with his clinic each Sunday after a year off.

“Oh, hell yes. Everybody wants to get out there. They’ve been so bored,” said Polson, who’s lived on Mercer Island since 1968.

Be on the lookout for Polson with his eye-catching hat, which features the number 80, a miniature American flag, artificial flowers and more. He received the hat on his 80th birthday from the kids at the badminton club he ran for 28 years at the old North Mercer Gym.

In its 14th season, the Mercer Island Farmers Market runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday through Sept. 26 next to Mercerdale Park. Musician Zach Lombardo will perform from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 4.

Polson, who first dug his hands into the gardening realm when he was 8 in Surrey, trained to become a master gardener 16 years ago. WSU launched its King County program in 1973 and notes on its website that the gardening information available to the public is research-based and focused on environmentally friendly and sustainable gardening practices.

“I’ve always been keen on the topic,” Polson said of embracing gardening in his youth. When he began his master gardener training as a grownup, “I got into it and I’ve been playing with it ever since.”

Turning back the clock to his days in Surrey, Polson noted that he cultivated a portion of his dad’s land — filled with fruit and vegetables — when the elder Polson shipped off with the Navy in 1941. Polson also worked on his uncle’s plot next door, which featured a greenhouse full of his prized chrysanthemums.

For the last year, Polson and a master gardener buddy have been giving classes on Zoom since they couldn’t meet with students in person at the Issaquah Grange per usual. The courses on propagation and plants have zoomed from 45 attendees in person to nearly double that with their online presence. They’ll continue their well-received Zoom classes for now and are shooting to return to the grange for in-person instruction next year.

Polson tries to tend to his garden at home as well, but that hasn’t happened much lately, he said with a slight chuckle.

“It’s not quite as tidy as it used to be. It’s got a bit overgrown, so I’ve gotta go out and do some work on it,” he said.

For more information on the Mercer Island Farmers Market, visit https://www.mifarmersmarket.org/

For more information on the Master Gardener program, visit https://extension.wsu.edu/king/gardening/