Master Gardener Programs

Master Gardener Programs are volunteer programs affiliated with a Cooperative extension service office and a land-grant university that educates the public on gardening and horticultural issues. Typically Master Gardeners answer questions via phone, speak at public events and participate in community gardening displays.

Master Gardeners are active in 48 states in the United States and four Canadian provinces. It is estimated that there have been over 60,000 master gardeners. The Master Gardener Program was started in Seattle, Washington in 1972, in response to repeated requests for gardening information from community members. [University of California Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County. [http://www.mastergardeners.org/who.html "Who We Are."] Last retrieved June 26, 2007.] Once volunteers are accepted into a master gardener program they are trained by Cooperative Extension office, university, and local industry staff in subjects such as: plant taxonomy, plant pathology, entomology, taxonomy, cultural growing requirements, wildlife control, and integrated pest management.

References

External links

*American Horticultural Society - [http://www.ahs.org/master_gardeners/index.htm Directory of Master Gardeners programs in North America]
* [http://hort.ufl.edu/mg/ University of Florida's Master Gardener Program]
* [http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/master_gardener/index.shtml Pinellas County Master Gardener Program]
* [http://hillsborough.extension.ufl.edu/HomeGardening/Master-Gardeners.html Hillsborough County Master Gardener Program]
* [http://www.uri.edu/cels/ceoc/ceoc_programs_mgp.html University of Rhode Island's Master Gardener Program]