Master Gardeners

What is the Master Gardener Program?

The Master Gardener Program is a national program of trained volunteers who work in partnership with their county Cooperative Extension office to expand educational outreach throughout the community by providing home gardeners with research-based information.

The first Master Gardener program was started in Washington state in 1972. Forty-six states now have Master Gardener programs. For information on Master Gardener programs visit the New York State Master Gardener Program website.

Who Becomes a Master Gardener?

Master Gardeners enjoy people and plants. They usually have no professional gardening or landscaping experience, only a genuine interest in sharing their knowledge, and sufficient free time to volunteer in Master Gardener activities.

Qualification for Trainees

Master Gardener trainees should have a basic knowledge of or interest in, gardening; enthusiasm for acquiring and sharing horticultural knowledge and skills; good communications skills; and a willingness and free time to participate in volunteer educational activities.

Volunteers complete a brief written application, and have a short interview with members of our horticulture staff.

Master Gardener Training

Master Gardener training is held in alternate years. Trainees receive instruction from experts at Cornell Cooperative Extension and elsewhere on a broad spectrum of subjects applicable to home gardening, such as plant nutrition, soils, vegetable, and fruit culture, trees, shrubs and lawns, diseases, and insects that affect plants, pruning, and much more. After this instruction, trainees complete an examination and are certified as Master Gardeners. Advanced instruction is offered, and special seminars and refresher workshops are held so that Master Gardeners can stay current on gardening topics and keep their knowledge up-to-date.

You can learn more about the topics that are covered in the training by visiting the NY State Master Gardener Volunteer Program pages on the Cornell University website.

Please call for information on when the next Master Gardener volunteer training will be offered, and to receive an application form.

Volunteer Commitment

Each Master Gardener trainee commits to "give back" an additional 55 hours of service over a one-year time period following certification for a total of 115 hours altogether (training + volunteer time). After that, 30 hours in the following years to remain active. This includes 20 hours of volunteer service and 10 hours of continuing education.

Some Master Gardeners have volunteered for many years and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow gardeners, monthly meetings, holiday gatherings, and group field trips to visit beautiful and unique gardens in our region that also are part of the program.

To fulfill their volunteer time commitment, Master Gardeners have in the past worked in the office to test soil samples, maintained files of gardening information answered gardening questions through our "Grow Line", taught gardening classes, organized and run the annual Spring Garden Fair & Plant Sales, written articles for publication, spoken or demonstrated to groups, and worked in the Education Center's gardens. New program initiatives also are welcomed!

What are Master Gardeners doing in Warren County?

Master Gardeners are involved in many activities. Here are some of them:

• Testing soil samples brought into the Cooperative Extension office
• Maintaining Cooperative Extension gardening information files
• Answering gardening questions phoned or e-mailed into the Cooperative Extension office
• Arranging public workshops on wreath-making, gardening with perennials, and other topics
• Organizing the annual Garden Fair and Plant Sale
• Writing articles for publication
• Designing the landscape for the Cooperative Extension Center
• Staffing the GROWLINE, the horticultural hotline

For more information . . .

If you are interested in becoming a Warren County County Master Gardener, please contact Cornell Cooperative Extension at 518-623-3291.

Last updated July 30, 2024