|
Master Gardeners are members of the local community who take an active interest in lawns and gardens. They are enthusiastic, willing to learn and help others and are able to communicate with diverse groups of people.
What really sets Master Gardeners apart from other home gardeners is their special training in horticulture. In exchange for their training, persons who become Master Gardeners contribute time as volunteers, working through their AgriLife Extension office to provide horticultural-related information to improve the community’s quality of life through a speaker’s bureau, schools and volunteer activities. Answering homeowner’s questions by phone is at the heart of most Texas programs. Classroom gardening is another popular project.
A love of gardening and search for knowledge is central to why Master Gardeners join the program. They remain Master Gardeners to enjoy the camaraderie and friendship of others who share their interests, to gain and share horticulture knowledge, and to give back to the community.
|
• Do you want to learn more about the culture and maintenance of many types of plants?
• Are you eager to participate in a practical and intense training program?
• Do you enjoy sharing your knowledge with people?
• Do you have enough time to attend training and complete volunteer service hour requirements?
• Do you have special interests that could benefit the community or an interest in developing one? (i.e. EarthKind™ plantings, rainwater harvesting, Xeriscaping).
• Do you have a sincere interest in nature or gardening?
|
If accepted into the Master Gardener program for Ellis County, you will be required to attend more than 60 hours in specialized training courses. The program offers instruction in lawn care, trees and shrubs, insect, disease and weed management, soils and plant nutrition, vegetable gardening, home fruit production, garden flowers, perennials and annuals, and water conservation.
In exchange for training, participants are asked to volunteer their time to their AgriLife Extension program. A minimum of 75 hours of volunteer service within the eight months following the training are required to earn the title of “Texas Master Gardener.”
The type of service done by Master Gardeners varies according to community needs and the abilities and interests of the Master Gardeners. In Ellis County you are likely to:
• Answer telephone requests for information related to gardening
• Staff plant clinics or displays in shopping malls, community centers and garden shops
• Speak to local groups and conduct workshops
• Work at the Lawn and Garden Expo
• Help maintain established beds through scheduled workdays
• Work with 4-H youth
• Participate in the Junior Master Gardener program
• Work at the Waxahachie Farmers Market
• Assist with news or radio releases related to gardening
The Master Gardener Coordinator in the County AgriLife Extension Office decides how volunteer time can be best utilized. Master Gardeners are representatives of the Texas A&M University system, Texas AgriLife Cooperative Extension. In all volunteer work related to the program, Master Gardeners follow the research-based recommendations of Texas AgriLife Extension. The title “Texas Master Gardener” can be used by volunteers only when engaged in Extension-sponsored activities.
|
Participants become certified Master Gardeners after they have completed the training course and fulfilled their volunteer commitment. Additionally, Master Gardeners are required to obtain re-certification hours each year in order to maintain their title, as well as volunteering for a minimum number of hours.
|
When the term “Master Gardener” was first coined in the early 1970s to describe a new extension program in Washington State, few could have predicted it would spread into Texas and blossom into one of the most effective volunteer organizations in the state. The Texas Master Gardener program had its beginnings in 1978 in extension horticulture training at A&M University when Dr. Sam Cotner, an extension vegetable specialist, described the success of the movement in Washington State. At that time, county agents in the Texas Agriculture Extension Service were experiencing overwhelming demands for horticulture information, much like their colleagues in the Pacific Northwest. The first Master Gardener class was held in 1979.
The Texas Agricultural Extension Service made an official commitment to a Texas Master Gardener program in 1987 with the hiring of a statewide coordinator.
In the 1990s, the Texas Master Gardener movement exploded, fueled by the program’s success and visibility. In 1991, a statewide, non-profit organization was formed and called the Texas Master Gardener Association.
The first Master Gardener training class took place in 1998 In Ellis County. However, starting in 1992, there were a number of Ellis County residents that were certified elsewhere and then assisted our county agent in forming the Ellis County Master Gardeners.
If you are interested in pursuing the Master Gardener certification, log on to our Web site at www.ecmga.com or call 972.825.5175 for more information.