Master Gardener Program

The Master Gardener Extension Program is a volunteer development program offered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and is designed to increase the availability of horticultural information and improve the quality of life through horticultural projects. Master Gardener Extension volunteers are highly-trained volunteers working with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension to provide residents with information on environmentally responsible gardening and landscaping. They provide unbiased, research-based information, problem-solving expertise and educational opportunities to residents.

Master Gardener Extension volunteers are members of the local community who take an active interest in their lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers and gardens. They are enthusiastic, willing to learn and to help others, and able to communicate with diverse groups of people. They form a network of highly-qualified and concerned people who are capable of implementing a wide range of activities useful to the community.

What really sets Master Gardener Extension volunteers apart from other home gardeners is their special training in horticulture. In exchange for their training, persons who become Master Gardener Extension volunteers contribute time as volunteers, working through their local Extension office to provide horticulture-related information to their communities.

Master Gardener Extension Classes in Bexar County

Click Here to View 2024 BCMG Intern Training Class Flyer
Click Here for Online Application
Click Here to View Agenda

 

Is the Master Gardener Extension Program for Me?

To help you decide if you should apply to be a Master Gardener Extension Volunteer, ask yourself these questions:

— Do I want to learn more about the culture and maintenance of many types of plants?
— Am I eager to participate in a practical and intense training program?
— Do I look forward to sharing my knowledge with people in my community?
— Do I have enough time to attend training and to complete the volunteer service?

If you answered yes to these questions, the Master Gardener Extension program could be for you.

Volunteer Commitment

In exchange for training, participants are asked to volunteer time to their County Extension program.

The type of service done by Master Gardeners Extension volunteers varies according to community needs, and the abilities and interests of the Master Gardeners Extension volunteers. Some Master Gardener Extension volunteers answer telephone requests for information related to gardening. Others staff plant clinics or displays in shopping malls or community centers. Master Gardener Extension volunteers may speak to local groups and conduct workshops. They may help establish community garden projects, work with 4-H youth, or assist their agent with news or radio releases related to gardening. The Master Gardener Coordinator in the County Extension office decides how volunteer time can be best utilized.

Master Gardener Extension volunteers are representatives of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. In all volunteer work related to the program, Master Gardener Extension volunteers follow the research-based recommendations of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. The title of “Texas Master Gardener Extension Volunteer” can be used by volunteers only when engaged in Extension-sponsored activities.

 Qualifications

Qualifications for the Master Gardener Extension Program include:

  • Basic gardening interest and knowledge
  • Enthusiasm for acquiring and sharing horticulture knowledge and skills
  • Ability to relate unbiased, research-based information to the public
  • Ability to learn (or re-learn) new information, some of which is practically applied information and some fundamental, scientific principles
  • Ability to attend classes, pass an exam, showing mastery of a wide range of topics
  • Willingness, commitment and time to volunteer
  • Understanding Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s educational mission

Benefits

Benefits of becoming a Master Gardener include:

  • Satisfaction of serving your community to extend the educational mission of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
  • Interaction with people in your community with similar interests and talents gardening and landscaping
  • Deeper understanding of the science and art of horticulture and its applied sciences

 

Training

If accepted into the Master Gardener Extension Program, you will attend a Master Gardener Intern Training course. Classes are taught by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists, staff, and local experts.

The program offers a minimum of 50 hours of instruction. Topics may include:

Botany & Plant Physiology
Integrated Pest Management/Entomology
Plant Identification
Plant Pathology
Xeriscape
Perennials/Annuals
Turfgrass Maintenance & Diseases
Wildscaping
Natural Resources
Urban Forestry
Propagation
Water Conservation & Quality
Herbs
Vegetables
Specialty Gardening
Pruning Principles
Soils/Composting
Fruits & Nuts

What do Master Gardeners Extension volunteers do?

The Bexar County Master Gardener Extension volunteers assist the local County Extension Office:

  • Answering horticultural inquiries over the telephone
  • Giving educational talks to various groups
  • Introducing youth to gardening
  • Supporting 4-H and Youth Development programs
  • Presenting information at garden and trade events
  • Organizing educational programs and conferences
  • Creating and maintaining gardens which showcase plants for our area, new planting methods, composting and irrigation methods
  • Researching and answering inquiries
  • Writing articles about horticulture
  • Increasing awareness of integrated pest management, water conservation and quality, and other environmental issues


Certification/Recertification

Participants become certified Master Gardener Extension volunteers after they have completed the intern training course, pass an examination administered by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, and volunteer a minimum of 50 hours within one year.

In order to retain the Texas Master Gardener title, individuals are required each year to participate in a minimum of ten(10) hours of recertification training (CEU’s) and provide an additional 30 hours of volunteer service through the Bexar County Extension office.   Attend 2 BCMG Monthly Membership Meetings. Renew a background check (once every three years).

For more information on the Master Gardener Extension Program in Bexar County, call us at 210-631-0400 or visit the Bexar County Master Gardener website.

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