Heart of Virginia Master Gardeners

 

What is a Master Gardener?

Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners are a unique group of volunteers who work under the guidance of VCE to provide unbiased, research-based, environmentally sound horticulture information to the public.


How Do I become a Master Gardener?

Master Gardener Trainees complete 50 hours of classroom instruction in subjects such as Basic Botany, Soils & Fertilizers, Plant Propagation, Diagnosing Plant Damage, Pesticide Use & Safety, Trees & Shrubs, Lawn & Turf Management, Pruning, Landscape Design, Water Quality, and Organic Practices. Once the classroom instruction is completed, the trainee becomes a Master Gardener Intern. Interns are required to volunteer an additional 50 hours during their first year before becoming an official VCE Master Gardener. Active Master Gardeners must receive an additional 8 hours of advanced training and volunteer at least 20 hours each year to remain a VCE Master Gardener.

 

  
photography copyright by Carolyn Wells.
 
compliments of Dianne Fore

 

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Page last updated on 4/1/05