What does a Master Gardener do?

Tennessee Master Gardeners (TMG’s) are trained volunteers that participate in the community to educate and train the public in the latest gardening information and techniques!

These volunteers, known as Master Gardeners, aid the Extension Service by

Running plant clinics; answering phone requests for horticultural information; establishing and maintaining demonstration gardens; working with people who have disabilities, youth, the elderly, and other special groups in the community; designing and implementing community involvement projects; as well as coordinating Master Gardener training programs.

The purpose of the Master Gardener program is to train citizens as horticultural-educated volunteers of The University of Tennessee Extension and the Tennessee State Cooperative Extension Program to work in partnership with their counties to expand the educational outreach by providing home gardeners with researched-based information!

In 2016 we

• Managed 124 landscape and ornamental gardens to demonstrate sustainable practices for residential landscapes
• Participated or carried out 146 fairs, festivals, and garden shows or events that reached 98,1362 Tennessee residents
• Taught 598 educational presentations that delivered horticulture information to 22,329 citizens

Investing in the Next Generation

• 85 clubs, camps, or youth events hosted by Extension Master Gardeners
• 11,218 students reached by these outreach efforts