Share your gardening skills with others.

The mission of the Illinois Master Gardener program is “Helping Others Learn to Grow.” To become a Master Gardener all you need is an interest in gardening, time to volunteer in the community, and a desire to share your knowledge with others. Master Gardeners are volunteers who have received over 60 hours of training from Extension Educators and State Specialists from the University of Illinois. The task to the Master Gardeners is to share unbiased, reliable, research-based information with home landscapers and gardeners. Another important function is to encourage young people to enjoy the pleasures of flower and vegetable growing. If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardner in Christian, Jersey, Macoupin or Montgomery county, provide your information.

Master Gardener training, taught by University of Illinois Extension educators and specialists, emphasizes practical, research-based information. Training topics include: botany, annuals and perennials, soils, insects, woody ornamentals, vegetables, fruits, turf, integrated pest management, and wildlife. After the training program, Master Gardeners volunteer their time and expertise by sharing their horticulture skills with the community through garden projects, educational outreach and helping others learn to grow. The Master Gardener program is an all-volunteer program sanctioned by the land grant institution in each state and functions as an extension of the college or university. In Illinois, the program is sponsored by University of Illinois Extension.