OREGON, Ill.— In 1975, Floyd Giles, former Extension horticulture specialist and state Master Gardener coordinator, formed the first Master Gardener program in Illinois. Over the years, volunteers have dedicated time and effort to gardening projects, including community gardens, school partnerships, environmental education, and more, bolstering the program's mission of "Helping Others Learn to Grow."
To become a certified Master Gardener, participants are required to volunteer 40 hours of time to their local University of Illinois Extension office. After certification, Master Gardeners volunteer 20 hours each year and attend 10 hours of approved continuing education. Volunteer opportunities include but are not limited to answering telephone or electronic mail questions about gardening; staffing plant clinics or farmers markets; speaking to local organizations; establishing demonstration or community gardens; conducting programs with youth, the elderly, or the disabled, or writing newspaper articles.
The Horticulture Help Desks are open in Boone, DeKalb, and Ogle counties. Please call your county’s office or stop by to see if a Master Gardener is available to speak to. These volunteers will research and provide you with answers to questions about vegetable gardening, insect and plant identification, composting, flower gardening, plant diseases, soils and fertility, integrated pest management, and more. The hotline is not staffed daily, but you will receive a response in a timely manner. Please give detailed questions, and if possible, take photos of anything that may help in getting you the answer you are looking for.
Illinois Extension Master Gardeners are committed to the continued evolution of the program, nurturing momentum for the future. Office information: Boone County, 205 Cadillac Ct, Ste 3, Belvidere; call 815-544-3710; DeKalb County, 1350 W Prairie Dr, Sycamore; call 815-758-8194; and Ogle County, 421 W Pines Rd, Ste 10, Oregon; call 815-732-2191.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.