where gardeners grow
Master Gardener Programs
Find your local Extension Master Gardener program — from the dirt to the classroom and back.
The complete national directory of Extension Master Gardener programs, with every state coordinator and Land-Grant Universities across all 50 states and 500+ counties, DC, and Puerto Rico. This is where the actual training classes happen.
Tap your state on the map
Each tile is color-coded by U.S. Census region. Click any state to jump to its program details below.
Layout is a geographic approximation — Alaska and Hawaii are shown lower-left, Puerto Rico bottom-right.
The national network behind your local program.
Started in Washington State in 1973, the Extension Master Gardener program now operates in nearly every U.S. state — a partnership between land-grant universities, county Cooperative Extension offices, and tens of thousands of trained volunteers. It's one of the most respected credentials in volunteer horticulture and a real stepping stone into the green industry, with graduates going on to careers as garden coaches, nursery managers, landscape designers, urban farmers, and extension agents..
What you learn
Botany, soil science, entomology, plant pathology, IPM, vegetable & ornamental horticulture, native plants, and regional climate adaptation — taught by university faculty and extension specialists.
Time commitment
Most states require roughly 40–60 hours of classroom training, followed by an equivalent number of volunteer service hours each year to maintain active certification.
What you give back
Volunteers staff plant clinics and helplines, lead school and community gardens, teach workshops, and answer the public's gardening questions — extending university research to every county.
How to apply
Contact your state coordinator or local Cooperative Extension office. Most programs accept applications once a year, with training cohorts beginning in late winter or early fall.
Coordinator contacts compiled from the national Extension Master Gardener directory. Program details may change — verify current schedules with your state coordinator before applying.