Master Gardener
Welcome to the Mississippi Master Gardener's website. Through this program, individuals are trained and certified in consumer horticulture and related areas.
In exchange for 40 hours of educational training, individuals are required to return 40 hours of volunteer service within one year of their training. This service should help county Extension offices with horticulture projects that benefit their local communities.
After the first year, volunteers are required to return 20 hours of volunteer service and to attend 12 hours of educational training to remain certified as Master Gardeners.
Continuing education is offered to encourage long-term commitments. Most certified Master Gardeners serve five to seven years. The Master Gardener approach helps the local Extension office reach a broader audience than is possible with only one or two agents. It also provides the local office a way to serve the public and, at the same time, develop a supportive clientele group.
Volunteers help extend the educational arm of the university to the public by providing horticultural information based on university research and recommendations.
The Master Gardener Volunteer program is a great way to gain horticultural expertise at a low cost, meet other avid gardeners, share gardening experiences, get connected to the community, and belong to a well-respected and educational organization.
Register for Master Gardener training
In 2023, there will be one Master Gardener training course which will take place in the fall.
This course will run from October 3–December 1.
Registration will run from August 14–September 11.
Contact your county agent with questions.
Master Gardener Reporting System
Mississippi Master Gardener Association Awards 2007 - 2015
Publications
News
What started out in 2012 as a small volunteer project to make two accessible gardens for use by residents of a Hattiesburg nursing home grew and multiplied until the group recently completed its 1,000th one. The Pine Belt Master Gardeners offer a service of making what are known as “salad tables” -- small, wooden-framed gardens raised about 3 feet off the ground. They make about 12-14 tables per month.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Dates for the fall 2022 session of the Master Gardener course have been set.
Registration for the asynchronous online seminars will be open from August 15 to September 12. The sessions will be available from October 3 to December 2. Once registration opens, it can be accessed at http://msuext.ms/mg.
Pat Scace, floral display supervisor at the Missouri Botanical Garden will give a lecture on March 21 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center. It will conclude with a recognition ceremony for the newest group of certified MSU Extension Service Master Floral Designers. Deadline to register is March 14.
The new year offers a new opportunity for garden enthusiasts who want to hone their craft and give back to their communities. The Mississippi State University Extension Service is offering the Master Gardener training and certification online again this year.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi home gardeners have an opportunity to participate in vegetable research next year.
The Mississippi State University Extension Service is looking for 80 participants statewide to enter its 2022 Home Vegetable Variety Trial. Mississippi Master Gardeners, home gardeners and garden club members are encouraged to apply. Trial plants will include different varieties of cucumbers, peppers, squash, tomatoes and other vegetables.
Success Stories
The Pearl River County 4-H Junior Master Gardeners have made some special additions to Poplarville City Park. A new pollinator garden planted in raised beds features a wildflower area, a native plant area, and an herb area.
The annual Christmas Cactus Showcase in Brooksville each December features anywhere from 45 to 60 colorful cacti, most of which are under the year-round care of Pat Hill.
Warren County Master Gardeners share the Heritage Demonstration Garden
It’s the team, the community of Master Gardeners and the people that I talk to who are so excited to learn. They keep me coming back.
Pine Belt Master Gardeners Get Longtime Gardener "back in the dirt"
Eight years ago, Hattiesburg pharmacist Jim Murray gave up gardening because his knees gave out and doctors told him his days of keeping flower beds and cultivating his home garden were over. However, he has returned to gardening thanks to the Pine Belt Master Gardeners’ salad table project.
Webinar series provides Extension programming virtually
Wearing a face mask and keeping his social distance, Dr. Christian Stephenson dropped by Eileen Hollander’s Poplarville home in early September. He was there to help her identify scale insects on the mulberry trees in her garden and suggest research-based remedies.
