.

HISTORY OF THE MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM

The Washington State Master Gardener Program grew out of the need for county agents to respond to the growing interest in home gardening. Several WSU Extension agents and specialists originated the idea and trained the first Master Gardener volunteers 30 years ago. The program quickly spread around Washington and then to other states and a few other countries.

Locally, we have about 300 Master Gardeners teaching good gardening practices to the citizens of Snohomish County. Master Gardeners are people with a love of gardening and a desire to learn more. They receive intensive horticulture training and share their knowledge with people in the community through their volunteer Master Gardener service. A new class of Master Gardeners is trained every year. For information, go to Becoming a Master Gardener