Graduates of the Louisiana Master Gardener program help teach others how to care for lawns and gardens, as well as volunteering in their communities on a variety of other projects. For example, those from East Baton Rouge Parish assist with plants at the LSU AgCenter’s Burden Center and its variety of display gardens.

Graduates of the LSU AgCenter's Master Gardener Program do more than plant gardens. They also help educate the public about the environment. For example, Julie Putman, a Master Gardener from Northeast Louisiana, is shown using the Enviroscape model to demonstrate water quality issues to a group of students at Earth Day activities at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo in Monroe.

LSU AgCenter horticulture agent Sandra Benjamin of Tangipahoa Parish, at left, visits with Master Gardeners Sue Gerald of Franklinton and Lucy Cundiff of Mt. Hermon during a statewide conference for the Louisiana Master Gardener program in Baton Rouge in 2004.

The LSU AgCenter offers home gardeners opportunities to develop their skills and share their knowledge with others through participation in the Louisiana Master Gardener program.

The Louisiana Master Gardener program involves volunteers to help meet the educational needs of home gardeners in Louisiana. The program is divided into two parts: instruction and service. Participants, who must go through an application process, receive 40-50 hours of intensive, practical horticultural training. The following topics are among those covered in the program:

• Soils and Plant Nutrition
• Plant Pathology, Entomology
• Vegetable Gardening
• Fruit Culture
• Woody Ornamentals
• Annuals and Perennials
• Lawn Management
• Environmental Horticulture
• Problem Solving

After successfully completing the classroom portion, which involves regular attendance and passing a final exam, participants receive the title of Louisiana Master Gardener and an official name badge. The Louisiana Master Gardener graduates then volunteer a minimum of 40 hours of service to complete the last part of the program.

2,000 Strong
Louisiana boasts more than 2,000 active Master Gardeners who have completed at least 40 hours of intensive, practical horticultural training and have committed to donating at least 40 hours of service to their communities. In 2010, these volunteers contributed more than 50,000 volunteers hours equating to 34 full time agents work for that same period.

Started in Baton Rouge in 1994, the program was adopted statewide in 1997 and is offered in 23 parishes with volunteer participation in 49 parishes, according to Rene Schmit, coordinator of the Master Gardener program in the LSU AgCenter. This represents 96 percent of Louisiana's population centers.

Robert Usher of Luling said he became a Master Gardener because “it sounded like something I want to get involved in.” The retiree has been a Louisiana Master Gardener for several years and says he’s made a lot of friends. He’s part of the River Region Louisiana Master Gardeners – a group made up of about 50 people from St. John and St. Charles parishes.

Colleen Scott of Independence discovered the resource nearly six years ago when she joined the first Master Gardener class in Tangipahoa Parish. Scott is from a farm background, “but it’s different in the South,” says the Pennsylvania native who’s lived in Louisiana since 1982.

“You’re closer to God’s heart in the garden than anywhere else on earth,” says Vivian Neely of Baton Rouge, a Master Gardener since 2002. She says she enjoys volunteering and helping make her city more attractive.

National Organization
The Louisiana Master Gardener program is part of a larger, national program that began in the state of Washington in the 1970s. Master Gardeners are all-volunteer organizations sanctioned by land-grant colleges and universities in each state and function as an extension of the college or university. The parent organization in Louisiana is the LSU AgCenter.

People who have the desire, commitment and time to learn – and who want to put their knowledge and skills to work through volunteer service – may apply for admission to the Master Gardener program. Information is available through LSU AgCenter offices in each parish.

Wendy Miller, who lives in Ponchatoula, wanted to be a master something,” she says, explaining why she first became a Master Gardener. She calls Master Gardeners “a wonderful resource.”

If you want to be a Master Gardener, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I want to learn more about plants, pests, landscaping and gardening?
• Do I want to participate in an intensive, practical training program?
• Do I look forward to sharing my knowledge with people in my community?
• Do I have the time to commit to both the training and the volunteer service?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, then the Louisiana Master Gardener program could be for you.

The LSU AgCenter is one of 11 institutions of higher education in the Louisiana State University System. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, it provides educational services in every parish and conducts research that contributes to the economic development of the state. The LSU AgCenter does not grant degrees nor benefit from tuition increases. The LSU AgCenter plays an integral role in supporting agricultural industries, enhancing the environment, and improving the quality of life through its 4-H youth, family and community programs.