Becoming a Master Gardener

The Master Gardener program is a volunteer program that focuses on education. As part of Penn State, its goal is to teach good gardening practices that support environmental stewardship. In reaching that goal, extensive training takes place every fall. This year, the training begins October 1, 2025, and runs through March 18, 2026. Classes are Wednesday evenings from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. Class topics like Botany, Plant Pathology, Herbaceous Plants, and many more give Master Gardener trainees a good foundation for learning research-based gardening information. 

A Master Gardener volunteer becomes involved with Penn State Extension through this program. In addition to the required educational hours, 50 hours of volunteer time must be completed the first year to earn the Master Gardener certification. After completing these first-year hours, 20 hours volunteering and an additional 10 hours continuing education are needed yearly to keep the title of Master Gardener. 

If individuals have an interest in gardening and want a good base knowledge of plants, as well as opportunities to learn research-based information throughout their volunteer careers, this just may be the program in which to be involved.  Master Gardeners meet others who are like-minded when it comes to gardening and are always learning from each other.  This program also gives them opportunities to teach community members the best gardening practices.

This year, twenty-two new Master Gardeners in Adams and Franklin counties graduated from this educational program. Next, they will be spending quite a bit of time volunteering through projects, presentations, and gardening.

Projects these volunteers are involved with include the demonstration gardens. In both Adams and Franklin counties, Master Gardeners manage themed garden beds.  Themes like herb gardens, cutting gardens, vegetable gardens, native plant gardens, and pollinator gardens can be found in both counties at extension office sites. These gardens represent up-to-date best gardening practices. Brochures are available at the gardens filled with information about the plants and the systems Master Gardeners use in caring for them.  Often, programs are offered throughout the growing season in the gardens.

Additional projects and activities Master Gardeners offer include teaching workshops and seminars.  Especially through the winter months, Master Gardeners teach class series, which can include advanced gardening practices like seed starting, soil ecology, and ecological gardening.  Other class series and workshops include managing houseplants, vegetable gardening, and ecological landscape design.

Summer brings programs like Botanical Illustrations and Home Gardening Essentials.  New this year is Botanical Illustrations, a three-day series on Monday evenings in July, that walks participants through botany and the art of illustration.  Class attendees will develop the same plant identification skills used by botanists, landscapers, and gardeners.  In Session 1, workshop participants will observe and identify plant variations in stems, leaves, and flowers during a scavenger hunt in the Master Gardener demonstration gardens. They will then select a live plant from the demo gardens to illustrate. They will explore the common elements of a botanical illustration to create a sketch and an ink drawing. During Session 2, participants will add color and an optional pollinator to the ink illustrations, using watercolor, gouache, or colored pencil. During Session 3, everyone will troubleshoot composition and layout concerns during a framing workshop. Session 3 will conclude with a gallery walk of participants’ artworks and refreshments in the demonstration gardens, weather permitting.  All supplies will be provided. Those completing the three-day series will take home their own plant identification and botanical illustration kit, as well as a completely framed botanical illustration they have created.

Home Garden Essentials is an on-site program at two gardens. This year’s gardens are in the Hanover/Littlestown area.  The day will begin with a greeting from a Master Gardener and an overview of what those attending will see in the garden followed by a tour.  These gardens will demonstrate wet and dry meadows, bee hives, vegetable and herb gardens, riparian buffers, and native plants.  Those attending will learn about ecological gardening while seeing the beauty of permaculture concepts.  Garden visits will happen on Saturday, July 26. 

Participants will meet at the first location at 9:30 am and can expect the garden visits to be finished by 12:30 pm. 

Adams County Farmers Market begins in May, and Master Gardeners will be there to help with any gardening questions.  Throughout the summer, a Master Gardener, or two, or three, will be at the market ready to help work through gardening issues.

Master Gardeners continue programs through the fall months, starting off with “A Taste of the Garden” on Wednesday evenings in September. In these classes, a Food, Families, and Nutrition Educator will be partnering with the Master Gardeners to teach about how to grow food.  The nutrition educator will teach food preparation, with a little food preservation information included as well.

On Mondays in late September and early October, Master Gardeners will teach pressing flowers for preservation.  A walk in the demonstration gardens will show participants how to grow plants specifically for the purpose of preserving them.

As you can see, there are many ways to get involved as a Master Gardener.  Learning, teaching, and gardening are all things that a Master Gardener does.  If you are interested in learning more about the Master Gardener Training Program, or any of the programs the Master Gardeners offer, give Penn State Extension, Adams County a call, an email, or a visit to our website, and we can guide you to the best class or program for you: 717-334-6271, mar35@psu.edu, Website.

Mary Ann Ryan is the Consumer Horticulture Educator for Penn State Extension in Adams County.  Penn State Cooperative Extension of Adams County is located at 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Suite 204, Gettysburg, 717-334-6271.

Master Gardener Hotline is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 am to 2 pm.  Please send an email (with pictures, if possible) to adamsmg@psu.edu with your gardening questions or stop by Penn State Extension, 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg.