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Trained by the University of Missouri Extension, Master Gardeners provide volunteer horticultural services to the public.  Nearly 200 active members assist in providing information to the public about current horticultural practices and researching specific gardening questions or problems.  Master Gardeners’ HOTLINE is a volunteer telephone service that answers gardening questions March through September.  Two public park gardens in Springfield Xeriscape Garden, National and Linwood, and the demonstration garden at Nathanial Greene Park, on Scenic between Sunshine and Battlefield, are examples of Master Gardener collaborations with the Springfield-Greene County Park Board.

The Master Gardener program offers volunteer opportunities for gardeners interested in learning and sharing horticultural knowledge.  The program was started in Washington by Dr. Dave Gibby in 1972.  There are 35,000 trained Master Gardeners in all 50 states and Canada.  The Missouri Master Gardener program assists University of Missouri Extension by providing horticultural information to the public.
 

Master Gardeners of Greene County is  headquartered in Springfield, was started in 1984.  Since 1989 the local coordinator for the program has been Gaylord Moore, Regional Horticulture Specialist for the University of Missouri Extension.  In 1998 the local group hosted the Master Gardener State convention.

With more than 100 active members, Master Gardeners of Greene County is a self-managing, not-for-profit organization with its own board of directors and officers.

Master Gardeners trainees receive 30 hours of classroom instruction on a wide variety of horticultural topics. In return, each member pledges 30 hours of community service during the first year and 20 hours during subsequent years.  Last year Master Gardeners of Greene County volunteered nearly 14,000 hours in support of the program's objectives.

Hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves opportunities include care and maintenance of the Xeriscape Garden, located on South National Avenue and the demonstration garden at Nathanael Greene Park on Scenic Avenue.
 

Opportunities for community service include educational presentations to garden clubs, other organizations and events such as the annual Springfield Lawn and Garden Show; the spring and fall seminar and garden tour series presented by Master Gardeners; and demonstrations at workshops, field days and related events.  The Master Gardener booth/exhibit is staffed at the Lawn and Garden Show and the Ozark Empire Fair and other evens with volunteers ready and able to offer gardening information and to answer questions.

Master Gardeners operate an informational Hotline (862-9284, Ext 18).  The Hotline is staffed from March through October on weekdays from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm.  During the "off season" (November through February) callers may leave a message and a Master Gardener will return the call within a day or two.

Funds for Master Gardener activities are raised through an annual plant sale, the seminar and tour series, and donations.

A training session for new Master Gardeners is held annually beginning in late January.  For more information about becoming a Master Gardener, call the Master Gardener Hotline (862-9284, Ext 18) or the MU Extension Center in Greene County (862-9284, Ext 17).