About the Purdue Master Gardener Program
The purpose of the Purdue Master Gardener Program is to teach people more about growing plants and to more effectively extend information related to plants. Its specific aim is to provide information and technical assistance in the areas of gardening and home horticulture through the use of trained and certified volunteers.
The original Master Gardener program was created in 1972 in Seattle, Washington in response to the overwhelming demand for home gardening information. Indiana’s program began in 1978 with 4 participating counties. Currently, over 70 Indiana counties have active Master Gardener programs.
For more detailed information about the Purdue Master Gardener Program, please review Purdue Extension Publication HO-184 (PDF 440K) - Revised 9/08).
Did you know?
There are over 3200 active Purdue Master Gardener Volunteers in Indiana, and they volunteer more than 88,000 hours annually in Indiana! Purdue Master Gardeners annual volunteer efforts are worth more than $1.5 million! (That's 88,000 hours x $17.55 per hour if paid in the private sector.) And more than 1000 new Purdue Master Gardener interns are trained each year.
Just some examples of Purdue Master Gardener volunteer activities in local Indiana communities:
- Presenting educational programs
- Working with youth (Junior Master Gardeners, 4-H, schools, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, etc.)
- Q & A Booths
- Habitat for Humanity
- Community & demonstration gardens
- Donations of produce to local food banks (i.e. From community, demo, and plant a row for the hungry)
- Hort therapy for elderly (nursing homes) & at-risk youth
- Community beautification
- And more...
Rosie Lerner
Master Gardener State Coordinator
Purdue University
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
625 Agriculture Mall Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2010
Voice: 765-494-1296
Fax: 765-494-0391
Email: mastergardener@purdue.edu
