If you are interested in gardening and horticulture, curious and love to learn, and can make a commitment to volunteering, we want you to join the Iowa Master Gardener program! We welcome participants with all levels of gardening experience.
To earn the Master Gardener title, participants must:
- Apply to the program.
- Successfully complete a background check and county-implemented interview (as applicable).
- Be accepted and pay the class fee ($150).
- Complete the 10-week ISU Extension and Outreach Master Gardener training course.
- Complete in-person volunteer orientation with the training county (dates and timelines vary; contact your county office for details)
- Complete a 40-hour volunteer internship by December 31, 2026.
Applications will be accepted from January 13 through February 14. Online training starts February 24. To apply, visit: https://go.iastate.edu/DXTGU7
If volunteering doesn't call out to you but you still want to learn to be a better gardener, you can purchase a non-volunteer spot in the course from the ISU Extension Store starting February 17. This option does not confer the Master Gardener title.
Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Yard and Garden, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on January 13, 2025. The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.