Master Gardener

The Master Gardener Program was originally created by the Extension Service of Washington State in 1972. It grew out of the need to meet increased requests from urban home gardeners for horticultural information.  The Master Gardener is a vital part of Extension's ability to provide the community with up-to-date, reliable knowledge so they can enjoy and protect the value of horticulture around their homes. 

How Does The Program Work?

Master Gardener courses in Missoula are offered in person each spring on Wednesdays 6-8pm for 14 weeks and every Fall on Saturdays 9-12pm.  The online option is offered year round in a self-paced, self-study format.

Online Instruction is provided by Montana State University-Bozeman Extension Master Gardener Coordinators, utilizing the Academic Technology & Outreach (ATO) Brightspace platform. There is no time limit for completing each on-line course, in person classes run for eight weeks.

Volunteer Commitment

Community service hours in horticulture related activities, events, or programs are required by all program participants to receive their certification. Within one year of completing a course and its required exams, students must fulfill a minimum volunteer commitment of 20 hours.

In order to be certified and maintain good standing as a Master Gardener, participants agree to complete a minimum of 10 hours of volunteer service and 4 hours of continued education per year. Missoula County opportunities include: working in a neighborhood garden, giving gardening presentations at schools and to civic groups, manning Info-Booths, telephone and office work, researching and writing grants, fair judging, fund raising, land research, and other opportunities as they present themselves.

Core Master Gardener Course - Introduction to the MSU Extension Master Gardener Program

• Soils, Nutrients and Fertilizer
• Plant Growth and Development
• Vegetable Gardening
• Growing Small Fruit and Fruit Trees
• Growing and Caring for Flowers
• Landscape Design
• Planting and Maintaining Trees and Shrubs
• Lawns and Irrigation
• Composting
• Introduction to Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Advanced Master Gardener Course

This course is currently unavailable. For more information contact Sarah Holden to learn more!