When the term "Master Gardener" was first coined in the early 1970s to describe a new Extension program in Washington State, few could have predicted it would spread into Texas and blossom into one of the most effective volunteer organizations in the State.

The Texas Master Gardener program had its beginnings in 1978 in an Extension horticulture training at A&M University when Dr. Sam Cotner (Extension vegetable specialist) described the success of the movement in Washington state. At that time, county agents in the Texas Cooperative Extension were experiencing overwhelming demands for horticulture information, much like their colleagues in the Pacific Northwest.

The first Master Gardener class was held in 1979 in Montgomery County and drew about 25 people. The course was held in the evenings and taught by Extension agents and specialists from Texas A&M using a manual compiled from Extension publications and news articles. Volunteer service was optional, but class members were encouraged to work on Extension projects.

Two more counties, Galveston and El Paso, started programs in 1981. By the end of the decade, five more counties had Master Gardener programs: Harris (1986), Dallas (1986), Tarrant (1987), Bexar (1989) and Denton (1989).

The Texas Cooperative Extension made an official commitment to a Texas Master Gardener program in 1987 with the hiring of a statewide coordinator. At that time, guidelines were developed for the program, including a minimum number of hours of formal training and 50 hours of volunteer service to become a certified Texas Master Gardener (since then, the volunteer hours have been increased to 72 hours). The 500-page training handbook also was completed then.

More information on the statewide program is available at: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/mastergd/mg.html and the state association at: www.texasmastergardeners.com

 

History of the Rockwall Association
The Rockwall Master Gardeners Association started in 2003 when the first class graduated in September. The association incorporated as a Texas Non-Profit Corporation in September of 2005 and is currently awaiting IRS approval of 501(c)(3) status.