2016 Master Gardener class applications now being accepted thru January 15th!

​The 2016 Big Spring/UT Extension Greene County Master Gardener classes will begin on Tuesday, February 2nd and continue through April 7th (there are snow dates built into this schedule). All sessions will be held on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Greene County UT Extension Office. The fee for the program is $175.00 which includes an extensive 800 plus page Master Gardener Textbook, your name badges, hand lens and other related materials. Four partial scholarships will be awarded on an as needed basis.

Tennessee Master Gardeners (TMG's) are trained volunteers who help the UT Extension Office provide information and educate the public in home horticulture.  Prospective TMG’s attend 40 hours of horticultural classes and are required to volunteer 40 hours of community service through the Extension Office. The University of Tennessee sponsors the Tennessee Master Gardener Program.

The main goal of the Master Gardener program is to enhance the availability of horticultural information and to improve the quality of life within community gardens and landscapes. These volunteers aid the UT Extension Office by managing the Master Gardener lab located at the UT Extension Office; providing requests for UT Horticultural information; establishing and maintaining demonstration gardens throughout the county; working with the handicapped, youth, the elderly, as well as aiding other special groups in the community; designing and implementing community involvement projects; along with coordinating Master Gardener programs.  
 
Some programs the Big Spring Master Gardeners are currently involved with include: Boys and Girls Club Demonstration Garden (GROW Project), New Hope Cemetery Restoration and Landscape Project, Dickson-Williams Mansion historical landscape, and the Tabernacle Mission Soup Kitchen Demonstration Garden located at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church.  They also participate in the county fair and various venues throughout the county promoting horticulture projects.  They host a plant sale consisting primarily of heirloom tomatoes and herbs each spring, and a “Farm 2 Fork” in the summer promoting locally grown food products.   They also attend various educational demonstrations and conferences throughout the year to facilitate individual leadership growth and enhance the educational experience for the overall organization. 

This program is open to anyone wishing to attend regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability or veteran status and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Applications, as well as a class schedule can be picked up at the UT Extension Office or printed from the website below. Applications will be accepted through January 15, 2016.  Full payment will be expected by January 22, 2016.  Contact Melody Rose, Master Gardener Coordinator/UT Extension Agent, at (423) 798-1710 for additional information or visit the Big Spring Master Gardener website at www.bsmga.com.