What is a Master Gardener?
The Texas Master Gardener program is an educational volunteer program conducted by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service of the Texas A&M University System. Texas Master Gardeners (TMGs) are members of the local community who take an active interest in their lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers and gardens. They are enthusiastic, willing to learn and help others and able to communicate with diverse groups of people. What really sets Master Gardeners apart from other home gardeners is their special training in horticulture. In exchange for their training, persons who become Master Gardeners contribute time as volunteers, working through their county’s Texas AgriLife Extension office to provide horticultural-related information to their communities.
Note: Texas Master Gardeners are representatives of Texas AgriLife Extension. In all volunteer work related to the program, TMG’s follow the research-based recommendations of Texas AgriLife Extension. The title “Texas Master Gardener” can be used by volunteers only when engaged in Extension-sponsored activities.
The Smith County Master Gardener program is a volunteer endeavor through which trained volunteers provide research-based gardening information to the residents of Smith County. This is done through various programs and activities such as workshops, conferences, speaking engagements, school gardens, written articles for publications and social media, the Tyler Botanical Garden, and answering individual requests for gardening information at the Smith County Master Gardener Help Desk.
Is this program right for me?
You have to ask yourself:
If you are a Smith County resident and answered yes to these questions, this program could be for you. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is accepting applications from Smith County residents who would like to receive horticultural training and use their knowledge and experience to teach others about the many aspects of Earth-Kind gardening.
If accepted into the Master Gardener program, you will attend a 3-month Master Gardener training course. Classes are taught by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists, staff, and local experts. The Master Gardening Training course is a college-level learning environment including homework, quizzes, and a final exam. Attendance in each class is strongly recommended.
What’s included in the training?
The 3-month prescribed instruction include topics such as the following:
If interested, your first steps are to contact Amanda Southard at amanda.southard@ag.tamu.edu to have your name placed on our interest list and then to apply online at evs.tamu.edu.
All applications must be submitted online by August 31, 2025. Not all applicants will be accepted into the program. Class size is limited, and preference will be given to qualified Smith County residents with gardening experience, dedication to education, enthusiasm, and time to volunteer.
The 2026 Smith County Master Gardener class will begin Thursday, January 8. Classes will be held every Thursday at the Cotton Belt Building (1517 W Front St) from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. through March 26, 2024. The $203 fee includes the 450-plus page Texas Master Gardener Handbook, handouts, refreshments, speakers’ honoraria, and travel expenses for visiting specialists.
A mandatory orientation meeting for potential Master Gardener volunteers will be held at the Smith County AgriLife Extension office classroom (1517 W. Front St.) on Tuesday June 24th from 2-4, Wednesday July 16 from 10-12 or Monday August 18th from 2-4 (choose one). If you have questions, call (903) 590-2980.
Participants become certified Master Gardeners after completing both the 3-month training and a 12-month internship. During the internship, you are required to complete 72 hours of prescribed volunteer work for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Smith County.
What activities are required as an Intern?
Over the 12-month internship activities include the following:
The certifications lasts for one year and is renewed through ongoing volunteer participation, continuing education, and paying annual dues to the Smith County Master Gardener Association.
In exchange for training, participants are asked to volunteer their time to their county’s AgriLife Extension program. The type of service performed by Smith County Master Gardeners varies according to community needs and the abilities and interests of the Master Gardeners.
Ongoing commitments include:
NOTE: The Master Gardener program is an educational and volunteer program offered through the Cooperative Extension Service of the Texas A&M University system. Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas cooperating. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is an equal opportunity program provider. Individuals with a disability needing an accommodation should contact Texas A&M AgriLife Extension at least one week prior to the event. Full refunds are not guaranteed after the registration deadline.