by Arin Shaffer, Garland County Horticulture Agent
Hey everyone, I just wanted to write to give you some information on the online Master Gardener Training. We are now up to 11 applicants for the online Master Gardener training. That’s up from 3 applicants from 2023’s class. That’s almost a 400% increase!
The online Master Gardener training starts or is opened on October 2, and is an at-your-own-pace online training that anyone can do from home with access to Wi-Fi and a computer.
The class ends on December 9. This is a little over two months to complete the coursework. The cost of the training is $175, the same as the in-person training we do in January-February. This $175 covers the cost of the training, the Master Gardener name badge, the dues for the first year, and the Master Gardener “Southeast Extension Gardener Handbook.”
This handbook is a nice resource that is a bound paperback book that covers all of the various topics in horticulture and it’s a nice upgrade over the old ones that were pages put in binders.
These applicants, once accepted, will be interviewed and paired with a mentor to help them navigate the organization. Just keep this in mind as we are always looking for good mentors for the new Master Gardeners to help them get established and give them strong “roots” in the organization.
If you know anyone who is interested, you can relay this information to them and if they have any further questions, they can email Arin Shaffer at ashaffer@uada.edu, or call the Garland County Extension office, at 501-623-6841.
Arin Shaffer, a Garland County Horticulture Agent and GC Master Gardener, volunteers with GC Master Gardeners of the UofA Div. of Agriculture, Cooperative Ext. Service. Master Gardeners pool skills and resources to improve home horticulture, stimulate interest in plants and gardening, and encourage beautification. For more info, call 501-623-6841, email
ashaffer@uada.edu, or visit FB: GarlandCountyMasterGardeners.
