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Master Gardener Volunteers

Master Gardener Volunteers are adults who love gardening and want to help others. They are trained by county Extension agents and specialists from the University of Florida. After their training, they help teach people in the community about plants and gardening. In this program, volunteers learn about topics like plant science, soil, insects, and how to identify and care for different plants. The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program is part of the Cooperative Extension Service, which belongs to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

Pasco County Master Gardener Volunteer providing an educational seminar to a room of citizens.

How Do I Join?

At some point during the year, a required pre-course meeting (Meet and Greet) must be attended. The course is currently only offered once a year because it is so intensive and requires a huge commitment in time from our instructors. If you'd like to be added to our communications list please email MGV Program Manager, Jillian Meek, at JMeek@PascoCounty.FL.net

Yard landscaping with watering can and garden gloves propped in the foreground.

Training and Certification

If you are accepted into the Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program, you will receive 72 hours of horticultural training in a 10-12-week course. A required fee covers educational books from the University of Florida Press, numerous handouts, and other class expenses. The course is held in-person, one full day each week.

Swallowtail butterfly feeding on a firebush plant.

Gardening 365 Festival

Join us for A Decade in Bloom at our 10th Annual Gardening 365 Festival & Plant Sale! This year's festival will be Saturday, October 3, 2026 | 9:00am-4:00pm at Wesley Chapel District. Click to see more about what the festival has to offer for the whole family!