About the WSU Master Gardeners

 Master Gardeners are Volunteer Community Educators — Cultivating Plants, People, and Communities since 1973 

— and into the Future

The Master Gardener Program is a Washington State University Extension Program within the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CANHRS). Founded in 1973 by WSU Extension agents from King and Pierce Counties, the Master Gardener concept has been replicated across the United States and Internationally. Today, there are 85,000 certified Extension Master Gardeners.

From the outset our mission has been to engage university-trained volunteers to empower and sustain diverse communities with relevant, unbiased, research-based horticulture and environmental stewardship education. We teach best practices for creating sustainable landscapes that enhance and protect our natural resources and improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities.  

Each year we train new volunteers, equipping them with foundational knowledge to become horticultural educators in their communities. Trained volunteers must continue their educational development in subsequent years to stay abreast of current research and our ever-changing environment.  

The Master Gardener Foundation of Washington State (MGFWS) is a nonprofit corporation formed by dedicated WSU Master Gardeners to support advanced scientific gardening education of colleagues, all of whom make a difference in the state. This Mission supports the WSU Extension Master Gardener Program in its efforts to provide public education in gardening and environmental stewardship generated from research at WSU and other university systems through education, communication, and advocacy. The Foundation’s purpose is to offer statewide volunteer-based unifying leadership to, and communication among, county and regional WSU Master Gardener Program, Foundations, and affiliates.

The MGFWS enhances the ability of the WSU Master Gardener Program to support the training and projects of county WSU Master Gardener programs throughout Washington State. It is a professional organization respected by Washington State University, politicians, gardeners, agencies protecting our environment and water, and by communities at large.

The membership of the MGFWS consists of the members of chartered chapters of county Master Gardener organizations, either incorporated or non-incorporated, and Board-approved affiliate organizations.