Master Gardener  CoRe Projects

  Through Our

  Garden Gates

  Plant a Row

Plant a Row for the Hungry Project is organized and run by the Memphis Area Master Gardeners Association. It is based at Shelby Farms Community Gardens. Volunteers in this project grow a large variety of fresh garden vegetables which are donated to the Memphis Food Bank for feeding needy citizens of Memphis.
This project operates March through October and is organized into four distinct teams who work from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM on their assigned days. Plant-a-Row requires an on-going commitment from the Memphis Area Master Gardener Association to stay on top of the continued demands of maintaining a large vegetable garden and meet our commitment to the Memphis Food Bank. This project provides volunteer gardeners hands-on experience to both learn and apply vegetable gardening skills with a group of Master Gardeners. It is a valuable community project that provides a worthwhile service to our area with nutritious and fresh vegetables as well as an enriching gardening experience for the volunteers.

     YOUTH PLANT CAMP         

Agricenter International, the Shelby County Extension and Memphis Area Master Gardeners unite as a team to host Youth Plant Camp every June for girls and boys, ages 8-12. Children have the opportunity to learn about nature, while having fun and being introduced to the amazing world of plants! Activities include daily “hands-on” projects, educational discussions and games, “on-site” field trips, make-&-take home projects, and daily theme-related snacks. Each child takes home a camp shirt and booklet with post-camp activities for additional summertime fun.
PLANT CAMP is held at Agricenter International. Camp hours are from 9:00 a.m. until Noon, usually the second week in June (Monday – Friday). There is a fee to attend PLANT CAMP. Enrollment is limited to 30 campers.

EDUCATE & LANDSCAPE for

             HABITAT for HUMANITY 

Twice a year, the Memphis Area Master Gardeners are the landscapers for Greater Memphis Habitat for Humanity. Behind-the-scenes work goes on year round as Master Gardeners propagate many of their own plants ahead of time and look for nursery bargains to stretch the Habitat landscaping dollars farther than most people can imagine. MGs also design landscape plans and prepare the beds before planting day. On planting day, MGs work as landscape supervisors and “worker bees,” doing what we love most: getting dirty with plants and showing the new homeowner and non-gardening volunteers how to have the same kind of fun.
In keeping with our mission to provide gardening education, MAMG is developing a mentor program to help Habitat homeowners maintain and develop their landscapes beyond Dedication Day. We have written a simplified instruction manual that is being expanded to include a wider range of topics. At the Habitat homeowner meetings, Master Gardeners have started presenting brief gardening talks to inform, inspire, and encourage.

SPRING FLING     

Memphis Area Master Gardeners hold a SPRING FLING every March at the Agricenter Red Barn. This fun-filled event is a great way to "kick off" your spring gardening plans. Informative speakers, garden societies, garden accessories, Q&A Clinics, and plants, plants, plants fill the Red Barn until it is bursting at the seams and spilling out to the surrounding land. Come early to get the best deals. Refreshments, raffles, and good times all day long.

WEEKEND GARDENING SEMINARS

The Memphis Area Master Gardeners Association produces a fall and spring seminar open to the public. These seminars are usually on a Saturday and held at the Agricenter or Lichterman Nature Center. Topics are appropriate for the season and current trends and conditions. In the fall of 2007, the seminar was held at Lichterman discussing drought tolerant landscaping. In the spring of 2008, Master Gardeners conducted a tour of two local nurseries advising on plant selections and with plant discounts for purchases. These seminars are announced in the gardening calendar of the Memphis newspaper.

GARDEN JUMBLE               

Memphis Area Master Gardeners hold a giant garden and yard sale every summer. This sale has great buys on many garden tools and necessities. A favorite attraction at the sale - Master Gardeners also bring hundreds of highly-prized and sometimes rare cuttings from their gardens.
The Garden Jumble Sale is held in the Shelby Place Arena at the Agricenter.

    MASTER GARDENER HOTLINE

Master Gardeners operate a gardening HOTLINE service for the public from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday in the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Office at Agricenter, International. The public can call this hotline for advice or information on any gardening issue, including plant selection, disease and insect identification, and garden management. The service is free. Call 901-752-1207 to talk with a Master Gardener.

  SPEAKERS BUREAU    

Looking for a speaker? The Memphis Area Master Gardeners extend to the community speakers with diverse and timely horticultural topics for presentation to interested groups, schools and clubs. A minimum of three weeks advance notice is required. Every attempt will be made to respond to each request. Include your contact information, the group name, the location of the meeting and the expected attendance numbers.
Memphis Area Master Gardeners have a wide range of garden and landscape expertise. Topics include Perennials, Shade Gardening Attracting Birds, but also Garden Critters, Cooking and Herbs, and Floral Design, just to name a few. For a more complete list, Click the topics list on the Home Page.

  "ASK A MASTER GARDENER"

                         CLINICS  

The Horticultural Agent at the University of Tennessee Extension Office in Shelby County and Master Gardeners offer Gardeners Clinics throughout the spring and summer months. These clinics give expert help and advice on growing plants, landscaping your yard, and enjoying a successful gardening season. Bring samples of your soil and plants for some personal attention to your needs.
These clinics are usually held on designated Tuesdays and Saturdays at county libraries. Check this website or the Commercial Appeal Friday Gardening Calendar for exact times and places.

Check out other projects(link below) that Memphis Area Master Gardeners are involved in throughout the Shelby County region.