Additional Information

Register Online

4 Seasons Garden Telenet - A Gardening Calendar - Chicago
Register by May 21, 2012
Chicago MG Graduation RSVP 5/29/12
Register by May 25, 2012

Online Forms and Surveys

Read the Latest News

Chicago Master Gardener Blog
A blog for Chicago Master Gardeners providing information on volunteer opportunities, training, workshops and resources.
Chicago Urban Gardening Blog
The day to day experiences of a University of Illinois Extension Urban Horticulture Educator in Chicago, Illinois
Food Safety & Preservation Blog
Latest food safety and preservation information from Cook County Extension

Contact Us

Ron Wolford
Extension Educator, Urban Horticulture
University of Illinois Extension
10244 South Vincennes Avenue
Chicago, IL 60643
Phone: 773-233-2900
FAX: 773-233-9183
rwolford@illinois.edu

Chicago Master Gardeners

Who We Are

Do you enjoy gardening and would like to learn more? Do you enjoy sharing your knowledge with others? The Chicago Master Gardener Program may be for you. All you need is an interest in gardening, an open mind and a willingness to share your knowledge with others.

The Chicago Master Gardener Program is for residents of the City of Chicago and nearby suburbs. Master Gardeners are required to do the volunteering in the unit that they train with. There are separate Master Gardener Programs for greater Cook County. These are in the North Cook and South Cook units.

The Master Gardener adult volunteer program is nationwide. Master Gardeners are a vital link in getting horticulture information to the public through University of Illinois Extension offices.

Instruction

Chicago Master Gardener training typically takes place from January to April. Classes are held on a weekday and run from 9am-3pm. In the past, classes have been held at Garfield Park Conservatory. Attendance at all 12 Master Gardener training classes is mandatory. There is an independent online training option for those not able to attend training during the week. Online training typically runs from January to May.

Unfortunately, Chicago will not conduct Master Gardener training in 2012. This applies to both the "live" training at Garfield Park Conservatory and to the online training. There are several reasons for this decision.

Since 2010, Extension has been undergoing a multi-year reorganization in an effort to adjust to decreased funding, especially on the state level. As a result, the number of educators available for teaching the "live" training has decreased. Taking a year off will allow the Chicago unit to explore alternative training formats so that we can continue to deliver high quality training in spite of reductions in staff.

Over the past few years, interest in the Master Gardener program has increased dramatically and we have trained more students every year. Although the number of participants in our "live" training at Garfield remains limited due to room size, we have had more and more online trainees. Although online training does not require teaching staff, it does require administrative time to acclimate trainees to the volunteer portion of the program. Taking a year off will allow Extension staff to focus on retention of the existing 300+ Master Gardener volunteers, provide advanced training opportunities and development their potential as project leaders.

Thank you for understanding and respecting our position. Please check this website in 2012 for updates on the next Master Gardener training in Chicago. Comments and/or questions can be addressed to Ron Wolford at rwolford@illinois.edu.

Training

Master Gardeners participate in more than 60 hours of training on botany, vegetables, tree and small fruits, diseases, insects, soils, fertilizers, pruning, trees and flowers and organic gardening. The sessions are taught by University of Illinois specialists and Extension educators and are coordinated by local horticulture extension educators. The emphasis of the information is practical, yet research based. Students must pass a final comprehensive exam (all open book).

Example Chicago Master Gardener Training Schedule

*Date*	*Topic*	*Instructor*
Jan. 4, 2011	Orientation	Sue Gasper
Jan. 11, 2011	Botany	Greg Stack
Jan. 18, 2011	Soils	Ellen Philips
Jan. 25, 2011	Woody Plants	Richard Hentschel
Feb. 1, 2011	snow day
Feb. 8, 2011	Fruits	Maurice Ogutu
Feb. 15, 2011	Herbaceous Plants	Greg Stack
Feb. 22, 2011	Insects	Nancy Pollard
Mar. 1, 2011	Turf	Richard Hentschel
Mar. 8, 2011	Organics/Composting	Kirsten Akre/MCs
Mar. 15, 2011	IPM/Volunteering and Extension	Russ Higgins/Larry Wilson
Mar. 22, 2011	Plant Pathology	Nancy Pollard
Mar. 29, 2011	Veggies	Ron Wolford
Apr. 5, 2011	Final/database	Sue Gasper

Cost

The cost of training in 2011 was $300 for the Master Gardener manual , supplemental handouts, administrative expenses and a Chicago Master Gardener t-shirt. A limited number of need-based scholarships are available. Scholarship applicants will be asked to write a short essay and provide personal references.

Hands-on Training During the Internship

In return for the training, Master Gardeners give back at least 60 hours of volunteer time to the Chicago Master Gardener Program within a year. Volunteering can take the form of answering questions from gardeners or working on special projects such as The Great Plant Escape, an indoor school gardening program, landscaping at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, serving as technical assistance for community and school gardens, worm composting, insect petting zoo, the Growing Connection/Earthboxes, the Lurie Garden, Taste of Chicago, the Chicago Bug Bash, Smart Home Vegetable Garden, Lincoln Park Zoo and Brookfield Zoo.