Garden Talk: What exactly is a master gardener? And how do I become one?

If you’ve listened to Garden Talk before, you’ve heard the term “master gardener.” It’s the title we stick in front of Garden Talk regular Ed Buyarski’s name. This week, KTOO’s Chloe Pleznac decided to finally ask Buyarski just what a master gardener is — and if listeners and readers can become one, too.  

This transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Chloe Pleznac: I’ve heard the term master gardener used both in referring to you and to others within the community. I’m curious if you could explain to me exactly what a master gardener is and how someone can go about becoming one.

Ed Buyarski: Sure. The master gardener program started in Oregon Cooperative Extension Service as a teaching tool, I guess — and also I guess a community service tool. So that here, the Alaska Cooperative Extension Service offers classes every year or every other year depending on demand. And so that’s how people sign up for the classes.

There’s roughly 40 hours of classes and workshops involved, and there is a fee for that. But at least locally, some of the master garden organizations actually offer scholarships for that, for people taking the classes.

There is supposed to be some experience of people who want to become official master gardeners — should have a couple of years of gardening experience beforehand. And then that gives them kind of a foundation or reason to ask more questions about what they’re learning.

And in return, you go through the class and there’s usually a project of some sort — might be a research project or otherwise to do. And folks are also then asked to volunteer back to their communities, 40 hours of community service. And whether that is answering questions from other gardeners who don’t know, What kind of a pest are we looking at? Or, how do I deal with these weeds, or how do I improve my soil — and other things to make their gardens grow better.

So I’ve enjoyed learning — started the first class in Petersburg back in 80s and finished it in the early 90s — took the test, finally, and became a master gardener. I’ve got the pen and had the t-shirt. It’s worn out.

Chloe Pleznac: That’s awesome. That sounds like a really interesting process. Do you know off the top of your head who people can reach out to here in Juneau if they want to become involved?

Ed Buyarski: Yes. The Alaska Cooperative Extension Service has an office downtown, and that’s the way — you can look that up online to call. I just helped finish teaching a series of classes this winter and spring. And I know at least our local extension agent, Darren Snyder, usually offers that class every other year and it is both in person and online and virtual. So folks around Southeast and others can participate in the classes.

And then in the alternate years he has more of a, I guess, a beginning gardeners class. A little definitely less formal. And I suppose if folks are interested can go from that one and then sign up for the next master gardener class to follow.

Chloe Pleznac: Is there anything else you want to add about the topic of master gardening or people being interested in that?

Ed Buyarski: Certainly helped educate me. You know, it starts out with basic botany stuff, which I did in college. I’ve got a biology degree, but it has led into lots more, especially, experimental stuff. 

I mean, every year is a new experiment, between our weather being different from one year to the other, new varieties of plants — seeds are always available. And so I’m always trying new stuff and learning truly from other people. 

And if I go to somebody’s garden to visit, seeing them growing something I haven’t or haven’t thought o