The TEMG Master Gardener Program

The Tennessee Extension Master Gardener (TEMG) Program is a volunteer service organization offered by the University of Tennessee Extension. The purpose of the Master Gardener program is to train citizens as horticulture educators and environmental stewards for their communities. All volunteers are trained with 40 hours of horticultural classes and return 40 hours of volunteer community service through their Extension office along with 8 additional continuing education hours.

Recertification is necessary with 25 hours of service and 8 hours of continuing education on a yearly basis to maintain certified status.

Volunteers work in partnership with their counties to expand the educational outreach by providing home gardeners with researched-based information. These volunteers, known as Extension Master Gardeners, support the Extension Service by…

• running plant clinics
• answering phone requests for horticultural information
• establishing and maintaining demonstration gardens
• working with the disabled, youth, elderly, and other special groups in the community
• designing and implementing community involvement projects
• coordinating local Master Gardener training programs
• assisting with local and state fairs

The certification requirements for a Tennessee Extension Master Gardener are as follows:

• Attend a minimum of 80% of the scheduled class sessions for the training program.
• Perform and report 40 hours of service work and 8 hours of continuing education within 12 months of beginning the training program.
• Certification is renewable annually upon completion of volunteer and educational requirements.

If you live outside Davidson County, to locate your county extension information go to: UT Extension County Offices

TEMG Training Topics include:

2025 Davidson County Master Gardener Classes

Thank you for your interest in joining the Master Gardeners of Davidson County!  The next training session will be held January-May 2025. 

Check back around September 1st for more details and the application for 2025 classes.

While there are no prerequisites to join the class, we receive a very high volume of applicants. Due to the volume we receive, informal interviews are conducted. While we try to accommodate all interested, please understand we have limited space. Priority is given to Davidson County residents.

Cost is $200 for the 14 week course and includes a textbook and all training materials.  If you apply as a couple and want to share a textbook, the cost will be $350. 

Thank you for your interest in the Master Gardeners of Davidson County Training program.