About Us
The mission of the Missouri Master Gardener Extension Program is “helping others learn to grow.” The Master Gardener program provides in depth horticultural training to individuals throughout Missouri who then volunteer their time applying what they have learned to help others in their communities to learn about gardening and environmental education. The Master Gardener Program throughout Missouri promotes and raises public awareness of the University of Missouri Extension as a source of unbiased, research based gardening information.
Through activities such as Extension hotlines or answer services, workshops, speaker’s bureaus, garden show booths and demonstration projects, Master Gardeners provide gardening information to thousands of Missourians each year.
To become trained as a Master Gardener, an individual must attend a 30 hour classroom Core Course training. Then the Master Gardener trainee is required to give 30 hours of volunteer service back to their community in approved University of Missouri Extension activities.
For more information about the program in McDonald and Newton Counties, contact the local University Extension Office. To Join Hill and Hollow Master Gardeners, contact any of our officers.
Helping others grow...
Our Gardeners
We have members who specialize in vegetable gardening, raising roses, composting, and some of our members have some very unusual and challenging expertise and experiences to share.
History of Hill and Hollow
In 1972, the Master Gardener program began in Washington to give an Extension Agent a resource to answer everyday homeowner questions concerning horticulture. In 1983, the first Missouri Master Gardener program was developed in St. Louis, a joint effort between the University of Missouri and the Missouri Botanical Garden. The Hill ‘n Hollow Master Gardener program of Newton and McDonald counties held its first class with 15 charter members. Since that time, it has grown to over 60 members.