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EnglishWhat Is the Tennessee Extension Master Gardener Program Website?
Updated
mastergardener.tennessee.edu is the official site of the Tennessee Extension Master Gardener (TEMG) Program, a volunteer educational program that provides Tennesseans with horticulture education. It is useful if you want to become an Extension Master Gardener volunteer, record volunteer hours, or find research-based lawn and garden information from the state's Extension horticulture team.
What the Program Does
The Tennessee Extension Master Gardener Program trains and engages with volunteers to provide the public with research-based information on lawn and garden topics. TEMGs are volunteers who combine a love of plants and horticulture with Extension training that equips them to teach and assist Tennessee residents.
The stated mission is to improve the lives of Tennesseans through horticulture education delivered by a dedicated and skilled volunteer force.
Who the Site Is For
- Prospective volunteers — people interested in becoming an Extension Master Gardener.
- Current volunteers — TEMGs who need to log their volunteer time.
- Home gardeners and residents — anyone looking for Extension horticulture publications and events.
Becoming a Volunteer
If you are interested in becoming an Extension Master Gardener volunteer, the program runs a collaborative TEMG intern training program that begins in January. Key details from the site:
- All training takes place in your local county, through your local agent EMG coordinator.
- To get connected, you register in the local county Extension office.
- All registration occurs locally, so you contact the local county Extension office nearest you for information.
The site provides a link to find your local office. The 2026 program also offers in-person interactive sessions in your county, described as combining content from the program's speakers with live, local sessions.
Recording Volunteer Hours
The homepage includes a prompt asking current volunteers, "Need To Record Your Volunteer Hours?" with a box to click to record volunteer time. This is the entry point for active TEMGs to log their hours.
Events and Resources
The site highlights several resources and recurring events:
| Resource | What it is |
|---|---|
| Friday Office Hours for Horticulture | Live visits and conversations with the Extension horticulture team, at 10 a.m. EST / 9 a.m. CST on listed dates (June 12, July 10, August 14, September 11) |
| Office Hours sign-up | A Zoom registration form; the site asks people to sign up again even if they received past reminders, as communication lists are being updated for 2026 |
| Horticulture Extension publications | New resources developed by the Extension horticulture team |
| Landscape publications | Titles such as Living Screens and Ornamental Grasses |
| Lawn resources | 2025 Lawn Maintenance Calendar and Lawn and Landscape Weed Control |
| Home fruit guides | Selecting Home Grapes and Selecting Home Peaches, Plums, and Cherries |
| Program documents | 2026 TEMG Key Dates and the TEMG Program Handbook |
Key Takeaways
- The site is the official home of the Tennessee Extension Master Gardener Program.
- It serves both volunteers (training, hour logging) and the public (research-based horticulture information).
- Volunteer training and registration happen locally through county Extension offices, not through the website itself.
- The site also distributes publications and hosts recurring online office hours with Extension horticulture staff.