According to Texas A&M’s online history of Master Gardeners (MG) in Texas, the Texas MG Program had its beginnings in 1978 when Extension agents were experiencing overwhelming demands for horticulture information. The success of the “Master Gardener” movement in Washington State was noted as a solution, and the first Texas Master Gardener class was held in 1979. Answering homeowners’ questions is at the heart of most Texas MG programs, including the Dallas County MG program which offers advice through its Help Desk. 

The Dallas County MG Help Desk started as a telephone answering operation staffed largely by MG interns (newly trained but not yet certified MGs). But in late 2019 a tornado damaged the building where it was based. Then construction on a new work space was delayed, followed almost immediately by pandemic restrictions that left the Help Desk team unable to access the Help Desk phones and computers. A resilient Help Desk operation that could maintain an uninterrupted flow of horticultural information despite adverse situations was clearly needed.

The Help Desk team decided to open new channels of communication with the public and to promote awareness of Dallas County MGs as a reliable and dependable source of horticultural information. Answering questions from the public remains their core activity, but now it’s primarily done remotely through a constant stream of email inquiries or online Help Desk requests.

MGs answered approximately 700 inquiries in 2021. They also were a convenient point-of-contact for those wanting to enroll in future MG schools, secure a MG speaker for a local event, or arrange a garden consultation.

As part of the transition, a program was established to expand training and continuing education for Help Desk volunteers. In collaboration with Texas A&M, volunteers can now access AgriLife experts for help with complex or unusual problems; and AgriLife experts and others present seasonal topics of interest during monthly meetings on Zoom.

The Help Desk team has also assembled a growing library of resource materials they can refer to when answering inquiries. The writers among them research topics of particular personal interest or topics that often appear in client inquiries. They write up their findings in short, focused documents, with links to more extensive information online. These documents are available to the entire team.

Many of these documents become available to the public on the Dallas County Master Gardeners Association website as “Ask the Help Desk” articles. A “Question of the Week” published on the Dallas County Master Gardener Association’s Facebook page also spotlights relevant, seasonal information. Each posting reaches more than 640 readers on average.

In another new way to reach the public, the Help Desk team offers in-person events at Lowe’s and North Haven Gardens where Dallas County residents and others can have a conversation with MGs about plant selection, planting techniques and plant care. Dallas and Collin County MGs cooperate to staff a Help Desk at Lowe’s (19210 Preston Road) on the first Saturday of each month. You can find Dallas County MGs at North Haven Gardens (7700 Northaven Road) on the third Saturday of each month.

If you are a Dallas County MG and want to be part of the Help Desk team, email the team coordinators at dallasmg@ag.tamu.edu.