The Texas Master Gardener program began in 1978 when county agents could not meet the demand for providing horticultural information to the citizens of their respective counties. The idea of training volunteers to extend their reach seemed like the perfect solution. Today Texas has over 7,000 volunteers, the largest corps of Master Gardener volunteers in the nation, and one of the largest and most effective volunteer organizations in the state.

The Dallas County Master Gardener program was established in 1986. In 1991 a statewide, non-profit organization was formed and called the Texas Master Gardener Association. Today the Dallas County Master Gardener Association has over 330 members. In 2023 Certified Master Gardeners earned 3,870.5 education hours, and the economic value of the 43,349.50 volunteer hours provided by them translated to $1,378,514 in benefits to our county!

Love of gardening and the search for knowledge is central to why Master Gardeners join the program. We remain Master Gardeners to enjoy the camaraderie and friendship of others who share our interests, to gain and share horticultural knowledge and to give back to the community.