The projects are as diverse as the counties. There are numerous community demonstration gardens, from parks to city landmarks to county courthouses and nature trails. Most counties rely heavily on their Master Gardeners to run the horticulture division of their county fairs. There are plant therapy programs in rehabilitation hospitals, nursing homes and outpatient centers. The Master Gardeners statewide help run the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show, which this year attracted over 10,000 people.
Many counties conduct landscape clinics.
Master Gardeners are a diverse group of people from all ages 15 - 90, and a variety of backgrounds and educational levels. The average Master Gardener is an upper middle class white female, age 45, with a college degree. But in each program the diversity is key. The main similarity is their love of gardening, and their commitment to volunteer. We started out with a four county pilot program, and we now have Master Gardeners in 40 counties in the state, with 38 active county programs.