Master Gardener Program

What is a Master Gardener?
Master Gardeners are volunteer representatives of the University of Maryland who are trained to educate citizens about effective and sustainable horticultural practices. Master Gardeners offer landscaping problem-solving through demonstration projects, partnerships with other organizations, and public outreach activities.

Training
Participants earn the title of Master Gardener by completing 40 hours of training by University of Maryland Extension professionals and 40 volunteer hours.

To apply for Master Gardener training, complete the Master Gardener Volunteer Application and mail it to the Anne Arundel County Extension office. For more information about the program or to request an application form, please phone the Anne Arundel County Extension office at 410-222-3906.

University of Maryland Extension programs are open to all and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, or gender identity and expression.

Master Gardener Volunteer Application

Anne Arundel County Master Gardeners support the University of Maryland Extension mission by educating residents about safe, effective and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes, and communities. Our vision is to create a healthier world through environmental stewardship, particularly as it relates to the Chesapeake Bay.

We accomplish these goals across Anne Arundel County through a variety of projects. Take a look!

Anne Arundel County Fair Flower Show

The Fair takes place the second week in September at the County Fairgrounds on Generals Highway, Crownsville, MD. This has been a MG project for about 18 years. While it is not an on-going event, it is a very fun experience and a chance to pick up some volunteer hours at the end of the summer. Volunteers assist with preparation of the booth, accepting entries from the public, assisting the judges, tallying results, meeting with the public to answer questions, release of entries to exhibitors and clean up. There is a training session approximately two weeks prior to the event to familiarize volunteers with procedures.  All MG's, including interns are welcome to sign up.

Apprentice Gardens

Begun in 1998 as a demonstration garden, in 2001 the Apprentice Garden became a hands-on educational program to teach families about organic vegetable gardening in an environmentally safe and sustainable manner.

Eight families, including one or more children of any age, participate in the season-long program to learn garden planning, planting methods, weeding and watering strategies, harvesting, and garden closing procedures.

Please be aware that there is no shade in the garden area so a hat and water bottle are recommended. Restroom facilities are near-by. The Apprentice Garden is reached via unpaved road surfaces which may be carefully navigated by a wheelchair. Families plant and maintain their individually assigned family plot, and all common areas, with the assistance of master gardeners. The project meets weekly from 6:30 pm to dusk from the first of April through September. Project participants are recruited through word-of-mouth and from families on the waitlist for community garden spaces at Kinder Farm Park.

The Apprentice Garden is located in Kinder Farm Park at 1001 Kinder Farm Park Road, Millersville, Maryland between Benfield Road and East-West Boulevard on Jumpers Hole Road.

Arnold Elementary Youth Garden

The Arnold Elementary Youth Garden is an Anne Arundel County Master Gardener approved project that provides education to the school community on conservation landscaping, native gardening, and mindfulness in nature. 

This project is currently in a holding pattern as we wait for approval to break ground on a new garden at the renovated school. New garden plans include an outdoor learning space with native pollinator plants that support the elementary science curriculum. Adjacent gardens offer seasonal color, texture, and a variety of spring early blooming and fall late blooming pollinator plants for the benefit of students, who are not present during summer. The garden also provides a chance for students and parents to volunteer by maintaining the gardens. 

Arnold Elementary School's Principal Shauna Kauffman is highly supportive of the Arnold Youth Garden Project and the help of the Master Gardeners. There is great passion and interest in environmental conservation, which is demonstrated by Arnold Elementary School’s “Green School” accreditation in 2009. Additionally, the school has a Terrapin Program and Butterfly Program. Mrs. Kauffman is excited to see students, teachers, parents, and staff working with Master Gardeners to learn more about nature, gardening, and mindfulness in nature. If you are interested in volunteering for Arnold Elementary Youth Garden, please contact the Project Chair, Joni Miller (see directory for contact information).

Ask a Master Gardener

The Anne Arundel County Master Gardeners conduct plant clinics at various locations throughout the county.  The goal of the plant clinics is to educate the public by assisting with the following:

• Plant, insect, and plant disease identification


• Weed and bad bug control using sound, sustainable horticultural practices


• Providing resources on various topics such as lawn care, actions for helping the Bay, and additional sources of information offered by the University of Maryland Extension


• Sharing knowledge on many horticultural topics including composting, vegetable and flower gardening, Bay-friendly gardening and lawn care practices

Beekeeping

The plight of the honeybees has been a frequent topic in gardening and nature publications in the recent past, reaching front-page status in 2007 when populations of honeybees in North America dropped so precipitously that the decline was dubbed by beekeepers and scientists “colony collapse disorder.”  During the year spanning April 2017 to April 2018, the Bee Informed Partnership reported that Maryland lost 64% of its honeybee colonies, versus 40% nationwide.  Much needs to be done to understand the myriad of contributing causes and what can be done to reverse this trend.

The Anne Arundel County Master Gardener Beekeeping Project provides a window into the world of these fascinating creatures and gives the project members a unique opportunity to educate the public, including children, about the life and decline of the honeybees and what they can do to help. The Beekeeping Project began in 2009 with the establishment of one hive at Hancock's Resolution in Pasadena and expanded in 2010 with the addition of a second hive at Hancock’s Resolution.  In 2013 the Master Gardeners installed a hive at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis.

Master Gardener Beekeeping Project volunteers educate the public about honeybees and pollinators, maintain the hives, and feed the bees as necessary during the winter months. In addition, the Project is often called upon to provide presentations and demonstrations for schools, garden clubs, and other organizations. Visit our Pollinators Corners page for a list of upcoming demonstrations.

Chase Lloyd House

The Chase–Lloyd House, built in 1769-1774, is one of the first brick three-story Georgian mansions to be built in the Thirteen Colonies, and is one of the finest examples of the style. Its interiors were designed by William Buckland.

Visitors will be educated about how native plants and vegetables blend in with an established landscape creating biodiversity and supporting sustainable horticultural practices, such as conserving water, composting and creating habitats for wildlie. In showcasing our Bay-Wise certified garden (since 2014), visitors will see and study these practices in order to use them in their own landscapes.

The Chase–Lloyd House House hosts over 1,000 visitors a year to tour the 250 year-old home and garden. 

Composting & Native Plants

With the cooperation of the staff of Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, the Composting and Native Gardens project began over fifteen years ago. Twice a month, from late April to early November, Master Gardeners teach the public how to successfully compost their yard waste and kitchen scraps. Composting reduces what goes to the county landfill, and composters find that using homemade compost in gardens and landscapes improves their soil and reduces the need for chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides.

Master Gardeners maintain the Composting and Native Gardens site and give hour-long compost demonstrations twice a month (one Wednesday at 11 a.m. and one Saturday at 10 a.m.). The talks are given by those on the team that are Master Composters. Anne Arundel County residents receive a free compost bin, provided by the Anne Arundel County Department of Recycling and information (goodie) bag filled with printed materials explaining various ways of composting. The team also presents compost talks for other groups, including elementary students, either at their schools or at Quiet Waters Park.

Visitors are welcome to walk through the compost site, located on the Wildwood Trail in Quiet Waters Park even when we are not present. At the native plant beds, they can help themselves to a list of the plantings, stored in one of our literature boxes. At the adjacent compost site, there are literature boxes with our compost demonstration schedules and pamphlets describing the compost site and information about each of the 15 compost bins on display.

Hammonds Connection at the Dairy Farm

The Dairy Farm project began in 2010, in cooperation with the County Department of Recreation and Parks. The County developed a Master Plan to maintain the authenticity of this 857 acre historic area in Gambrills and create a place where the public could come and enjoy its beauty. Susan Knisely and Elizabeth Matarese were joined by Sue Owens and later, Malcolm Doying, in establishing the project. They work closely with the County and with the Maryland Sunrise Organic Farm, which leases much of the property, to comply with their requirements. The overall objective of Master Gardener activities at the Dairy Farm is to provide the public with information and examples of how native plants can be used successfully, especially in residential landscapes. Of the initial projects, the Holly Glen serves as a demonstration planting of specimen trees, holly, and other native plants in a woodland setting. The Village Garden development consists of demonstration gardens of various types (rain garden, herb garden, butterfly garden) planted with natives shrubs and flowering plants. A competition resulted in an overall landscape design and plan for the area. To view the winning plan designed by Tony Smouse, MG, click HERE. The Pavilion is planted with native and non-native shrubs and native plants, such as Viburnums and Myrica, and serves as a meeting place for tours and gatherings.

Normal workdays for the project are the second Saturday and fourth Thursday of each month, March through November, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, with other workdays scheduled as needed.

Visitors are welcome at the Farm for special events highlighting the farming lifestyle and history. The Farm management conducts educational tours, in which the Dairy Farm committee participates.

The Dairy Farm Project has been fortunate in obtaining financial support through grants from Unity Gardens and many hours of hard work from over 75 Master Gardeners.

The History of the Dairy Farm
The Dairy Farm Chronology
Maryland Sunrise Farm

Eastport Demonstration Garden

The Eastport demonstration garden project is lead by Ann Brown and Maryanne Mento. This garden is at the edge of the Eastport Restoration of Nature located on the grounds of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 1101 Bay Ridge Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403.

This garden consists of native shrubs and perennials that provide food and shelter for our native birds, caterpillars and bees.  There are multiple examples of host plants for our native butterflies, including White turtlehead for the Baltimore Checkerspot, Milkweed for the Monarch and Obedient plant for Henry’s Elfin butterfly and the Grape leaf-folder moth.

All Master Gardeners are welcome to attend planned work sessions. There is plenty of parking, and shade under the gazebo when you need a break. The focus of the project is to identify and showcase native plants that are easily managed.

The stream restoration site was started as a Master Watershed Steward project by Betsy Love. When you visit the site, you can take a self- guided tour to learn more about the stream restoration and how you can get involved in that larger project. There are plenty of opportunities to partner with other organizations that are involved in the ongoing tasks of removing invasive species and planting natives. Educational signage can be found throughout the four-acre campus.

If you are interested in the Eastport Pollinator garden project, please contact:

Ann Brown @ annschager@gmail.com or Maryanne Mento @ mkmento@verizon.net

Garden Presentations

Garden clubs and civic associations have a longstanding need for informative programs for their meetings and gatherings. This project’s mission is to develop and provide a variety of presentations in PowerPoint format for their use.

In 2018, as a pilot project, the Garden Presentations team joined Homestead Gardens in a 5-month program of presentations on pollinators. These presentations will be edited to form the foundation of a library. Once finalized, they will be uploaded to be available online to those clubs and associations that would like a Master Gardener program for a meeting or for an educational session.

The Garden Presentations team will continue to build the library, and members may choose subjects they want to research or edit existing presentations to meet requirements as stand-alone sessions.

The team especially welcomes “new” Master Gardeners, as their input and critiques will be critical to making the presentations successful, and as members of the project, they will learn from one another and contribute from their own gardening experience. Those with skill sets in writing, publishing, creating PowerPoint, proofreading, researching, and who have a genuine love for and curiosity about all things horticultural are invited to join in making this project fun and educational.

Grow It Eat It

The mission of the University of Maryland Extension Grow It Eat It project is to promote backyard and community food production. Master Gardeners teach classes/workshops, develop demonstration gardens, and educate Marylanders on how to produce their own affordable and healthy food while using sustainable gardening practices in their home, community, and school gardens.

Anne Arundel County Master Gardeners promote that mission through public awareness meetings at libraries and other venues to demonstrate various planting mediums.

For more information on Anne Arundel County’s program, contact project chair Amy Payne.

For additional guidance on food gardening, visit the University of Maryland Extension Grow It Eat It web site.

Hancock's Resolution

Historic Hancock’s Resolution is considered the oldest structure in Maryland north of the Severn River. It was built in 1785 and was the home and farm of Stephen Hancock. Our Master Gardeners sustain and maintain the yard and kitchen gardens of this historic property and educate adults and children about farming practices circa 1785-1840’s. The dooryard garden and enced kitchen garden showcase the utilitarian aspect of these small plots during colonial times. The gardens would have been tended by the women and children of the house for food preparation, medicinal use, clothing dyes, and other household uses. Heirloom variety vegetables and herbs are prominent garden features.

In the spring of 2015 Master Gardeners began establishing a lavender field.  Lavender is much loved for its fragrance and beauty.  Lavender thrives in poor soil, it is not disturbed by the deer and the farm has historic receipts that it was grown and taken to market.  Since then, two additional rows have been planted and Hancock’s Resolution hosts a Lavender Appreciation Day each year in June.

Master Gardener volunteer educators help plant, prune, weed, water, and answer questions that park visitors ask on any Sunday from 1:00-4:00, April through October. Some Sundays have extended hours to accommodate festivals, reenactments, and other farm-related demonstrations. There are also occasions when volunteers provide private tours for gardens clubs or for school and scout groups. Information about special programs, photos, and updates may be found on the Hancock’s Resolution web site or on their Facebook page. Hancock’s Resolution is located at 2795 Bayside Beach Road, on Anne Arundel County’s Bodkin Peninsula, in Pasadena, MD.

Library Workshops

Library Workshops, conducted by Master Gardeners in partnership with the Anne Arundel County Public Libraries, are designed to educate the public by presenting useful information from basic gardening facts to in-depth gardening practices, with an awareness of the gardener's responsibility to the entire ecosystem. Knowledgeable Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer participants' gardening questions. All events are from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and are free and open to everyone who has an interest in gardening, regardless of skill level or garden size.

2021 Events

February 20:
Seed Starting Indoors
Master Gardener Virtual Workshop
10:00-11:30 AM
aacpl.librarycalendar.com/ewts/seed-starting-master-gardener

Whatever the weather, you can start your vegetable or flower garden now! Anne Arundel County Master Gardener Lisa Winters will give the “in’s and out’s” of germinating seeds successfully. You’ll find out how to start your favorite veggies along with which flower seeds will grow into plants that can repel hungry insects and attract pollinators. Lisa has extensive vegetable growing knowledge and will offer practical solutions to those problems you know will happen. You’ll receive good information whether you are starting your first vegetable garden or have been growing zucchini for years. There is always more to learn!

London Town Plant Identification

Identifying the Suspects
The members of the London Town Plant Identification project are the Garden Sleuths of the Master Gardener organization. A spin-off of the London Town Plant Propagation Project, Master Gardeners began in 2004 to identify and document the cultivars of the collection of trees, shrubs and perennials in the 40-year-old gardens at London Town Public House.

This garden was designed by a University of Maryland student, Tony Dove, as a botanical/pleasure garden to demonstrate woodland cultivars that thrive in the mid-Atlantic region. Using existing records, photographs and extensive research, the London Town Plant ID has sought to locate, reconfirm and re-identify the plants mentioned in the records, including:

• 80 magnolia trees, most of them mature trees in the 8-acre garden
• more than 500 azaleas and rhododendrons, most planted in the late 1970s and 80s
• about 200 camellias, most of them planted as test seedlings by Dr. William Ackerman, of the US National Arboretum

Approximately 13 volunteers, who receive on the job training, work with Project Chair Pat Horm under the guidance of Meenal Harankhedkar, London Town Horticulturist. Their work enables visitors to have a better understanding of plants that existed on this historical property and plants in the mid-Atlantic region. While the public gardens are easily accessible, the Woodland Garden, which is 40 years old, is not paved and contains some poison ivy and the usual insects one would expect in this type of area.

Medical Sleuthing
In the future this group may assist with the renovation of the Richard Hill Garden, a colonial medicinal garden named for Dr. Richard Hill, a Quaker physician who resided at London Town for 18 years - 1720-1740. Dr. Hill probably received his medical training in Philadelphia under an apprenticeship, since there were no formal medical schools at that time in America. He is known to have sent American plants with medicinal properties to England for further study and propagation in Europe. Although records are limited, London Town would like the medicinal garden expanded to include probable uses of Native American and/or European plants in colonial medicine.

London Town Plant Propagation

Londontown Propagation Team of Master Gardener volunteers work on Fridays under the direction of Londontown’s Director of Horticulture, Meenal Harankhedkar. The team is focusing their efforts on propagating: Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Tree Peonies, Primulas and some other perennial plants.  For those unfamiliar, propagation means "causing plants to reproduce."  Volunteers start new plants with seeds, cuttings and leaf samples. Their goals are to generate plant stock to enhance and expand the gardens at Londontown and to protect the historic value and genetics of the plant stock for future generations. The project provides Master Gardeners with opportunities to enhance their skills and allows them to assist with public horticultural education programs.

Mulch Application Best Practices

The key to good tree health, resilience and long-term sustainably is very much tied to good mulching practices.  Throughout Anne Arundel County it is all too common to see mulch applications in conical or volcano shaped mounds.  This routinely accepted landscape practice, while aesthetically appealing to some, is unnatural and can be very damaging to tree health. 

The purpose of the Mulch Education Project is for Master Gardeners to develop educational materials, write articles, offer presentations and demonstrations to educate the public about mulching best practices.  The project will also provide information about techniques to mitigate the damage to trees caused by improper mulching.  Outreach will be conducted at libraries, farmers markets, garden clubs, homeowners associations, environmental organizations and other public venues to engage individuals, neighborhoods, congregations, schools, private and governmental entities in the support of tree planting and stewardship.

The project will be conducted in collaboration with other county Master Gardening Volunteer projects and with Anne Arundel County’s Watershed Stewards Academy’s Replant Anne Arundel Tree Trooper Program.  As the project evolves, outreach efforts will hopefully extend to professional landscapers and the nursery industry. 

For more information about mulching 

https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/mulch

https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-724/426-724.html

Seed Swap

Welcome to the 2021 Anne Arundel County Seed Swap Project website!

Coinciding with "National Seed Swap Day" each year - the last Saturday in January - the Master Gardeners host Seed Swap Saturday. This fun event is free, and open to the public-- it's a day when folks can come get free seeds, learn about how to start and grow seeds, ask gardening questions, and hear about lots of other interesting Master Gardener programs as well.

This year, due to the pandemic, we weren't able to have our in-person Seed Swap as we have in years past, but thanks to the assistance of the Anne Arundel County Public Library personnel, we were able to distribute over 6,000 packets of vegetable, flower, and herb seeds to residents throughout the county!

We'd like to thank all those whose generous donation of seeds made this year's Seed distribution possible. For those who received seeds from us this year (or for anyone who's interested), please check out the resources below to assist you in starting and growing them:

• Growing Vegetables
• Growing Herbs

For more information about the Seed Swap Project please contact Sophie Sterling at SSterling.MGSeedSwap@gmail.

South County Senior Center

South County Senior Center gardens are located between the parking lot and the Senior Center and the adjacent Edgewater Library on Stephney Lane in Edgewater, Maryland.  What were abandoned gardens are now reclaimed.  The Master Gardener team and local volunteers have recovered the land from succession, controlled the weeds and brambles, found the original plantings and added native flowers and trees.

One goal of the project is to provide beauty to the senior citizens who participate in the functions offered at the center.  Additionally, part of our mission is to educate the patrons about good gardening practices.  Each time we work there, patrons stop by with questions about what we are planting and why we are planting that kind of plant.  These kind and good people love to share their stories and offer their advice and comments.

We also educate.  On the first of every month we post new educational information on subjects such as planting zones, micro climates, parts of a plant, and plant facts.  During the summer months, we include hummingbird feeders in the gardens and the participants are thrilled by the arrival of the fascinating little birds.  We hear lots of stories about the latest sightings.

We also have been fortunate to partner with the Anne Arundel County Facilities crew in clearing diseased rose bushes and obtaining native plants.  We will continue this partnership.

All Master Gardeners are invited to come to our planned work sessions.  The work is easy and the comradery is instant.  Work sessions are advertised through the newsletter articles and newsflashes and direct emails.  The public is welcome to work with us. They receive advanced notification found on the bulletin board inside the Center, on the Library community board, on the marquee in front of the two buildings, and in the Center’s newsletter.

This project is about giving.  We give the community and those who attend the Center and the Library beautiful and colorful plantings and sound gardening education.  And we are given, in return, compliments and words of gratitude from those we meet there.  It’s a win-win and it doesn’t get better than that. Join us!

Tawes Garden

The five-acre Helen A. Tawes Garden, located at the Tawes State Office Building in Annapolis, was named for a former Maryland First Lady, whose husband was Governor from 1959-1967. Prior to construction of the Tawes State Office Building in the early 1970's, the garden site was a flat cinder lot, used for traveling carnivals. Beginning in 1975, the garden developers dug ponds, built a stream, and formed a “mountain” with large boulders to change the topography to represent the state’s various geographic areas: a Western Maryland forest, a streamside environment, and an Eastern Shore peninsula.

Possible projects within the Tawes Garden include:

• Develop a practical invasives program with an educational component tied to identification for the Tawes site and followed up with physical removal.


• Investigate potential for developing e-materials and e-guides and a PowerPoint presentation for use by Tawes personnel.
• Adopt-a-Native-Habitat (there are three habitats in the garden: Eastern Shore, Mountain, and Coastal Plain) - evaluate status of the areas and develop a plan to address outstanding issues.
• Develop interpretive programming for public (e.g., lecture series on native plants, garden/yard stewardship, invasives, etc.)

Woodland Garden

Inspiring a Secular Meditation Space
In September, 2008, Master Gardener, Bonnie Pavlak attended the book signing for OpenSpaces, Sacred Places, by Tom Stoner and Carolyn Rapp, held at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. She was inspired by the book to create a peaceful space in Kinder Farm Park as a Master Gardener Project. The purpose of the Woodland Garden in Kinder Farm Park is to create a place of beauty in nature for people to sit, relax, meditate and be refreshed. People walking their dogs can stop and rest. Anyone using the park who wants to have some privacy can sit on one of the woodland benches.

After approval was given by Kinder Farm Park Superintendent, Bill Offutt, plans were made for the garden design. The work of clearing out invasive plants, poison ivy, and downed trees began in October. Park staff used heavy equipment to clear fallen trees, a liability hazard. The park also provided woodchips for the path and a bench. A grant proposal was submitted to Unity Gardens for the purchase of plants including Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticellata), Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis), Witch Hazel (Hammamelis virginiana) and Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) in the spring of 2009.

Joining Together to Create a Quiet Space
A percolation test revealed that there were no drainage problems and while the soil test showed a pH 3.9, which is fairly acidic, it is expected in an oak-holly stand of trees. With the approval of the Unity Gardens grant, shrubs and some perennials were purchased and planted by the Master Gardener and several community volunteers. Passers-by expressed interest in the Woodland Garden and some generously donated plants to the garden such as jack-in-the-pulpit, lily-of-the-valley, ferns, and iris, in addition to piers to line the path, hoses, and a sprinkler. In the heat of the summer, volunteers water the new plantings and the park provides gator bags around the shrubs to irrigate them.

In the fall, a second Unity Garden Grant, provided resources to purchase seven Rhododendrons, four mountain laurel, and spicebush (Lindera benzoin). Unity Gardens also provided a bench from the TKF Foundation that funded the gardens presented in the inspirational book, Open Spaces, Sacred Places - a dream come true! The beautiful bench is constructed from a pickle barrel, so it will be preserved for a long time to come. The bench features a waterproof journal for visitors to write their thoughts and feelings. Mornings, Bonnie Pavlak usually jogs by the Woodland Garden to check on it, and often someone is sitting on the bench. The journal has some entries and sketches already.

Friends of Kinder Farm Park provided a grant to buy additional woodland perennials. Signs were placed at the entrance of the Woodland Garden recognizing the donations of Unity Gardens and Friends of Kinder Farm Park. The garden sleeps under a deep blanket of snow in the winter, and come spring, witch hazel, serviceberry, rhododendrons, bloodroot, wild ginger, hellebores, and mountain laurel make a showy display of color and beauty. Ferns, may-apples, and lilies grace the pathway. Additional funding from Unity Gardens has been used to plant blueberries and elderberry along the gravel road bordering the Woodland Garden. A persimmon, a weeping willow, an American hornbeam and a bald cypress were also planted. A moss garden was created near the TKF bench.

Master Gardeners maintain the Composting and Native Gardens site at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis. They give hour-long compost demonstrations May-November. The talks are given by those on the team that are Master Composters. Attendees receive a free compost bin, provided by the Anne Arundel County Department of Recycling and information (goodie) bag filled with printed materials explaining various ways of composting. The team also presents compost talks to elementary students, either at their schools or at Quiet Waters Park.

Visitors are welcome to walk through our site, located on the Wildwood Trail in Quiet Waters Park even when we are not present. At the native plant beds, they can help themselves to a list of the plantings, stored in one of our literature boxes. At the adjacent compost site, there are literature boxes with our compost demonstration schedules and pamphlets describing the compost site and information about each of the 15 compost bins on display.

2021 Demonstrations

To be determined

Note: Park admission $6.00 or with Anne Arundel County Parks season pass.

Demonstrations canceled in the event of heavy rain or excessive heat warning.

This project is sponsored by the Anne Arundel County Master Gardeners in cooperation with Quiet Waters Park. AA Co. provides free compost bins and other giveaways. The Master Gardener program is part of the University of Maryland Extension. The University of Maryland Extension is an Equal Opportunity Employer with Equal Access Programs.

The Anne Arundel County Master Gardeners, University of Maryland Extension, will be conducting plant clinics in various locations in the county. Master Gardeners will be available to answer horticultural questions in an effort to teach sound, sustainable practices.

The Plant Clinics will be held on Saturdays at various locations in the county. 

2021 Events

To be determined

Guidelines for Bringing Samples to a Plant Clinic 

Members of the Anne Arundel County Master Gardeners Beekeeping Project will discuss beekeeping, including the life and decline of honeybees and how we can create safe and welcoming habitats for all pollinators by planting native plants and practicing sustainable gardening techniques. Weather permitting, we will have an “observation hive”, allowing visitors to watch honeybee activity without concern of being stung.

We invite children and adults to learn about products of the beehive (such as honey and beeswax), members of the beehive, and how bees make honey.

Most demonstrations are held at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis and at Hancock's Resolution in Pasadena.

2021 Demonstrations

To be determined

Bay-Wise

Most Maryland residents live within a half-mile of a storm drain, stream, or river.  Those waterways eventually drain into the Chesapeake Bay. What we do to maintain our ownlandscapes can affect the health of our local waterways (drainage ditches, streams, and rivers), the Chesapeake Bay, and our environment.

Since 2000, Bay-Wise committee members have taught Anne Arundel residents how better water quality can be achieved through smarter gardening.

Our committee, comprised of Master Gardeners, focuses attention to the education of Anne Arundel County residents on gardening practices that protect the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. We are working to create a community of sustainable gardeners.

We teach these healthy practices several ways, but most often by visiting with residents in their own yards, helping them to improve their gardening experiences. Using a tool we call the Bay-Wise Yardstick, we review environmentally sound stewardship practices and provide residents with a valuable packet of information. Residents whose practices earn 36 inches or more (on the Yard’stick) are certified as Bay-Wise and may post a Bay-Wise sign showing their good stewardship.

For more information on Bay-Wise practices, visit our Bay-Wise site. To request a yard visit and start spreading the Bay-Wise philosophy in your own neighborhood, please email us at getbaywise2012@yahoo.com.

Download a Yardstick and see how your yard measures up!

Bay-Wise Yardstick for Landscapes
Bay-Wise Yardstick for Vegetable Gardens

Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping
This publication of the National Park Service includes color photos as well as user-friendly information on native species appropriate for planting in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and adjacent coastal regions.

Green Book for the Buffer
An Illustrated Guidebook for Planting at the Shoreline

Plants of the Chesapeake Bay
A Guide to Wildflowers, Grasses, Aquatic Vegetation, Trees,
Shrubs and Other Flora

Plant Invaders of the Mid-Atlantic Areas - Revised & Updated with More Species and Expanded Control Guidance

Native Plants of Anne Arundel County
This 24-page University of Maryland Extension publication gives an extensive list of Maryland Native Plants, organized by:

• Type of plant: ground cover, low shrub, short tree
• Preferred conditions: dry sunny spots, partly sunny and dry, or moist shady areas
• Common name

Brochures and Flyers
Bay-Wise Landscape Management Program
Maryland Master Gardener Program

Web Links
AA County MG Facebook Page
B&A Trail
Bay-Wise in A.A. County
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Chesapeake Ecology Center
Grow It Eat It
Hammonds Connection at the Dairy Farm
Hancock's Resolution
Home and Garden Information Center
International Society for Horticultural Science
Kinder Farm Park
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Database
OSU WebGarden
Quiet Waters Park
USDA Plant Database
Soil Testing

Anne Arundel County Master Gardeners invite the public to come attend the meetings when we have guest speakers. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month.

***COVID-19 restriction requirements may alter or eliminate in-person events*** 

January 12:
Poplar Island: An International Model of Innovative Reuse
Time: 7:00 PM
Speaker: Ryland Taylor, Environmental Specialist at Maryland Environmental Service
Location: Virtual Zoom Meeting
https://umd.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcpc-isqT4uHtPdddamIq-paahWFrsKD_Zc

February 9:
Master Gardener Project Showcase and Sign-up
Time: 7:00 PM
Speakers: Anne Arundel County Master Gardener Project Chairs
Location: Virtual Zoom Meeting
https://umd.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcpc-isqT4uHtPdddamIq-paahWFrsKD_Zc

March 9:
Spring Wildflowers
Time: 7:00 PM
Speaker: Karyn Molines, Natural Resources Division Chief, Calvert County
Location: Virtual Zoom Meeting
https://umd.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcpc-isqT4uHtPdddamIq-paahWFrsKD_Zc

April 13:
Grass Identification for Dummies Like Us: How to Start Figuring Out Grasses
Time: 7:00 PM
Speaker: Kevin Dodge, Director of Natural Resources & Wildlife Technology, Garrett College
Location: Virtual Zoom Meeting
https://umd.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcpc-isqT4uHtPdddamIq-paahWFrsKD_Zc

May 11:
Brief Agricultural History
Time: 7:00
Speaker: Dr. Joe Brown
Location: Virtual Zoom Meeting
https://umd.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcpc-isqT4uHtPdddamIq-paahWFrsKD_Zc

June 8:
Garden Visit: Woods Presbyterian Church***
Hosts: Karen Royer and Alison Milligan
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: 611 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd, Severna Park, MD 21146

July 13:
Living Shoreline at Kyle Point***
Host: Janet Clauson
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: 301 Kyle Road, Crownsville, MD 21032 

August 10:
Topic: TBD
Time: 7:00 PM
Speaker: TBD
Location: TBD

September 14:
Topic: TBD
Time: 7:00 PM
Speaker: TBD
Location: TBD

October 12:
Topic: TBD
Time: 7:00
Speaker: TBD
Location: TBD 

November 9:
Topic: TBD
Time: 7:00 PM
Speaker: TBD
Location: TBD 

December 14:
Holiday Party
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: TBD

AAMG Directory (VMS)

Maryland Master Gardener Advanced Training

2020 EAB Members

Betsy Beck

Marilyn Kinkel

Susan Smouse

Margaret Perry

Virgil Davis 

Pam Hanna

Sophie Sterling

Lajauna Smouse

Cindy Ferris

Lynn Maichle

Clare Harig-Blaine

EAB Minutes

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UME Master Gardener Program Policies and Guidelines

Anne Arundel County MG Policies and Guidelines

State Guidance for Volunteer and Education Hours

Grass Identification - April 2021

Spring Wildflowers - March 2021

Project Showcase - February 2021

Presentation of Poplar Island - January 2021

All the President's Gardens - December 2020
2020 Holiday Season Recipes

Introduction to Forest Bathing - November 2020

Spotted Lantern Fly in Maryland - October 2020

Reblooming Bearded Irises - August 2020

Front Yard Farming - July 2020

Mini Meadows - June 2020

Cattail Creek Restoration - May 2020

Native Orchid Talk - April 2020

Weeds - MG Training - 2020

Anne Arundel Weed Resistance - AAWR Classroom Training - 2019

Monarch Butterflies - 2019

Arthropods in the Garden - May 2019

Worm Bin Class - April 2019

Weeds Gone Wild - March 2019

Instructor Training: Delivering Content Effectively

Instructor Training: Developing Your Presentation

Creating Presentations: Guidelines & Topic Ideas

• Garden Presentation Information
• List of Garden Presentation Topics

End of Year Project Report

2021 MG Project Chair and Contact List

2021 Information for Project Chairs

Media Consent and Release Form

2021 Guidance for MG Purchasing

Grant Resources

Grant Opportunities

Documenting and Sharing Your Project Success Story

Media Consent and Release Form

Master Gardener Logos

Anne Arundel County Master Gardener Facebook page

Volunteer Management System

Master Gardener Time Tracking System

• Return Login

How to Record Hours

MG Project and Contact Information 

VMS Project Activity Codes