Welcome to the website of the Howard County Master Gardeners. The mission of the Howard County Master Gardeners is to educate residents about safe, effective, and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes, and communities. The Master Gardener program is administered by the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Service.
Howard County Master Gardeners are volunteers, trained by the university, who provide horticultural education services to individuals, groups, and communities including government agencies, neighborhood associations, non-profit organizations, historic sites, schools and youth groups, senior citizens and garden clubs. Master Gardener programs and services are available free of charge to all Howard County residents and community groups.
Certify Your Habitat to Help Wildlife!
Wildlife habitat gardens are a haven for local birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Tell us how your yard or garden provides habitat and the National Wildlife Federation will recognize it as a Certified Wildlife Habitat®.
“National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Habitat Registration”
WANT A PRESENTATION BY A MASTER GARDENER? Available presentations can be found on program pages on this website as well as in this catalog.
Upcoming Events (see calendar for full details)
Master Gardener Public talks for May
Zoom Talk: Growing Herbs Year Round Inside and Out
Date: May 2, 2022 - 7:00 PM
Herbs like sunny locations indoors and out. Whether you grow herbs from seed or buy plants, by following simple suggestions for growing, maintaining, and harvesting, you can have a ready supply of herbs year round. This presentation provides general care ideas that apply to a variety of herbs.
Speaker: Ruth Vriend
Sponsor: Long Reach Community Association
Visit: LRCA.eventbrite.com to register.
Zoom Talk: Integrated Pest Management for Vegetable Gardens
Date: May 9, 2022 - 7:00 PM
Learn about identifying common insect pests attacking your vegetables and organic ways of dealing with them. Also learn about some common vegetable diseases and what can be done to avoid them.
Speaker: Kent Phillips
Sponsor: Long Reach Community Association
Visit: LRCA.eventbrite.com to register.
In-Person Talk: Attracting Birds and Wildlife or Creating a Pollinator Patch
Date: May 10, 2022 - 7:00 PM
In this class, Master Gardener Paul Beares will focus on gardening techniques and tools designed to attract a wide range of birds and wildlife to the garden. Discussion topics include basic require-ments, suggestions for the types of plants that can be used, and some of the challenges to successfully manage this effort, as well as some of the tools that can be used to discourage wildlife from damaging the garden.
Speaker: Paul Beares
Sponsor: Elkridge Library
Place: Elkridge Branch, Howard County Library System, 6540 Washington Blvd, Elkridge MD 21075
Register at https://howardcounty.librarycalendar.com/event/attracting-birds-and-wildlife-garden