UME Master Gardener educate Baltimore residents about safe, effective, and sustainable horticultural practices to build healthy gardens, landscape, and communities. UME Baltimore City Master Gardeners are University of Maryland Extension volunteers, trained to be community educators of science-backed gardening information.
Contact Demetro Stephens, Baltimore City Master Gardener Coordinator at 410-856-185 or Via email: Dstephe2@umd.edu
Baltimore City's Master Gardener Basic Training will be held in the winter of each year. Class dates and times vary. your county/city by contacting your local Master Gardener Coordinator.
Note: We strongly recommend that you complete the Basic Training classes in the same county in which you reside. In particular cases, you may be able to take the Basic Training classes in a different county than where you reside.
The Baltimore city Master Gardener Coordinator will provide you with application materials and help you along the application process.
The fee to enroll in a Master Gardener Basic Training course is $250.00. This fee pays for the mandatory Master Gardener Handbook and covers additional costs to support the program. Scholarships may be available to offset the fee in select locations.
A Master Gardener Trainee is required to attend at least 75% of the Master Gardener Basic Training classes and pass the final exam. Master Gardener Trainees are taught about a variety of horticultural subjects by specialists, educators, and other horticulture professionals. Topics may include Botany, Lawn Care, Composting, Ecology, Native Plants, Soil Fertility, Entomology, Organic Gardening, Lawn Alternatives and more!
Once a Master Gardener Trainee has completed the Master Gardener Basic Training and passes the final exam, they become a Master Gardener Intern. Interns must complete at least 40 hours of approved volunteer service before achieving the status of Master Gardener.
To remain an active Master Gardener, each calendar year individuals must complete
1) a minimum of 20 hours of approved volunteer service, and
2) a minimum of 10 hours of approved continuing education.
Continuing education hours may be completed through classes, webinars, and other educational opportunities offered by UME, eXtension, nature centers etc.
Bay-Wise is a UME State-level Program focused on teaching the best gardening and landscaping practices to keep our waterways including the Chesapeake Bay, safe and healthy!
The focus of this committee to help put on talks and workshops, and give technical advice to those interested in starting a pollinator garden. Pollinator gardens are beautiful and provide important habitat and food for native species of insects. This committee also keeps a demo garden at Sherwood Gardens.
We have several Demonstration Gardens around the City of Baltimore! Our two flagship demonstration gardens are at Cylburn Arboretum and the State Fair Grounds. Stop by to see the latest techniques in growing vegetables, and how we implement Integrated Pest Management into our gardening. Sometimes we even host classes in these gardens!
This committee is also a Statewide UME program that focuses on putting on talks and workshops about the best vegetable growing methods in Baltimore City. For many of us, that means raised beds and container gardens!
Are you interested in joining or starting a community garden? Maybe you already are a community gardener! See how this committee might be able to serve you through technical support, classes, or workshops!
Learn more about community gardens
Find UME Baltimore City Master Gardeners all over the City at our Ask a Master Gardener tables! We do our best to provide information and answer your horticulture-related questions, in person and online.
