By Linda Stewart, UC Master Gardener

Have you ever wondered who we are? What we do? Where we get our information? What we are trying to accomplish? 

I am here to answer these questions.

Who we are: Master Gardeners are a nationwide group of volunteers present in all 50 states and Washington DC.  The programs are usually run in association with the cooperative extension within each state’s land-grant university system. There are 52, yes 52, Master Gardener Programs in California counties. We are properly titled UC Master Gardeners because of our affiliation with the University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and our University of California Cooperative Extension office (UCCE). The role of the cooperative extension is to be the outreach arm of research happening on each UC campus. There are nearly 6,000 active Master Gardener volunteers in California and over 350 just in San Diego County. 

What we do: Our mission is “to extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management and sustainable landscaping practices to the residents of California.” We do this with a variety of garden programs in schools, community gardens, and residential living communities; a 24/7 telephone/email hotline; two yearly public educational events; speakers on over 100 topics; and  Ask-A-Master Gardener booths at the San Diego County Fair and many other public events. 

How we do this: We all go through a rigorous six-month training program. We learn how to research topics using the science-based information provided by the UC system and other land grant university research. Volunteers are also required to earn a minimum number of continuing education hours to keep them up to date on new research. Our collective aim is to learn how to use UC research based information to support sustainable gardening outreach. The research from every California campus is published only after a multi-stage evaluation by external experts in the field of study proving scientific quality, originality, and methodology. You can use your search engine to enter UCDAVIS… and add any query to search the worldwide web of peer-reviewed information and advice. Another effective way to search scientific information is to add .edu after your search topic. 

With 24 “garden zones” in California, ten in San Diego County, we work to empower you with the knowledge needed to help your soil, garden, and ecosystem thrive whether you live on the coast, the mountains or the desert. We can help you provide information particular to your garden in your community.

We hope to accomplish spreading accurate science-based information using the extensive UC resources to you, so that you, in turn, can spread the knowledge to your neighbors, family and friends. In 2025, our outreach efforts reached more than 900,000 people. 

All this information is accessible to you through the magic of the internet. 

We have a free monthly landscape checklist that can be emailed to you each month: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/seasonal-landscape-ipm-checklist/#gsc.tab=0

We have a Pest Note library that provides information on dealing with most home and garden pests. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/index.html.

The main site that provides a route to almost everything UC is https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/menu.homegarden.html?src=302-www&fr=3723

So now that you know who we are, what we do and why, please visit us at your next garden tour, ask us to speak at your club, attend one of our events, and call or email us with a question.

Check our website https://www.mastergardenersd.org  for more information.

Click here to join our mailing list: https://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001povWiHOjwz-xJ_-TP_5lAs8SGFraz3dF

P.S. Most people are not aware that we exist and are here to help. Now that you do, please spread the word.