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Rutgers Master Gardeners are volunteers trained and certified by Rutgers Cooperative Extension to provide educational programs and activities in support of environmentally responsible home gardening. To learn more about becoming a Master Gardener or to receive an application, call 732-431-7260, ext. 7262.
Some Master Gardener services are:
- Helpline
- Community Projects
- Gardening Speakers
- Horticultural Enrichment
Master Gardener Helpline: 732-303-7614
Trained Master Gardener volunteers operate a year-round telephone helpline to advise the public about horticultural matters and diagnose and solve home gardening problems. County residents may get free answers to home garden, insect, and pest questions by calling the helpline from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday–Friday. After hours, on weekends, and during especially busy times of the year, please leave a voicemail stating your questions, and your call will be returned.
The Rutgers Master Gardeners of Monmouth County are sponsored by the joint cooperation of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Brookdale Community College, and Monmouth County Parks System.
Email us your questions, photographs and general gardening inquiries.
Save the Date
Junior Master Gardeners
Junior Master Gardener application for 2025 (590k PDF) now available for youth ages 9-11, due back January 31, 2025.
Coffee Talk
February 1 @ 9:30 a.m.
Baby, It’s Cold Outside! Providing Winter-Safe Habitats for Pollinators and Beneficials
Register here: go.rutgers.edu/iyxtgqiz
February 8 @ 9:30 a.m.
The Seedy Side of Gardening: Starting Plants from Seed for a Beautiful Flower Garden
Register here: go.rutgers.edu/bmxkozay
February 15 @ 9:30 a.m.
Earth-friendly Solutions for Your Gardening Woes: The IPM Approach
Register here: go.rutgers.edu/ugihiicn
February 22 @ 9:30 a.m.
Don’t Curb Your Enthusiasm for Hell Strip and Mailbox Gardens
Register here: go.rutgers.edu/vtkhpi9z
After registering for one or more webinar(s), you will receive a confirmation email for each registration. Save that email because it contains the link to join the webinar. You will receive a reminder and link one day before the event.
If you have questions about our coffee talks, send your question to DL1008@scarletmail.rutgers.edu.
Community Projects
If you have a Monmouth County public gardening project on which you would like consulting, contact us. Examples are garden planning, and educational outreach and advice. Call Diane Larson at 732-431-7260, ext. 7262.
Gardening Speakers
Are you looking for someone to speak at your next meeting or event? We’ve got a speaker for you! We can provide a knowledgeable speaker about many garden topics – from growing roses to generating compost, hummingbirds and vegetable gardening… Give us a call. We are here to serve the Monmouth County gardening community.
We are continually adding talks to our catalog, if you don’t see a topic you’re interested in, please ask. Please see our Brochure (PDF) for the complete list of presentations we offer on a wide variety of horticultural topics. For more information contact the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Monmouth County, 732-303-7614.
Horticultural Enrichment
Horticultural enrichment is a process utilizing plants and horticultural activities to improve the social, educational, psychological and physical of persons, thus improving their body, mind and spirits.
Groups for whom horticultural enrichment has proven beneficial include people who are physically disabled, mentally ill, developmentally disabled, elderly, substance abusers, public offenders and socially disadvantaged. We provide consultative services to all of these. For more information, contact the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Monmouth County, 732-303-7614.
Events for the Public
The Master Gardeners host a variety of public events throughout the year. These events include a Home Garden Symposium and a School Garden Conference (for educators) in the spring, a spectacular plant sale held on the Friday and Saturday after Mother’s Day, a Butterfly Workshop and an award-winning Bugs, Birds, and Beyond festival for children in August. These events are held at the Monmouth County Agriculture Building in Freehold.
Diane Larson, County Horticulturist, coordinates the Master Gardener Program in Monmouth County. For more information, contact her at 732-431-7260, ext. 7262.
Have a Lawn or Garden Question?
Email the Rutgers Master Gardeners at master.gardeners@ co.monmouth.nj.us, or call and leave a message at 732- 303-7614.
