Aiken County Master Gardener Program

The mission of the Clemson Extension Master Gardener Program is to select, train, and utilize knowledgeable volunteers to facilitate the educational work of the local Consumer Horticulture Agent, by delivering research-based information to citizens of the state.

For information on the ONLINE Master Gardener Program, visit http://www.clemson.edu/extension/mg/mgonline.html

The live, in-classroom Master Gardener Training Course (MGTC) is about 15 weeks of instruction led by Clemson Extension personnel, Master Gardeners, and other experts.  The Aiken MGTC is held at the Aiken County Extension Office on Tuesdays from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm July through November of each year.  There are no prerequisites to participate in the Master Gardener Training Course.   Classes include basic botany and plant physiology, plant pathology, entomology, soils and plant nutrition, residential irrigation, vegetables, turfgrass, weeds, and more.  At the end of MGTC, there is a final examination that the student must score 70% or better in order to proceed within the Master Gardener program.  A Memorandum of Agreement that states the student will contribute 40 hours of volunteer service to Clemson is signed by the student at the beginning of the class cementing the understanding that the Clemson Extension Master Gardener program is an educational outreach program with a volunteer commitment.  Upon completion of the classroom portion of the MGTC, the student will begin volunteering at Clemson Extension sanctioned events to fulfill the 40 hour volunteer commitment.  After these requirements are met (classroom instruction, 70% on the final examination, and at least 40 educational service hours), the student will be presented with the title “Clemson Extension Master Gardener.”  

The Aiken County Master Gardener Association is organized to provide service opportunities and continuing education to Master Gardeners who have completed the Clemson Extension Master Gardener training. Some of the projects with which they are involved include

• Meet-a-Master Gardener at the Aiken County Farmers Market the first Saturday of each month that the market is open from 8:00 am-12:00 pm
  
• Rent-a-Master Gardener
• Lunch Box Series, a FREE lecture held on the thrid Monday of each month at 12:00 pm at the Aiken Extension Office unless otherwise noted.
• Speakers Bureau

For additional information, contact:

Vicky Bertagnolli
Consumer Horticulture Agent/Master Gardener Coordinator 
Phone: (803) 649-6297 ext. 116 
Email: vbertag@clemson.edu
1555 Richland Avenue East, Suite 500, Aiken 29801

To become a volunteer, please contact the County Extension agent listed above.