Mike Hogan
| Special to The Columbus Dispatch
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Franklin County’s OSU Extension office is recruiting for its next Master Gardener Volunteer class.Orientation meetings, where applications will be available, are scheduled for June 20, July 17 and Aug. 13.The program trains volunteers in horticulture to educate their communities.
If you have visited a plant sale or attended a gardening program recently, you may have seen individuals wearing Master Gardener Volunteer shirts, hats or name tags as they were arranging plants, answering gardening questions or teaching a gardening workshop.
Have you ever wondered how these individuals became Master Gardener Volunteers or exactly what they do in your community? Have you ever wondered if you could be a Master Gardener Volunteer?
If you have ever wanted to learn more about the Master Gardener Volunteer program, now is your chance as the Franklin County Office of Ohio State University Extension is currently recruiting for its next class of Master Gardener Volunteers, which begins in January of 2026.
The Master Gardener Volunteer program is a national program in which land-grant universities, such as Ohio State, train community volunteers on all aspects of gardening and horticulture so they can provide educational programs for youth and adults in their communities.
Orientation meetings scheduled
Three Master Gardener Volunteer orientation meetings are scheduled to help potential applicants learn more about the Master Gardener Volunteer program and projects in Franklin County.
Applications for the next training class will only be available at these orientation meetings. Meetings will be held on June 20 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., July 17 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and Aug. 13 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Meetings will be held at the Franklin County Office of OSU Extension, located at 2548 Carmack Road on OSU’s West Campus. Registration is not required for the meetings and free parking is available.
At the conclusion of each meeting, participants will have the opportunity to visit six different Master Gardener projects located at the meeting site.
Largest program in Ohio
The Master Gardener Volunteer program in Franklin County is the largest, oldest and most comprehensive program of its kind in Ohio, with more than 370 Master Gardener Volunteers and approximately 60 different gardening projects in nearly every community in Franklin County.
In 2025, Master Gardener Volunteers in Franklin County contributed 29,927 hours of volunteer service valued at $1.04 million dollars. Master Gardener Volunteers also grew and donated more than 42,922 pounds of vegetables, fruits and herbs to families in need throughout Franklin County.
Master gardener projects vary
Master Gardener Volunteers can choose to work on a variety of different projects on almost any gardening topic you can think of. While many master gardeners choose to work on food-garden projects, others choose to work on ornamental or environmental horticulture projects.
Master Gardener Volunteers manage community gardens, teach gardening programs for youth and adult audiences and assist with horticultural research projects on the OSU campus and at other community locations.
Master gardeners can be found teaching gardening programs at local institutions such as Franklin Park Conservatory, Grange Insurance Audubon Center, COSI, Columbus City Schools, Columbus Park of Roses and dozens of other locations throughout Franklin County.
Do you have a passion to help others?
You are not required to have a green thumb in order to become a Master Gardener Volunteer. That is what the 12-week, 80-hour Master Gardener Volunteer training class is for; to help master gardener trainees learn about all aspects of gardening and horticulture.
At the conclusion of the training class, participants then complete a 50-hour internship at a variety of community garden projects in order to gain experience.
The two traits which most successful Master Gardener Volunteers share is a desire to share their knowledge with others and serve their communities as a volunteer educator or gardener.
Master Gardener Volunteer applicants will need adequate time to participate in the training program and volunteer in the community and must pass a background check.
Master gardeners are also lifelong learners, participating in continuing education programs to increase their knowledge about horticulture. Last year, Master Gardener Volunteers in Franklin County completed more than 6,097 hours of continuing education in order to hone their skills so that they can better serve their communities.
If you would like to combine your passion for gardening and horticulture with the ability to positively impact your community, come learn more about the Master Gardener Volunteer program at one of the orientation meetings this summer.
Mike Hogan is Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources and associate professor with Ohio State University Extension.
hogan.1@osu.edu