The New River Valley Master Gardeners are volunteer educators within the communities of Floyd, Giles, Pulaski, and Montgomery counties. Extension Master Gardeners work to encourage and promote environmentally sound horticulture practices through sustainable landscape management education and training. The Virginia Master Gardener program is an educationally based service program of the Virginia Cooperative Extension.

The New River Valley Master Gardener Association is a non-profit organization that falls under the umbrella of the Extension Master Gardener Program. Members of the Association are active Extension Master Gardeners. Non-profit status allows the organization to raise funds and award community grants to educational, care-giving, or community-based organizations seeking to educate, involve, and/or improve quality of life for participants through a gardening-related project.  In addition, members of the organization may apply for mini grants to support their projects.

Basic Info

Issues of Focus

Master Gardener volunteer activities include:

• providing horticultural information to citizens who call or visit Extension offices
• conducting in-school gardening projects
• educating the public in community gardens
• holding plant clinics and Extension information booths
• presenting seminars and workshops on a variety of gardening interests

Master Gardener educational programs for the public are created in partnership with Virginia Cooperative Extension to meet the needs of the community.

History of Organization

The first Master Gardner program was established in Washington State in 1972, and it has since expanded to all fifty states.  The New River Valley Master Gardeners started in 1987 with the New River Valley Master Gardener Association being formed in 1989. 

Programs and Projects 

For more information on projects, please visit the NRV Master Gardeners' Website at Projects (nrvmastergardeners.com)

Partners and Frequent Collaborators 

• Virginia Cooperative Extension