Horticulture: Georgia Master Gardener

About Us

State MGEV Program Coordinator's Office

Sheri Dorn, Extension Horticulturist
and Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program Coordinator
Sheri has a B.S. and M.S. in Horticulture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. She served as an Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent in Roanoke, Virginia; owned and managed a small retail nursery and landscape contracting firm, growing thousands of annuals and perennials on site; and served as Virginia Master Gardener Coordinator. As a gardener, Sheri is passionate about vegetable gardening and color in the garden! She enjoys raising vegetables and small fruits with her family. She loves to plant colorful container gardens with annual and perennial combinations, and tries to visit public gardens whenever possible.

Krissy Slagle, Program Assistant
Krissy is a 25-year gardener and became a Master Gardener in 1996. She has served as program assistant at the State MGEV Program office at the UGA Griffin Campus and as a county horticulture program assistant. Her interests are in connecting history and literature with the garden.

About the Program

The idea of Master Gardener volunteer training began on the West Coast more than 40 years ago. Overwhelmed by requests for gardening information, Extension agents from Washington State University recruited home gardeners. In exchange for specialized training in horticulture, these gardeners made a commitment to spend time doing volunteer outreach work.

The Master Gardener program has since traveled around the world. Through the Master Gardener program, thousands of people across the United States and Canada have been trained as volunteers. Similar programs now exist in the UK, Australia and other countries.

In Georgia, the Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program is operated through county offices of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Through this program, individuals are trained in horticulture and related areas. These individuals volunteer their expertise, under the direction of Cooperative Extension staff, to help educate others through horticultural programs and projects that benefit the community. Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteers bring the latest horticultural information and practices from the world of research to their communities’ landscapes and gardens.

Our state Master Gardener Program was started in Atlanta in 1979 and Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteers are active in many counties throughout the state. Contact your local Cooperative Extension Office to find out if there is a Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program in your county. Find your County Cooperative Extension office here or at 1-800-ASK-UGA1.

Frequently Asked Questions - about the Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program