The Memphis Area Master Gardeners are celebrating a milestone anniversary this month. October marks 30 years of service, beautification, and education in Shelby County.

The Master Gardener program began locally in 1995, thanks to the vision of Mr. Booker T. Leigh, then horticulture agent for the University of Tennessee Extension. Inspired by similar programs in Knox and Davidson Counties, Mr. Leigh set out to establish one in Shelby County. With the support of local gardening experts, he laid the foundation for the first Master Gardener class, bringing in specialists to teach on topics ranging from soils and turf to ornamentals and pest management. Graduates of the program, known as Master Gardeners, pledged to return their knowledge to the community through volunteer service.

Mr. Leigh later left Shelby County to become the Tipton County Extension County Director. Leadership of the Shelby County Master Gardener program then passed to Dale Skaggs, who expanded upon the strong foundation Mr. Leigh had built. Dale Skaggs encouraged Master Gardener volunteers to stay focused on their mission of sharing research-based horticulture information with the public. Today, Mr. Skaggs serves as the Director of Horticulture at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens.

Following Dale Skaggs, Chris Cooper became current Coordinator of the Shelby County Master Gardener program. Under his leadership, the program continues to thrive, training new classes of Master Gardeners each year and supporting community projects across Shelby County.

After 30 years, the mission of the Shelby County Master Gardener program remains the same: to improve the lives of Tennesseans by promoting environmental stewardship, non-commercial food production, and human health and well-being through residential and consumer horticulture education delivered by a dedicated and skilled volunteer network.

For more information about the Shelby County Master Gardener Program, please give me a call at 901-752-1207. Happy 30th Anniversary!