Do you…
Love gardening?
Appreciate the environment?
Enjoy helping others?
And most importantly, are you someone who can’t stop talking about (or to) your plants all day?
If you said yes to at least one of these questions, we invite you to join the local class session for the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Extension Master Gardener (EMG) Program!
Depending on the format, classes either meet in-person twice per week during the afternoon or evening or offered with a mix of on-line and in-person classes and labs (“hybrid”). In-person sessions alternate around the five counties in the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener unit: Clarke, Frederick, Warren, Page and Shenandoah.
More about the VCE Master Gardener Program
After an interview and a background check, each Certified VCE Master Gardener Volunteer begins as a trainee tasked to complete a course of a minimum of 50 hours of education. Training covers various topics, including landscape design, botany, pruning, pest management, soils, insects, and types of plants. After training, trainees graduate to become interns.
Interns must complete 50 hours of hands-on training (service hours) during their first year by putting in volunteer time to the community and participating in educational activities and programs available throughout the valley. A host of projects is available for students to meet their hands-on training commitment. Upon completion of the course and the hands-on training, students become Northern Shenandoah Valley-VCE Master Gardener Volunteers, with an annual requirement of 20 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of continuing education.
Note: The registration fee for each year’s class is announced on the class flyer. There are additional costs for the course handbook and a background screening. Scholarships are available to assist with the registration cost.
To learn more, watch our overview video, see our brochure, check out information from the Virginia State EMG Office, and read the details below.
Continuing Education
All VCE Master Gardener Volunteers are required to complete 8 hours of yearly continuing education. This can be done through approved talks, webinars, and courses. In addition, all active VCE Master Gardener Volunteers are invited to participate in Master Gardener College, an annual advanced training program. Additional training to become certified Tree Stewards, Water Stewards and Land Care Stewards are periodically available as well.
If you are interested in becoming certified as an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer, sign up for our email list or check back here for details. You can also contact the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Frederick office, at 540-665-5699
Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and local governments, and is an equal opportunity employer. For the full non-discrimination statement, please visit ext.vt.edu/accessibility.
About Association Membership
Enrollment in the Master Gardener class includes the first year’s membership in the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association, or NSVMGA. The Association supports its members in the counties of Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah, and Warren. NSVMGA provides additional opportunities for camaraderie, volunteering, and continuing education.
To continue membership into the following year, the annual dues as of 2026 are a modest $20 per person. Social time, business meetings, and educational sessions are held 8 – 12 times per year. Additional educational offerings are sponsored by NSVMGA.