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Piney Hills Louisiana Master Gardeners are located in Minden, Louisiana. The Louisiana Master Gardener program is a service and educational activity offered by the LSU AgCenter. The program is designed to recruit and train volunteers to help meet the educational needs of home gardeners while providing an enjoyable and worthwhile service experience for volunteers.
Master Gardeners are part of the volunteer staff of the LSU AgCenter’s Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service. They provide unbiased, research-based educational assistance and programs on consumer horticulture issues to the gardening public. The Louisiana Master Gardener program provides invaluable training and educational opportunities. The program is open to all people regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion or national origin. Master Gardener programs are all-volunteer programs sanctioned by land-grant institutions in each state and function as an extension of the college or university. In Louisiana, the program is sponsored by the LSU AgCenter and is directed by the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service. Experienced and beginning gardeners seeking up-to-date horticultural information can advance their gardening expertise and gain self-satisfaction through volunteer efforts. The volunteer aspect of the Louisiana Master Gardener program allows individuals to dedicate their time and talents to enhancing the quality of life for citizens of their community by using the science and art of horticulture. It allows individuals to put into practice what they know and learn. A copy of "How to Become a Piney Hills Louisiana Master Gardener" is available here. The Piney Hills Louisiana Master Gardener Classes take place each year at the Webster Parish Extension Office. 1202 Homer Road in Minden. Classes are scheduled to be held on consecutive Tuesdays, beginning in mid-Jone and meeting three hours per week for 11 weeks. For information on how you can take part in the class, contact John Monzingo at (318)371-1371 or (318)927-3110. Click the tab below for a letter and application to the 2026 class. The Piney Hills Louisiana Master Gardeners work on numerous projects in the area and provides two major events each year - the Buds & Blooms seminar and the Trails & Trellises garden tour. A love of gardening is a great way to bring the community together to add beauty to our surroundings.
The Buds & Blooms seminar is provided each February for the public to help enhance their education in all things related to horticulture. The Trails & Trellises garden tour showcases 3-5 lovely gardens in the Minden-Homer area in the spring. A plant sale is included at either the LSU AgCenter or one of the gardens on tour. The Green Thumb Jamboree is a stand-alone plant sale in most years in the fall. The Teaching Garden is located on the grounds adjacent to the Webster Parish Extension Office. The design of the garden incorporates several different types of gardens offering visitors the opportunity to observe firsthand what can be implemented in their own gardens. The 4-H Gardening Contest is sponsored each year for students in Webster and Claiborne Parishes. The young gardeners are required to build a 100-sqaure-foot garden containing corn, bell peppers, tomatoes and beans. A team of judges views the gardens and considering the following: the gardener's knowledge, creativity, weed control and the general health of each required plant. Participants are recognized at an awards dinner for them and their families. Proceeds from the Buds & Blooms event each year fund this contest. Piney Hills Louisiana Master Gardeners also participate in the Louisiana State Fair each year with a teaching exhibit for students in the Shreveport-Bossier region to visit. |
