Purdue Extension Master Gardeners
The Purdue Extension Master Gardener Program is an integral part of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service and provides the citizens of Indiana a chance to grow. The original Master Gardener program was created in 1973 in Seattle, Washington in response to the overwhelming demand for home gardening information. Indiana’s program began in 1978 with 4 participating counties. Currently, over 50 Indiana counties have active Extension Master Gardener programs.
The Program provides a learning framework for participants to increase their knowledge on a wide variety of horticultural subjects. In turn, participants volunteer and help others grow by sharing knowledge while providing leadership and service in educational gardening activities within their communities.
The Allen County Master Gardener Association (ACMGA) is a group of Master Gardeners in Allen County that work to promote gardening in the area. They do many educational programs and manage the Display Gardens of Allen County around the Purdue Extension – Allen County office.
Contact Us
Purdue Allen County Extension Office
allences@purdue.edu
4001 Crescent Avenue
Fort Wayne, IN 46815
(260) 481-6826
Business Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Follow Allen County Master Gardeners on Facebook
Cora Hill
Urban Agriculture and Horticulture Educator
Hill272@purdue.edu
(260) 481-6435
Upcoming Allen County MG Events
Become a Master Gardener
Click HereDisplay Gardens of Allen County
The Extension Master Gardener Display Gardens is a unique outdoor learning space used to educate about gardening, horticulture, and the environment, provide experiential learning, and inspire design concepts showcasing plants well-suited to our region. The Gardens are open to the public, year-round from dawn to dusk, and admission is free. There are winding paths throughout the 22 garden areas and seating is available to allow you to get lost in conversation with a dear friend or immerse in the beauty of the gardens.
As you wander the gardens and find yourself pining over a particular plant, don’t fret! Our specimens are labeled with the common and scientific name so you can easily request the beautiful botanical at your local garden center or nursery.
The design, planting, maintenance, and management are a labor of love provided solely by a large group of devoted Extension Master Gardener volunteers since 1989.
If you are lucky enough, you may even stumble upon an Extension Master Gardener or two in their natural habitat! Please feel free to approach them, as they are more than happy to entertain any and all questions you may have about the gardens.
If you wish to have a guided tour of the Gardens, we welcome you to reach out to the ACMGA or the Purdue Extension – Allen County office to schedule a time for your tour. Volunteers are happy to schedule for groups of 5 or more. We recommend planning 1-2 hours to tour and enjoy the Gardens.
Other Allen County Master Gardener Programs
The ACMGA hosts an annual plant sale in May on the Saturday after Mother’s Day. They receive many plant donations from the area and include extra plants removed from the Gardens. This is a great opportunity to get unique perennials as well as some annual plants or vegetables. Shrubs and trees are also a common feature of the plant sale.
Exact varieties and quantities cannot be guaranteed due to sourcing plants through donation. There is always a wide variety of plants suited for many environmental conditions. Prices are also very affordable for those looking to start their gardens on a budget.
Master Gardeners are also on hand to help buyers make the right decision for their garden or landscape.
The ACMGA hosts a Garden Walk and Plant Sale event each June. This Saturday event invites the whole family out to see the gardens. Tour at your leisure or be guided by a Master Gardener volunteer. Education stations with information, crafts, and speakers are sprinkled throughout the grounds. This free event also features a small selection of plants for sale.
The ACMGA assists with Fort Wayne Home and Garden Show events. They have a booth with seeds for sale and plenty of Master Gardener volunteers available to answer all of your gardening questions.
Purdue Extension Educators also work to provide educational programming each day related to home gardening, lawns, and the environment. These free programs feature many experts from Purdue University, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Parks Departments.
For information or help with your garden, lawn, trees, or plants in general, you can contact the Master Gardener Hotline via email (mghotline@gmail.com) or call (260-481-6425). This is a free service.
Emailing photos is a great way to identify plants or insects OR diagnose problems you are seeing with your garden, lawn, trees, or houseplants.
General Digital Photo Tips (Source: PPDL)
You can help us by following these guidelines:
- Please check your images before submitting them. If they look out of focus to you, they will not be helpful to us.
- When possible, please include a size reference such as a ruler or a coin. If taking a photo of a ruler, let us know units (ie. Size is about 2 mm).
- For plant identifications, please include whole plant image, as well as close-ups of plant parts (leaves, flower, fruit, etc.)
- As with actual samples, please include as much additional information as possible such as: planting date, age of plant, chemicals used, number of plants affected, where found, patterns, when symptoms first noticed, etc.
Download the Image Guide for Tree Diagnosis – PDF