Master Gardener

Master Gardener Program

Our Vision

We envision a healthier world through environmental stewardship.

Our Mission

We support the University of Maryland Extension (UME) mission by educating residents about safe, effective and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes, and communities.

Our History

The UME Master Gardener Program began in 1978 as a means to extend science-based knowledge to the general public by providing horticultural and pest management expertise to help protect and improve Maryland’s natural resources. UME Master Gardeners are volunteers who combine their love of plants, people, and the environment to help residents in their communities solve problems and make environmentally-sound decisions.

The Cecil County Master Gardener Program is composed of local citizens whose common goal is to promote safe, effective and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens. Master Gardeners are volunteer representatives of the University of Maryland Extension and are supervised and supported by University of Maryland Extension staff.

Gardening season is considered by many to be a year-round hobby! Catch the fever!

Cecil County Master Gardener Coordinator

Doris Behnke, Principal Agent Associate

dbehnke@umd.edu, 410.996.8135

Upcoming Master Gardener Events

Gardening with a Twist

Gardening with a Twist

11 December 2024 | 6:30 PM

Cecil County Administration Building, 200 Chesapeake Blvd, Elkton, MD 21921 (use rear entrance)

Want to explore a different approach to gardening? Want to learn about different gardening strategies? At this workshop you will learn about less traditional gardening approaches, the pros and cons of those approaches, and will receive reliable research sources on these approaches.

Register Online

Iris Folding Cards Workshop

Iris Folding Cards Workshop

Saturday, 14 December 2024 | 10 AM - 12 PM

Cecil County Administration Building, 200 Chesapeake Blvd, Elkton, MD 21921 (use rear entrance)

Cost: $5

Join the Cecil County Master Gardeners for an exciting workshop where you'll learn the fundamentals of iris folding and create your own beautiful cards! Iris Folding is a technique that layers paper strips across a cutout shape to form a “swirl” shape similar to the iris of a camera. It looks complicated, but is so easy and a fun way to make beautiful greeting cards.

Register Online

Homesteading Series: Introduction to Soapmaking

December 17, 2024 | 6:30 PM

Cecil County Public Library, North East Branch

Learn to create your own unique soaps. This workshop will cover everything from ingredients to techniques. Learn: Ingredients to use, How to cut and label your final product, Equipment needed, Safety procedures.

Register via the CCPL website

Cecil County Master Gardeners Award Winning Video

Checkout our award winning video on the UME Bay-Wise Program.

The Maryland Master Gardener Program is an exclusive program of the University of Maryland Extension (UME). The principal goal is to train qualified residents to become certified Master Gardeners and serve as volunteer horticulture educators. The program's mission is to educate Maryland residents about safe, effective, and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes, and communities.

More Information

Baywise Certified Landscape — Cecil County Resident's Landscape Bay-Wise Certified in 2020

Most Maryland residents live within a half-mile of a storm drain, stream, or river. Most of those waterways eventually drain into the Chesapeake Bay. What we do to maintain our own landscapes can affect the health of our local waterways (drainage ditches, streams, and rivers), the Chesapeake Bay, and our environment. We all need to do our part to take care of our waterways and environment. By changing a few simple landscape practices, you and your family can help keep Maryland communities healthy.

Our Master Gardeners, who have taken the 9 to 12 hours of advanced training in Bay-Wise Landscape Management, form a committee to plan Bay-Wise activities in and around our county. They:

Perform one-on-one site visits to help county residents qualify to have their landscapes certified as Bay-Wise using the MD Yardstick,
Hold classes and lectures for community groups,
Teach youth in schools/community projects,
Staff information booths at community events.