Welcome to the UC Master Gardener Program of Tulare/Kings Counties! Since 1996, our trained volunteers have been helping residents of Tulare/Kings Counties grow healthy gardens using research-based information from the University of California. We're part of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), bringing the latest horticultural science directly to home gardeners throughout our community.

Our mission is to extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices to the residents of California. Here in Tulare/Kings Counties, we focus on helping gardeners succeed in our Mediterranean climate with its hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Whether you're growing vegetables, tending fruit trees, managing pests, or creating a water-wise landscape, our volunteers are here to help.

The first Master Gardener program was started in 1972 in Washington State. Since then, Master Gardener programs have spread to over 45 states and four Canadian provinces, and boasts of more than 45,000 volunteers.

In California, Sacramento and Riverside began pilot programs in 1980. Many of those original graduates are still active today in the program. As of January 2024, California had 52 active county programs. Master Gardeners have become a significant resource of gardening information and are official "formal volunteers" of the University of California Cooperative Extension.

The Tulare/Kings County Master Gardener Program began its first class with 26 volunteers in 1996, some of whom are still a part of the program today.

Currently we have 70 active volunteers who contributed over 4,500 hours of service last year. We answered more than 4,104 gardening inquiries, taught 62 gardening classes/speakers engagements, maintained two demonstration gardens, and reached thousands of community members through our outreach programs. Our volunteers come from all walks of life and bring diverse gardening experiences—what unites us is a passion for gardening and a commitment to sharing knowledge with our community.