30 Years and Still Growing!
By Jackie Sledge
Big Country Master Gardener
Who are we, and what do we do?
I’m so glad you asked because I want to share with you a little about the Big Country Master Gardener Association—when we started, why we started, and where we’ve come.
What is a Master Gardener Program?
The Texas Master Gardener Program is an educational volunteer program conducted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service of The Texas A&M University System. Master Gardeners are members of the local community who take an active interest in their lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers, and gardens. They are enthusiastic, willing to learn and help others, and able to communicate with diverse groups of people.
In exchange for their training in horticulture, Master Gardeners volunteer their time by working through their county’s Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office to provide horticultural information to their communities.
How Did BCMGA Begin?
Records show that Fred Perkins went to the County Extension Agent in 1994 and requested approval to begin a Master Gardener program in Taylor County. His request was granted in 1995 by then-Extension Agent Gary Bomar, provided he could find 10 people interested in the program.
The first Master Gardener Training Class was held in May 1995 with 22 trainees! This started the ball rolling to organize the group and submit the necessary documents to the Texas Master Gardener Program for official recognition.
Since there was no other Master Gardener Association in this area, and the Taylor County group would likely provide programs and projects in surrounding counties as well, the organization was officially recognized in 1996 as the Big Country Master Gardener Association (BCMGA).
Since that time, we have held yearly Master Gardener Training classes, typically with 20 to 26 trainees in each class. We still have one active Master Gardener from the 1996 training class! Our membership also includes Master Gardeners with almost 25 years of service, all the way down to those who completed the training class earlier this year.
Our active membership is just under 80 Master Gardeners, plus our Interns who are still working toward completing the 50 volunteer hours required to become certified Master Gardeners.
That explains a little about who we are, but what do we do?
In 2025, we did the following:
Education
- Saturday Seminars at the Taylor County Extension Office. These programs were offered on the last Saturday of the month from February through August and covered a variety of timely horticultural topics.
- Library Programs on the first Tuesday of the month at the South Branch Library in the Mall of Abilene, repeated on the second Friday of the month at the Main Library in Heritage Square. These programs provided timely horticultural information each month.
- Women’s Fair during the Farm, Ranch and Wildlife Expo in February.
- Educational booth at the Farm, Ranch and Wildlife Expo in February.
- Presentations for local and area groups.
- Children’s event during the Swenson House Haunted Abilene event.
- Programs for children during Kids, Kows and More.
- Activities at Wings on the Wind at Abilene State Park.
- Presentations at schools.
- Educational information at local and area health fairs and other events.
- A Master Gardener Training Class to educate new trainees who would become part of BCMGA.
Projects
- Pollinator gardens at Swenson House.
- Pollinator gardens at Hope Garden at First Central Presbyterian Church.
- Demonstration Gardens at the Taylor County Extension Office.
- Beds at the Modern Living Mall on the Expo grounds.
- Expo planters on the Expo grounds.
- Demonstration gardens at the Abilene Zoo.
- Projects in the BCMGA greenhouses.
- WASP Museum gardens in Sweetwater.
- Sweetwater Community Garden in Sweetwater.
- Various projects at area schools and churches.
Supporting Our Community
BCMGA is able to provide these educational opportunities and financially support projects with funds raised through our Spring and Fall Plant Sales.
Our plant sales feature plants selected to survive—and thrive—in the Big Country. Master Gardeners are also available to answer questions and help customers with plants purchased through both our online and in-person sales.
The Value of Volunteering
Master Gardeners and Interns volunteered 10,475 hours from January through December 2025.
None of our educational programs, projects, or events could have been accomplished without the many hours contributed by our dedicated Members and Interns.
The value of a volunteer hour in 2025 was $35.79, which means BCMGA’s volunteer time last year was valued at an incredible $374,900.25!
Recognized Across Texas
Over the years, BCMGA has received numerous awards from the Texas Master Gardener Association for Education Programs, Recorded Education, Written Education, Children’s Events, Research Projects, Outstanding Association, and Outstanding Individual Master Gardener.
Where Do We Go From Here?
This explains how we started and where we’ve come in 30 years, but where are we going?
We plan to continue our educational programs, projects, community and school outreach, demonstrations, and efforts to share reliable horticultural information wherever we can. Whether the topic is soil, water, plants, gardening, or growing, we want to continue helping people throughout the Big Country.
And now, let’s get back to celebrating 30 years!
We will have an official come-and-go 30th Anniversary Celebration from 5:00–7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, in the Taylor County Extension Office Conference Room.
We invite you to stop by during that time to meet us, learn more about what we do, and let us answer any questions you may have.
If you have questions, call the Taylor County Extension Office at 325-672-6048 or email us at mgardeners@yahoo.com.
We also hope you’ll visit bcmgtx.org for Big Country Master Gardener information and upcoming events, follow BCMGA on Facebook, and check out our training presentations on BCMGA YouTube.
We are here to help you.
Until next week, Happy Gardening!
