By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — If you’ve ever visited some of central Arkansas’ historic landmarks, parks and tourist sites, you may have admired the handiwork of the Pulaski County Master Gardeners who maintain nearly three dozen beautiful garden sites throughout the county.

MG Day — Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde talks with Pulaski County Master Gardeners president Sara Jordan after proclaiming June 20, 2024, as Master Gardener Day. (Division of Agriculture photo)

One of the more visible sites is the garden at the historic 1889 Pulaski County Courthouse, where volunteers gathered Thursday to celebrate Pulaski County Master Gardeners Day. Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde read a proclamation, designating the third Thursday in June as Master Gardeners Day.

“The Master Gardeners, in a collaborative effort with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, have been dedicated to promoting sustainable gardening, environmental stewardship and providing free community education for many years,” Hyde said. "Master Gardeners are highly trained and work diligently to maintain their certification, and their efforts not only beautify Pulaski County but also foster a sense of community and promote healthy living.”

Laster year, Pulaski County Master Gardeners volunteered more than 17,000 hours, maintaining 32 projects around the county, Pulaski County Master Gardener president Sara Jordan said.

“Master Gardeners work year-round in Pulaski County and in nearly every county in the state, creating beautiful spaces for Arkansans to enjoy,” said Randy Forst, who coordinates the statewide Master Gardener program. "We are grateful to Judge Hyde for recognizing our Pulaski County Master Gardeners for their volunteer work. The third Thursday in June will be a day we look forward to for years to come.”

Master Gardeners have cared for the courthouse gardens at Broadway and Second Street in Little Rock since 2016.

“We’ve taken out some roses to make the garden more pollinator-friendly and gain designation as a Monarch Waystation,” said Master Gardener Dana Boyster, who co-chairs the project with Melody Parsley.

The gardens feature milkweed, butterfly bushes, lantana, rudbeckias, coneflowers, St. John’s Wort and many other plants friendly to monarchs and other pollinators, she said.

Aside from the courthouse garden, Master Gardeners maintain several prominent gardens in Little Rock, including at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion, the Old State House, Historic Arkansas Museum, Pinnacle Mountain, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center and the Pulaski County Juvenile Detention Center. In North Little Rock, volunteers maintain gardens along Main Street in downtown Argenta, at the Patrick H. Hays Senior Citizens Center and at the Old Mill, a favorite spot for photo shoots. They also tend gardens at the Maumelle Community Center and Jacksonville City Hall.

“Our Master Gardeners are busy, busy people,” said Derek Reed, the Pulaski County extension agent for agriculture and horticulture. “They also have two greenhouse projects – one in Little Rock and one in Jacksonville – where they grow plants for the annual plants sales.”

Last year, those plant sales raised about $15,000, which Master Gardeners use to maintain projects and create new ones.

Master Gardeners is a statewide program of the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. It started with 40 members in four counties — Garland, Jefferson, Pulaski and Saline. Today, Masters Gardener programs has more than 3,400 members volunteering in 67 of the state’s counties.

To learn about Arkansas Master Gardeners, visit www.uaex.uada.edu/Master-Gardeners or contact a local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.