Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia (MGNV) is an organization of volunteers who work with the staff of Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) to encourage and promote environmentally sound gardening practices. MGNV members must complete over 60 hours of training and perform 60 hours of volunteer work as interns to become certified by Virginia Tech as Master Gardeners. Additional volunteer work and continuing education are required to maintain certification.

Through VCE, MGNV volunteers contribute thousands of hours annually to community education programs in Arlington County and Alexandria City. We maintain five demonstration gardens that illustrate the wide variety of plants that grow well in our area as well as overall garden care. We operate plant clinics in farmers’ markets and a public library as well as at special events. We field a wide range of gardening questions through a help desk at the Arlington County VCE office. We conduct public workshops in such areas as container gardening, composting, and lawn care. We support horticulture therapy and schoolyard gardening projects, and we respond to other community needs as they arise.