Rockwall County Master Gardeners log 6,613 hours of service
Rockwall County Master Gardeners logged 6,613 volunteer hours worth $230,066.27 in 2025, while the county’s Extension office kept classes, clinics and training open to residents.
County Extension Agent Todd Williams presented Rockwall County Commissioners Court with a symbolic check on Jan. 28, 2026, reflecting 73 Master Gardeners’ 2025 volunteer work valued at $230,066.27. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office at 915 Whitmore Drive, Suite B, serves residents Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Rockwall County is the smallest county in Texas geographically and one of the state’s fastest-growing counties demographically. Directed by the Rockwall County Leadership Advisory Board, the program is built to serve suburban and urban households as well as farmers and producers, pairing agriculture and natural resources work with family and community health education.
The Master Gardeners are one of the office’s most visible tools. The association has 63 certified Texas Extension Master Gardeners, who contributed over 6,600 volunteer hours in 2025, connected with more than 3,000 youth through school and library programs, and reached over 500,000 readers through written education, social media and local publications. The volunteers provide research-based gardening information, turning plant advice into a public service that reaches schools, libraries and neighborhood gardeners across the county.
To earn the Texas Master Gardener title, participants must complete at least 72 volunteer hours within one year after training. Rockwall County’s 2025 application window ran May 1-31, and classes have also been advertised for Fall 2026.
The work extends beyond soil and seedlings. Rockwall County’s Master Wellness Volunteer Program requires 40 hours of training in health, nutrition and food safety, followed by a 40-hour internship alongside a county Extension agent. Certified volunteers can then give presentations, lead cooking demonstrations, hand out health information and work with schools and after-school programs.
The Discovery Garden is a one-third-acre demonstration garden created by the Master Gardener Association. The garden includes ornamental and vegetable beds, a koi pond and a sitting area, and it opens to the public during tours, plant sales, plant swaps and classes. Rockwall County also held its Communities Futures Forum on April 9, 2024, at the Rockwall County Library Community Room from 6:00 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
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