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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from URIMasterGardeners, Environmental conservation organisation, 3 East Alumni Avenue, Kingston, RI.

The URI Master Gardener Program was established in 1977 to educate resident in environmentally-sound gardening practices through the dissemination of factual, research-based information.

11/02/2026

Done with your fall decor? A few ideas once it’s past its prime:
Set out a snack bar. Squirrels and deer love them.
Keep enjoying them as decoration until you’re tired of them.
Compost them and give back to next year’s garden.
Call a local farm. Some will happily take them to feed their animals.
Got a garden question of your own? Ask the URI Master Gardener Hotline. It’s free!
📧 [email protected]

10/29/2026

When John Woulfe is on a hotline shift, the laughter coming from that room can be heard throughout the Mallon Center. A Master Gardener since 2017, John brings kindness, humor, and positivity to every conversation, helping others feel comfortable and valued. With nearly 60 years of gardening experience, he has staffed the Hotline, served three years as GIST coordinator, and mentored 37 Core Training students since 2019. He takes great pride in watching new Master Gardeners grow into confident volunteers and leaders, and has formed lasting friendships along the way. For John, gardening is about more than growing food. It’s about fresh air, activity, community, and giving back.

10/28/2026

Meet Teaching Assistant, Luci Driscoll!
Luci is a senior at URI, double majoring in Plant Sciences and Wildlife & Conservation Biology. After serving as a teaching assistant last year, Luci is excited to return in a leadership role and share their passion for horticulture, native plants and environmental education!

Interested in expanding your gardening knowledge and making a difference in your community?
The URI Master Gardener Program is now accepting applications for 2027 Core Training! This program offers an opportunity to develop horticultural skills, learn from experts, and connect with a community of passionate gardeners while giving back through volunteer service.
Learn more and apply by November 1 at uri.edu/coopext/programs/mgp/become-a-mastergardener or visit the link in our bio!

10/23/2026

October is Farm to School Month! Since 2016, URI Cooperative Extension’s School Garden Initiative has helped Rhode Island schools turn gardens into living classrooms. In those gardens, K–12 students explore science, nutrition, and ecology with their hands in the soil.
Our School Garden Mentors are certified URI Master Gardeners with extra school garden training. They help schools plan, build, teach, and maintain their gardens.

Thinking about a garden at your school? Download our free How-to Guide for Rhode Island School Gardens at https://web.uri.edu/coopext/programs/healthy-lifestyles/sgi/

10/21/2026

Tony in North Kingstown asked the Hotline how to prep his compost for the cold months. We shared these tips with him:

1: Use your finished compost. Spread it on the beds you’ll plant next spring.
2: Add spent plants. Leave out diseased leaves and w**ds.
3: Turn what’s still breaking down. A shovel or pitchfork adds air and speeds up decomposition.
4: Top with fall leaves and wet it down. Then let nature do the work.
5: Chop or shred first. Smaller pieces break down faster.
6: You can keep adding kitchen greens all winter, as long as you have enough browns to cover each addition.

One-bin system? Turn the pile, then add a layer of browns such as leaves, pine needles, straw, or wood chips. Water it until it’s damp but not soggy, and leave it alone.

💬 Have a garden question? Drop it in the comments and our plant pros will answer, or reach the Hotline directly:
📧 [email protected]
📞 401-874-4836

10/16/2026

Give it up for Kathleen O'Connell of Providence! Since finishing her Master Gardener training in 2022, Kathleen has been everywhere at once. She's answering your burning garden questions on the Monday Hotline, running the Central Region Gardening Information Kiosks, and elbow-deep in potting soil at the Veggie Greenhouse every February, where she's even grafted tomatoes for the May Plant Sale. In her "spare time," she mentors new trainees and snaps photos with the Shutterbugs. Kathleen's superpower? No gardening question stumps her for long, and she loves tracking down the answer, whatever it is. Her favorite full-circle moment: handing out free seeds to Rhode Islanders (thanks, Ocean State Job Lot!), knowing those same seeds are sprouting in the greenhouse for the sale. She's found a crew of fellow gardeners who feel like family, and she'll tell you the learning never stops: "The Core Training is just the beginning!" In her words, "Life can be hard. This work matters because it brings a lot of joy in so many ways." Kathleen, thank you for bringing that joy to all of us!

10/09/2026

Get your soil tested before the ground freezes! It's free!

SAT 10/10
Warwick Public Library · 10–1
Wilcox Park, Westerly · 9–12

SAT 10/24
Wilcox Park, Westerly · 9–12

WEEKDAYS THRU 11/1
URI Outreach Center, Kingston · 10:30–1:30

10/06/2026

Come learn tips and tricks for a good fall cleanup that will provide multiple benefits for gardeners & gardens:
- Reducing w**d populations and disease
- Minimizing insect pests
- Preventing rodent infestation
- Easing the workload for next year’s spring planting

This work is free and open to all thanks to the educational efforts of the URI Master Gardener Program. No registration needed.

10/02/2026

Meet Michael Ricard, a Master Gardener volunteer from Manville who's been in the program just over a year. Driven by a desire to give back, he's cultivating the Lincoln Housing Authority Community Garden and helping build the Dagett Farm Greenhouse, growing everything from natives to veggies to pollinator plants. What keeps him going is seeing fresh produce reach neighbors who need it. He credits his mentor, John Woulfe, with guiding him from day one, and says the work has given him a heightened awareness of the natural world. His goal: 1,000 pounds of produce from the 75x25-square-foot plot Lincoln Housing Authority has given him to tend.
Mike has quite a story: he survived a brain aneurysm and went on to become a Master Gardener, and was interviewed by Barbara Morse Silva on WJAR10. You can watch it here for more on his story: https://turnto10.com/news/coronavirus/show-us-something-good/lincoln-man-who-survived-brain-aneurysm-plants-garden-to-gift-produce-to-neighbors-backyard-seeds-harvest-project-may-29-2025

Garlic planting season is here. Get those cloves in the ground this October! Questions about growing garlic? gardener@ur...

09/30/2026

Garlic planting season is here. Get those cloves in the ground this October! Questions about growing garlic? [email protected] for free advice!

Address

3 East Alumni Avenue
Kingston, RI
02881

Website

https://web.uri.edu/coopext/programs/mgp/

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