Horticulture in Twin Falls County

Gardening and horticulture  

UI Extension, Twin Falls County offers a variety of resources and programs to help you better understand horticulture and gardening issues. The Idaho Master Gardener program trains citizens to share their gardening knowledge through community outreach. Contact the UI Extension, Twin Falls County office at twinfalls@uidaho.edu or 208-734-9590 for current class dates. Follow us on Facebook for additional information about upcoming events.

Plant and insect identification and diagnosis

UI Extension horticulture experts are available to address your plant and insect questions during the following schedules and locations.  

May-October

• Thursdays from 1-4 p.m.
• Location: UI Extension, Twin Falls County office

Off-season — Anytime during regular office hours at UI Extension, Twin Falls County office .

Submitting a sample

• For insect identification please fill out the identification form.
• For plant problems please fill out the diagnostic form.
• For weed and plant identification please fill out the identification form.

How to take pictures and what pictures to submit

To properly diagnose or identify, we need high-quality pictures. Please make sure pictures are clear and not blurry.

• For plant problems — please take a picture that shows the area in which the plant is growing. Next, take a picture of just the plant. Then take a close up of the area with the problem. For identification, please place something such as a coin or pen in the picture to represent scale.
• For insects — use a coin. Take a good close up of the plant or insect. With plants, please take additional pictures of where leaves are attached to the stem, branches come off of the stem and individual leaves.

Physical samples may be dropped off at the UI Extension, Twin Falls County office during regular business hours.

Master gardener program

Each year, hundreds of master gardeners share their gardening knowledge as they serve their communities and the environment. Master gardener training is offered every winter and begins in January and goes through April. Fall and summer courses are offered every few years. Contact the UI Extension, Twin Falls County office for information on fall and summer classes.  

What master gardeners do

• Answer horticulture questions (by telephone and in person at the UI Extension office)
• Promote environmental responsibility
• Bring the joy of gardening to all ages
• Teach classes for large groups: civic organizations, church groups, garden clubs, schools and others

Becoming an Idaho Master Gardener

If you are interested in being certified as an Idaho Master Gardener, fill out the application online or contact UI Extension, Twin Falls County office at twinfalls@uidaho.edu for an application.  

Volunteers are required to complete 40 hours of instruction and 40 hours of volunteer service.

Garden course

UI Extension’s Idaho Victory Garden course was created in 2008 to help our communities in challenging times, by providing individuals and families with up to date, reliable home fruit and vegetable gardening, cooking and food preservation instruction and mentorship.

Classes are offered winter, spring and fall and are held at the UI Extension, Twin Falls County office.

Classes run for six weeks: winter classes are held on Tuesday afternoons from 1-4 p.m. and spring classes are held on Thursday evenings from 6-9 p.m.

• Register for the Victory Garden course

Demonstration gardens

We currently offer three demonstration gardens at the UI Extension, Twin Falls County office complex grounds.  

• Penstemon Garden — This garden displays a number of our native penstemons to the Intermountain West, as well as a few of our other native species. This garden is located at the main entrance to the County West Building on Addison Ave W.
• Buckwheat Garden — This garden provides multiple varieties of our native buckwheats. This garden is located on the corner of Martin and Shoup just north of Addison Ave W.
• Native Pollinator Garden — This is our newest demonstration garden and contains many of our native plant species that are very good food sources for our pollinators. This garden is next to the Penstemon Garden at the main entrance off of Addison Ave W.