New Announcements:

1.    Master Gardener College registration reopens for recording access – If you missed EMGC 2020, you can now register to view our recording library

·      You can find the program for MG College with a list of topics and speakers here: https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/college/registration/ 

·      To register: https://tinyurl.com/2020MGCollege

2.    August state office webinars:

·      August 20 | 10 am – How to get the most from your hydrangeas with Josh Kardos, Instructor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech – Register in advance:  https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/96539583973 

·      September 17 | 10 am – Tree risk assessment – Joel Koci of VSU provides an introduction to tree risk assessment. – Register in advance: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/91920717871 

3.    Updated Facebook event guidance – When scheduling Facebook events for your unit symposiums, seminars, talks, etc, please add the state office page as a co-host! More info here: https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/current-resources/communications-resources/

4.    IMGC 2021 Tee Shirt design contest – Draw a plant & submit it for our IMGC 2021 tee shirt design! Info here: https://www.internationalmastergardener.com/2020/05/18/design-contest/

5.    Waynesboro tree workshop webinar series – Every Wednesday in the month of September there will be an hour-long webinar on various topics including tree ring analysis and urban canopy cover. Provided jointly by VDOF and VCE

·      Info and registration links here: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Register-Today—2020-Waynesboro-Tree-Webinar-Series-.html?soid=1129998786860&aid=GI79-Lqov14

6.    Master Composter online course from Vermont – https://www.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardener/vermont-master-composter-course

7.    Hahn Horticulture Garden plant sale fundraiser – If you live near Blacksburg, Hahn Horticulture Garden is holding a fall plant sale!

·      More information here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/197xM7GtD9ilZ_ViZ31_yxQ9kwE51Ru3tCkw1ud4atcU/edit?usp=sharing

·      Full plant list here: https://hahngarden.vt.edu/documents/HHG_Plantsale_Fall2020-fillable.pdf  

8.    Truffles in the Southeast ­– August 18, 6:30 pm VMN webinar featuring Dr. Jeanine Davis. Description and Zoom information here: https://www.oldragmasternaturalists.org/upcoming-events.html

 

Old Announcements:

1.    Facebook Live “Get Gardening” Series – Thursdays through the summer

·      Thursday July 23 – Hydrangea 101 with Josh Kardos, Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences

·      You can watch live or check our page later to view the recorded & saved video!

·      Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/226756471734154/

 

2.    Plant sale guidance available – Extension Leadership has released guidelines for Extension Master Gardener Plant Sales in light of the current steps toward reopening. You can find that information on the VCE COVID-19 page (https://ext.vt.edu/covid-19updates.html) under “Administrative Documents and Updates.” It’s at the bottom of that list under “EMG Plant Sale Guidance.

 

Other Announcements:

1.    Send us your announcements! Have you converted educational programs to an online format? You can still submit those announcements for the biweekly email! Submit an item for the biweekly update here.

1. Follow the State Office on social media: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
2. Subscribe to In Season, our quarterly newsletter

3.    View our most recent webinar

a.     View a recording of our most recent state office webinar – Jamie King on urban forestry

https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/webinar-archive/

 

4.  Resources for fertilization of lawns and for those involved with Healthy Virginia Lawns programming  
5. Do you have questions coming in to your Extension Master Gardener program and need to find some answers? Extension Search Resources for EMG Questions
6. Every Kid in a Park Program
7. Basil Downy Mildew: Occurrence Monitoring and Info Website for Gardeners
   1. A new website, created by Margaret McGrath and the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University, on monitoring occurrence of downy mildew on basil in the US and Canada:

                                               i.     It maps occurrences and replaces them into a GoogleDocs spreadsheet since 2009. There is information about BDM at the website that is geared for gardeners. Gardeners have been the primary and most important reporters in helping with monitoring this disease.

7. 2. A handout for gardeners about reporting occurrences of BDM and 2 other important diseases: late blight and cucurbit downy mildew.