New Announcements:
1. After much deliberation over the past few months, we have made the difficult decision that the 2021 International Master Gardener Conference will be a virtual event. To learn more about our decision, read Kathleen’s letter here.
a. To learn more about virtual IMGC 20210: https://www.internationalmastergardener.com/about/
b. Registration will open April 5, 2021
c. To sign up for the IMGC email list: https://t.send.vt.edu/lp/EXT-International-Master-Gardener-College
2. November State Office webinar
a. November 19 | State Office updates Q&A 10:00 am
i. Join us to hear State Office updates from Dave Close (Program Director) and Kathleen Reed (State Master Gardener Coordinator), There will also be time for Dave and Kathleen to answer any questions you might have about the program. Send us your questions in advance (reedka@vt.edu) or type them into the chat box during the webinar!
ii. Register: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIqcu2sqzstH9ASNx8CUN62VrgXFUCT5IiN
3. Send us your COVID photos! If you have photos of EMG volunteer projects during COVID, such as masked volunteers working in a garden, please send them to us! Email them to Devon, dvj@vt.edu
4. Call for presentations: Have you created a presentation you’re proud of & would like to share with us? We are creating a presentation repository and need your presentations!
· Repository will be available for EMGs and Agents/Coordinators to draw from for speaking requests, training, etc. Master gardeners and agents may submit. Presentations will undergo editing and formatting before being posted. Email presentations to Devon dvj@vt.edu
Old Announcements
5. We’re working on a comprehensive webinar page – The State Office is working on compiling local unit YouTube videos and webinars on our YouTube page. If you have YouTube videos, please email Devon dvj@vt.edu. If you have videos somewhere other than YouTube but would like to get them on YouTube, please also email Devon! Videos will be organized into playlists here: https://www.youtube.com/c/VirginiaCooperativeExtensionMasterGardener/playlists (Check the “Hanover Home Gardening” playlist as an example)
6. “My Trees Count” app launched by VDOF – In order to keep track of trees planted in communities across the state, the Department of Forestry has launched a tree planting tracking application called “My Trees Count”. This will provide VDOF with valuable data about water quality in the state, as well as help track tree plantings as communities work towards their WIP Goals. Finally, it will allow us to recognize tree planting efforts. When submitted through the Trees Count Survey, we may share planting stories on the Community Tree Map or social media with #MyTreeCounts. The application can be found here: https://arcg.is/WryDG
7. IMGC 2021 Tee Shirt Design Contest Results! Our winners are:
· Linda Williams – Carroll/Grayson – “Dogwood”
· Pat Machowsky – Greenspring – “Buttonbush”
· Ruby Gardner – Gloucester – “Cardinal and Bee Balm”
8. Virginia Tech Plant Clinic’s Plant Problem Image Gallery has been resurrected! This useful image gallery contains images of common Virginia plant diseases, provided by the VT Plant Disease clinic. Available at: https://apps.cals.vt.edu/ppig/
9. 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.
10. EMG Coordinator webinar: CE opportunity! Food Safety and Master Gardener Volunteer Programs, before and after COVID-19 webinar recording: https://youtu.be/aK6g8NvpAok
11. VMGA speaker’s bureau list now available, contact Erica Jones 540 544 7359
· More info: https://vmga.net/wordpress/vmga-speakers-bureau/
Old November Announcements:
12. Garden Basics Workshop: “Water-Wise Gardening” – The Piedmont Master Gardeners will offer “Water-Wise Gardening,” a free Garden Basics workshop, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, November 21, via Zoom. Participants will learn how to manage water in the landscape efficiently; how to control erosion and runoff; and how to help plants survive in wet, dry and hot conditions. To receive an invitation to the virtual session, register by November 16 at https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/events/ | More info here
13. Soil management and soil health webinar series – Soil Management and Soil Health webinar series from VSU The Zoom webinar series will take place on November 2, 5, 9, 16 and 23, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. More info here.
Old January Announcements:
14. 5th Annual Seed Swap, Central Rappahannock, January 23, 2021 – Save the Date and your Seeds for the Central Rappahannock Area Master Gardeners 5th Annual Seed Swap on January 23, 2021 from 10AM to 1PM in King George. The event is FREE and open to all. More info here.
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.
2. Follow the State Office on social media: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
3. Subscribe to In Season, our quarterly newsletter
4. View our most recent webinar
a. View a recording of our most recent state office webinar – Jamie King on urban forestry
i. https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/webinar-archive/
- Resources for fertilization of lawns and for those involved with Healthy Virginia Lawns programming
- Do you have questions coming in to your Extension Master Gardener program and need to find some answers? Extension Search Resources for EMG Questions
- Every Kid in a Park Program
- Basil Downy Mildew: Occurrence Monitoring and Info Website for Gardeners
- 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.
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- A handout for gardeners about reporting occurrences of BDM and 2 other important diseases: late blight and cucurbit downy mildew.
