Biweekly Update – May 4, 2023

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New Announcements

  1. Master Gardener College registration open NOW!
    1. Registration is now open for Master Gardener College! We have a phenomenal lineup of speakers, tours, and workshops this year for College. This is a great experience for learning and for connecting with fellow EMGs throughout the state.

                              i.      Register for the conference here

                             ii.      Register for on-campus lodging here

                             iii.      Learn more about EMGC and view the program here

    1. Tree Steward training is now full! Thank you!
  2. EMG Webinar Series 2023: The EMG monthly webinar series has returned! We look forward to bringing you a wide range of new and interesting topics. All webinars will be recorded and posted to our website (https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/webinar-archive/). Please plan to register for each webinar:
    1. Friday, May 12 at 1:00 pm –  Invasive Plant Management, Dr. Laurie Fox Dr. Laurie Fox will give a presentation on invasive plant management and answer questions on the topic. This presentation will be available as a MG resource after the webinar. Register here
    2. Save the Date: 

                                i. July 20th webinar with VT School for Plant & Environmental Sciences professor, Dr. Josh Kardos. Topic and registration link coming soon.

                                ii. August 18th at 10am webinar with Lori Chamberlin, the Forest Health Manager for the Virginia Department of Forestry. This Virginia forest health update will cover the most common pests and diseases in Virginia’s forests. This presentation will teach participants how to identify forest health disturbance agents, and how to prevent damage. Registration link coming soon.

  1. Submit a brag board for EMGC 2023! Highlight your unit’s unique projects and events! Create a short PowerPoint presentation for display during EMGC. Ask your agent or coordinator for details on submitting. You do not need to attend College to create a brag board.
  2. Virginia Native Plants Plant Sale June 10th, 2023 Blacksburg, VA (During EMGC)
    1. Please join fellow native plant enthusiast/gardeners at the New River Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society Plant Sale on June 10th from 9:30 to 1:30 pm. Just four blocks behind Cabo Fish Taco restaurant at the Price House, SEEDS, corner of 107 Wharton Street and Lee Street, Blacksburg VA 24060. rain or shine View the list of native plants on our website https://vnps.org/newriver/native-plant-sale/ Other vendors and exhibitors will be present such as the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. More info here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JFJ2mq6WXftc70f2Pw7JViO0WQeCQFED/view?usp=share_link
  3. VMGA Scholarships available to Master Gardener College 2023
    1. The Virginia Master Gardener Association (VMGA) is offering scholarships to Master Gardener College this June. Please reach out to your Agent or Coordinator for application information and additional details. The Scholarship recognizes those volunteers who have demonstrated exceptional potential in their local Units and is part of VMGA’s educational mission. It’s awarded to deserving Extension Master Gardeners (EMGs) to help them in their continuing education efforts through attendance at EMGC and to increase the number of EMGs able to attend the conference. Any interested active EMG is eligible for nomination; financial need is not a required criterion. Trainees, interns, and prior VMGA Scholarship recipients are not eligible. This year’s Scholarships are intended to cover most of the costs to attend EMGC. Nominations are accepted through midnight May 7th 2023.

Old May Announcements

  1. HCMGA 21st Annual Festival of Gardening – May 6, 2023 – Riverside Park, 2238 Rivermont Ave., Lynchburg
    1.  The Hill City Master Gardener Association’s 21st annual Festival of Gardening (FOG)will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 1 p.m. at Riverside Park in Lynchburg on Saturday, May 6. Many categories of plants will be available for sale including popular favorites such as Herbs, Tomatoes, Vegetables, and Native plants. Also available will be Annuals, Container gardens, Trees and Shrubs, Groundcovers, Tropicals, and Houseplants. Master Gardeners grow these selections from seed or from divisions from their own gardens and house plant collections. Plants are potted, hardened off, and nurtured until time to offer them for sale at FOG. For more information, go to www.hcmga.com.
  2. Popular Plant Sale Returns – May 6, 2023 from 9:00 am-12:00pm – Williamsburg Botanical Garden
    1. James City County Williamsburg Master Gardener Association (JCCWMGA) is hosting a plant sale on Saturday, May 6 from 9 am to 12 pm at the Williamsburg Botanical Garden (WBG) located within Freedom Park at 5537 Centerville Road. This sale runs only on Saturday, May 6, rain, or shine. Admission to the WBG and parking in Freedom Park are free.
    2. The sale offers a wide selection of annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, trees, and shrubs. Much of the plant stock has been raised by the Master Gardeners themselves. In addition to plants, visitors can shop the Green Thumb Market for gently used tools, equipment, and specialty items to perk up their garden décor.
  3. Culinary Herbs, May 15, 2023, 7:00 pm Zoom
    1. VIRGINIA BEACH MASTER GARDENERS PRESENT GARDENING TALKS: Join us on Monday, May 15, 2023, at 7 pm via ZOOM for a Gardening Talks presentation on: Culinary Herbs: Presented by Cyndi Wyskiewicz, VCE Agent, Portsmouth: Sweet or spicy, pungent or mild, herbs add distinctive flavor and aroma to our food. They can also be an easy addition to the garden, providing you with abundant harvests.  Cyndi will talk about how to grow, harvest and use these versatile plants.
    2. Gardening Talks is presented via Zoom and is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.  No registration is required.   Gardening Talks are one hour.  Go to VBMG.org and click on the Zoom link!  Check out upcoming Gardening Talks for 2023 as you explore our website!
  1. Louisa County Backyard Gardening Seminar Series
    1. The Louisa County Master Gardeners present their 2023 Backyard Gardening Seminar Series. These seminars take place one Saturday a month from 10:30 – 11:30am at the Louisa Co. Public Library. The next sessions include:
  • April 15: Planning a cut flower garden
  • May 20: Container Gardening
  • June 17: Irrigation and Water Conservation
  • July 15: Vegetable Garden Diseases and Stress
  • August 19: Native, Invasive and Riparian Gardening
  • For more information call, 540-967-3422 ext 7619 or email: louisamg@gmail.com

Old June Announcements

  1. International Master Gardener Conference 2023 – June 18-22, 2023
    1. Registration is open for the 2023 International Master Gardener Conference in Kansas this June. Early registration of $397 runs through March 1. It includes 5 keynote speaker presentations, 8 rounds of concurrent sessions, a trade show and 6 meals. If you enjoyed our 2021 virtual conference in Virginia, you’re sure to love the opportunities that are available during this in person conference! Learn more at www.imgc2023.com.

Old Announcements

  1. Results Released for First Survey of Native Plants at Roanoke Nurseries Gardeners now have a snapshot of where to find native plants in the Roanoke area. Members of the Roanoke Master Gardeners, Roanoke Master Naturalists, Blue Ridge Wildflower Society, Plant SWVA Natives, and other dedicated gardeners surveyed all independent general nurseries, not including big box stores, within the Roanoke Valley who offer native plants for sale.
    1. The survey was conducted in Spring 2022 to include plants native to the SWVA mountain region, as well as some plants native to nearby regions, such as North Carolina and the eastern portion of Virginia. The survey included cultivars (cultivated varieties of native plants) offered for sale. Each cultivar was evaluated by the team to determine whether the cultivar appeared to have a similar ecological benefit for pollinators. These results were then compiled for the benefit of the public and can be found here: https://www.plantvirginianatives.org/native-plant-nursery-survey
    2. Other groups are welcome to use the materials developed for this project to conduct a survey in their area. For more information, contact Sharon Burnham at 540-343-0080 or at seabird66@cox.net.
  1. “BMPs in Turfgrass” Trainings: Dr. Mike Goatley, Extension Turfgrass Specialist, has recorded and posted best management practices in turfgrass training material divided into two sections (Part 1 and Part 2) on the Virginia Tech Turfgrass web site: https://turf.spes.vt.edu/.  To access these trainings, go to the Turf webpage (turf.spes.vt.edu/). Click on the Menu drop down and then expand the Extension Tab. Select the “VCE Master Gardener Volunteer Training” tab to access the recordings and accompanying handouts. You can also go to the MG page directly: https://turf.spes.vt.edu/Extension/VCE-MGVolTraining.html
    1. Many more updates etc. are planned in the coming weeks and months. You can bookmark the VT Turf website and check back periodically for these improvements!
  1. Extension Master Gardener handbook (2023 edition) now available!
    1. Revisions and updates to the EMG Training Handbook have been completed. The 2023 edition of the handbook can be downloaded by visiting: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/112743. The digital textbook version has been published and can be found here: https://pressbooks.lib.vt.edu/emgtraining/. The print version will follow shortly, more details will be provided in April.
    2. Many thanks to all who assisted in this undertaking. We appreciate all our editors, authors, and contributors!

Posted in biweekly update.

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