Biweekly Update – May 30

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New Announcements

Master Gardener College registration is now closed. We look forward to seeing everyone next week! Please check your inbox for the “Know Before You Go” email. That will have all the details you need as you plan your trip to Virginia Tech’s Campus.

  1. 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. July 20 at 10:30 am – Hydroponics: Industry to Home Use, Dr. Josh Kardos, VT SPES. This talk will introduce hydroponics, discuss the pros and cons, describe various systems used and crops grown, highlight the industry, and describe how you can grow hydroponically at home. Register for the July webinar here
    2. August 18th at 10am – Forest Health Update, Lori Chamberlin VDOF. Learn about 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. Our speaker, Lori Chamberlin, is the Forest Health Manager for the Virginia Department of Forestry. Register for August webinar here
  2. Henrico County Celebration of Pollinators – June 1-30, 2023  Recognizing National pollinator Week (June 19-25, 2023) and reinforcing many of its own strategic initiatives in supporting pollinator health in Virginia, the Henrico County Virginia Cooperative Extension office , and its contingent of volunteer Extension Master Gardeners have planned a month-long celebration of pollinators commencing in June to educate, enlighten, and inspire Henrico County citizens about pollinators and their vital place in our daily lives and world. The events are free to attend:
    1. Saturday, June 3, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Henrico Master Gardeners Spring Plant Sale and Pollinator Festival at Deep Run Park, 9900 Ridgefield Parkway
    2. Saturday, June 10, 10 a.m.-noon: Pollinators at the Park at Short Pump Park Pollinator Garden, 3329 Pump Road;
    3. Thursday, June 22, 7 p.m.: Screening of the documentary film My Garden of a Thousand Bees in the Board Room at Henrico County Government Center, 4301 E. Parham Road; and
    4. Sunday, June 25, 1-3 p.m.: Pollinators at the Park in the Butterfly Garden at Armour House & Gardens at Meadowview Park, 4001 Clarendon Road. In addition, residents will be able to take advantage of several programs and activities that will last throughout June: • Pollinator Lego Expo: Youth ages 5 to 19 are encouraged to assemble a pollinator-inspired Lego creation and submit a digital image and description. Prizes will be awarded in three categories; • Pollinator Displays at the Tuckahoe, Libbie Mill, Fairfield and Varina libraries
    5. Henrico Master Gardeners Plant Clinics, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays at Strange’s Florists, Greenhouses and Garden Centers, 12111 W. Broad St.
    6. For more information, visit: https://henrico.ext.vt.edu/news/celebration_of_pollinators_2023.html and view the flyer here

Old June Announcements

  1. 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
  2. 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
  1. Gardening in the Valley Garden Tour – Northern Shenandoah Valley – June 24, 2023 – Tickets are now on sale for the 2023 Gardening in the Valley Tour, hosted by Virginia Cooperative Extension with support from the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association. The tour is June 24, 2023, from 9am–4pm, rain or shine.
    1. The gardens on this year’s tour include formal garden spaces, herb gardens, native plant areas, pollinator gardens, water features, art, and more. The featured gardens are: Warren Heritage Society Gardens (101 Chester St., Front Royal), The Blue House (Downtown Front Royal), Tall Oaks (approx. 1.5 miles east of I-81 in Frederick County), Montevento (approx. 5 miles west of Berryville in Clarke County)
    2. Additional information and advance tickets ($10 each) are online at http://nsvmga.org/events/garden-tour/

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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