New Announcements
1. We want your feedback on Master Gardener College! Are you unable to attend? Let us know why! Have you attended for years and have suggestions for improvements? Let us know! Help us make our College event more accessible to everyone. Take the survey here. https://vce.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8kNBuPMEaQIwd5s
a. The brag board slideshow from EMGC 2023 is available here: https://youtu.be/S3se5DBwcAE
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:
a. 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
b. 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
3. All About Herbs! – 7/20/2023 – Prince Edward Extension Office, 100 Dominion Dr., Farmville, VA
a. Join the Heart of Virginia Master Gardeners for a Free Program All about Herbs! Lunch Included on July 20, 2023 10 am – 1 pm Participants will have the opportunity to learn hands-on, take product home, and ask questions of the experts. Herb garden design: plan your garden, identify herbs, transplanting basics DIY with herbs: floral design, make and take sachet Cooking and drying herbs: learn to cook with herbs, taste lavender cookies, dry basil Call to register by July 14th: 434-392-4246
Old June Announcements
4. Louisa County Backyard Gardening Seminar Series
a. 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:
· 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. 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:
a. Pollinator Displays at the Tuckahoe, Libbie Mill, Fairfield and Varina libraries
b. Henrico Master Gardeners Plant Clinics, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays at Strange’s Florists, Greenhouses and Garden Centers, 12111 W. Broad St.
c. For more information, visit: https://henrico.ext.vt.edu/news/celebration_of_pollinators_2023.html and view the flyer here
Old Announcements
5. 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.
a. 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
b. 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.
6. “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
c. 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!
7. Extension Master Gardener handbook (2023 edition) now available!
d. 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.
e. Many thanks to all who assisted in this undertaking. We appreciate all our editors, authors, and contributors!