Monthly Archives: May 2025

Biweekly Update – May 8

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New Announcements

 

  1. 2025 Extension Master Gardener College Save the Date: June 10-15 in Blacksburg!
    REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

  2. Plant sale list! Check our list of 2025 plant sales and find one to visit!
  3. Webinar Series
    • May 29, 11:00am-12:15pm | May EMG Webinar: Pesticides and the Pest Management Puzzle (rescheduled from May 6) With Stephanie Blevins, Extension Associate for Pesticide Safety Education. This session will give an overview of integrated pest management (IPM) and discuss how pesticides fit into IPM programs. We’ll cover IPM control methods and how to safely use pesticides when they are selected to aid in pest control. Join us for an informative presentation and Q&A session with Virginia Tech’s expert!
    • Register for the May 29 webinar here
    • All webinars are recorded and posted in the webinar archive
  4. Louisa – Mineral Farmer’s Market 2025 Backyard Gardening for Kids: Hands-on gardening sessions for kids held at the Mineral Farmers Market on the following Saturdays from 8:00am – 12pm.  No cost to attend.   https://www.louisacvmg.org/events-calendar
    • June 7 – Planting Flower Seeds
    • July 5 – Chia or Grass Hair on Face pots
    • Aug 2 – Planting Succulents
    • Sept 14 – Bird seed Feeders 
  5. Virginia Beach Urban Forestry Update: Join us on Monday, June 2, 2025, at 7 pm via ZOOM for a Gardening Talks presentation on:
    • Virginia Beach Urban Forestry Update:  The Virginia Beach City Council recently adopted the updated Urban Forest Management Plan.  The Speaker will address the document’s details. She will discuss some fun projects that are in process regarding urban forestry education. With proper management, the benefits of the urban forest increase every year as trees grow and thrive. Virginia Beach’s urban forest is a vital component of the city’s infrastructure, as important as efficient transportation and clean water.
    • The Presenter Brooke Costanza, is the Virginia Beach City Arborist.  She began her career in NY City with the National Park Service as a Vegetation Biological Technician. From there she was a Forester with NYC Parks Forestry, progressing to Director of the agency and Acting Director of Queens Forestry, overseeing an urban forestry staff of 65. Moving to Pittsburg PA, she became a Parks Maintenance Manager for Frick Park. She moved to VB after accepting the City Arborist position.  She is the co-chair of the SE Virginia Urban Forestry Roundtable.
    • 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 2025 as you explore our website! 
  6. The Heart of Virginia Master Gardeners‘ invite you to join us on July 24th at noon at the Prince Edward Extension Office for informative Lunch & Learn sessions:
    • It’s All in the Soil – 6/5
    • Let’s Compost! – 7/24
    • Planning Your Fall Garden – 8/7
    • Lawn Renovation – 9/4

 

Old May Announcements

  1. Patrick Co. Master Gardener’s Annual Plant Sale – May 10, 2025 8-12 noon – StuarRotary, main building 264 Woodland Dr.  Stuart, VA  24171
  2. Louisa EMG – Backyard Gardening Seminar: Trees & Shrubs – Saturday, May 10, 2025, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 noon, Louisa County Library, 881 Davis Highway, Mineral, VA 23117 – Join the Louisa Master Gardeners for a comprehensive Backyard Gardening seminar on planning, planting, and pruning trees and shrubs! Learn valuable tips on selecting the right trees or shrubs for your landscape, proper planting techniques, and essential pruning methods to ensure healthy growth and beautiful blooms. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced gardener, this session will provide valuable insights to help your shrubs thrive. For additional information, please contact us at louisamg@gmail.com.

 

 

Old Announcements

  1. Allium leafminer – Participate in a citizen science project to monitor the spread of this new pest of alliums!
  2. NICH Infographics – A great advocacy resource if you need to explain the value of plants in different settings!
  3. National EMG Survey for IPM Knowledge, Motivation, and Training: We invite you to participate in a short, anonymous survey to help us better understand the experiences, knowledge, and motivations of Extension Master Gardener volunteers like you, being conducted by Clemson University.
  4. Your input will help:
  5. Assess knowledge and confidence in Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
  6. Identify motivations and barriers to volunteering
  7. Improve training and support for current and future volunteers
  8. The survey takes approximately 15–20 minutes to complete and is entirely voluntary. No personal information will be collected, and your responses will remain confidential. Our goal is to collect 50 responses from each state. The survey is open from April 21, 2025 until June 1, 2025. Link to survey: https://clemson.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9SSC6x9uN4Ip1bg