(Posted June 18, 2025) Did you have a cup of coffee this morning? A banana or blueberries with your cereal? Then thank a pollinator. This week—June 16-22—is National Pollinator Week, a time to celebrate all the essential gifts that pollinators bring to us, including a...
The Piedmont Master Gardeners Association provides science-based horticulture and gardening information to the community of Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville.
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Help Combat Food Insecurity
Our program helps you put your garden’s extra bounty
to good use by sharing it with these local food banks and food pantries.
Upcoming PMG Events
Garden Basics: Resilient Gardening
How do we adapt our gardens to handle a changing world and more extreme weather? Learn how to meet the challenges of unpredictability in your garden and weather extremes such… Read More »Garden Basics: Resilient Gardening
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Find out moreTrinity Episcopal Church,
1118 Preston Avenue
Charlottesville, VA United States
+ Google MapCharlottesville, VA United States
Albemarle County Fair’s Agriculture and Home Arts Contests
Gardeners, fruit growers, brewers, bakers, beekeepers, wine makers, artists, photographers, and crafters are invited to enter the agriculture and home arts contests for this year’s Albemarle County Fair, July 31… Read More »Albemarle County Fair’s Agriculture and Home Arts Contests
Strategies for Environmentally Friendly Lawn Substitutes
Maintaining a lawn can be labor intensive and environmentally challenging—but what are the alternatives? Piedmont Master Gardener Janette Martin will present options for reducing your lawn and making it more… Read More »Strategies for Environmentally Friendly Lawn Substitutes
The Center at Belvedere,
540 Belvedere Boulevard
Charlottesville, VA United States
+ Google MapCharlottesville, VA United States
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A Lifetime of Learning
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Timely Topics
Compost: Turn Your Garbage into Gold
May 4 through 10 is International Compost Awareness Week, aimed worldwide to raise public awareness on why we all should compost our organics and use compost in our yards and gardens to create healthier soil. This year, the Piedmont Master Gardeners are doing their...
Protecting Darkness at Night, and Why Gardeners Should Care
April 21-28, the week of this month’s new moon, is International Dark Sky Week. This is a worldwide celebration of darkness at night. It is also part of an effort to build awareness about the harmful impact of light pollution on humans and wildlife, including birds...
Ask a Master Gardener
Controlling Groundhogs in the Garden
Question: Groundhogs have taken over my vegetable garden and eaten some crops almost entirely. How do I get rid of them and how do I prevent the problem from happening again? By Carolyn Huyghe, Piedmont Master Gardener Intern Gardeners work diligently to tend their...
Red Imported Fire Ants in Virginia
Question: Red imported fire ants (RIFA) have been reported in southeastern Virginia and some Virginia cities and counties have been placed under quarantine. Are these ants spreading to other areas in the State, including Albemarle County? What do we need to know about...
Planning a Vegetable Garden Irrigation System
Q: I am planning to install a raised bed vegetable garden irrigation system. What are some things I should be considering? By Kathryn Schick, Piedmont Master Gardener Intern Irrigation systems can be a game-changer for home gardeners looking to maximize efficiency...
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Alert: Invasive Plants, Insects, and Diseases
Vascular Streak Dieback: Threat to Redbuds and Dogwoods
You may wonder why you haven’t seen many flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida) or Eastern Redbuds (Cercis canadensis) in local nurseries lately. This is likely due to concern about Vascular Streak Dieback, a fungal infection attacking these and other trees.
Spotted Lanternfly
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), a potentially serious pest of grapes, peaches, hops and a variety of other crops, is now widespread in the Charlottesville-Albemarle County area. It is no longer necessary to report sightings to Virginia Cooperative Extension. Also, the Virginia Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine is no longer in effect. Click this button to learn more about this pest and VCE’s management recommendations.
Red Imported Fire Ants
Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) entered Virginia in 1989 and were first reported in Albemarle County in November 2024. They swarm and attack aggressively when their colony is disturbed, posing a danger to humans and livestock. They also damage agricultural crops and can girdle young trees with their hills. For now, Charlottesville and Albemarle County remain outside the state’s recently expanded fire ant quarantine area. Click here to learn more about this invasive species and how to identify it.
