Master Gardener College
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia
June 25-28, 2020
Master Gardener College will take place online year using ZOOM videoconferencing. This format presents a wonderful opportunity for Master Gardeners who have never attended this event at Virginia Tech’s campus in Blacksburg. Registration is $50, and of course there are no travel expenses. When you register for College, you have the option of attending sessions live AND watching recorded sessions later. Once all session recordings are posted, you will have access to 20+ sessions! Registration will start in early May. Click here for more information and to register.
Virginia Cooperative Extension Webinar
Vegetable Gardening ResourcesÂ
https://video.vt.edu/media/1_8a3li9d2
Designing for Nature at Home: Two Experts Converse
Douglas Tallamy and Larry Weaner
Co-sponsored by: New Directions in American Landscaping (NDAL), The American Horticultural Association (AHA), and Wild Ones – Native Plants, Natural Landscapes
Thursday, May 28th
1:30 – 2:30 PM EST
Interestingly, the most influential person in contemporary garden design today may very well be entomologist Douglas Tallamy. By bringing popular attention to inextricable links between native flora and fauna, Douglas has changed how countless people garden. Nationally acclaimed Landscape Designer Larry Weaner will interview Douglas about the fine points of residential-scale habitat creation. Larry and Douglas will also compare notes on their experiences engaging with landscapes and gardeners through the lenses of their respective disciplines. Cost is $25.
Register now
Blue Ridge PRISM (Partnership for Invasive Species Management)
Invasive Plant Workshops
Event planning needs to remain flexible in the face of Covid 19. The May and June PRISM events have already been switched to a FREE videoconferencing format through ZOOM. Registration is still required. For events planned for dates after June 30, refer to the website for updated details.
Blandy Experimental Farm – Boyce
Saturday May 30 (1:00 – 5:00pm)  –  REGISTER HERE (ZOOM VIDEOCONFERENCING)
Wednesday October 7 (1:00 – 5:00pm) – REGISTER HERE
Ivy Creek Natural Area
Saturday June 20 (1:00 – 5:00pm)       – REGISTER HERE (ZOOM VIDEOCONFERENCING)
Thursday October 22 (1:00 – 5:00pm)  – REGISTER HERE
Rockfish Valley – Nellysford
Wednesday June 10 (1:00 – 5:00pm)  – REGISTER HERE (ZOOM VIDEOCONFERENCING)
Piedmont Master Gardeners
Most Public Events Have Been Cancelled, including the May and June Through the Garden Gate tours.  However, the Garden Gate tours for July and September are still on the schedule at this time.  Be sure to check back to ascertain the status of those tours before heading out the door.
Through the Garden Gate
The Garden at Cargil Lane
Saturday, July 11
9:00 am – 12:00 noon
718 Cargil Lane
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Built in 1938, the original house had extensive gardens and a greenhouse that,over time, became abandoned and overrun by wild grape and wisteria. Ten years ago, the owners began to clear the overgrowth, and design and plant the one-acre property. It borders a pond and stream, so wildlife is plentiful. A deer fence installed in 2019 has made a significant difference in planting options and protects a water garden; outside the fence, the garden features deer-resistant plants. No registration is required. Admission is $5 and can be paid at the garden. For more information, click here.
The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen
40th Annual Spring Wildflower Symposium
3421 Wintergreen Drive
Roseland, VA 22967
Phone: 434-325-8169; Email: info@twnf.org
Originally scheduled for May 15-17. Â NOW scheduled for first weekend in October
Check here for details.
At-Home Activities
Although we may not have the comfort of our regular routines, the interruption might be used to try out new activities. Work on projects that will enhance the biodiversity and environmental health of your property:
- plant native species (see this link for plants native to the Piedmont)
- weed out invasive species
- create pollinator habitats
- learn how to build houses for bluebirds or mason bees
- decrease lawn area with plantings
- build a brush pile to benefit wildlife (see this link for details)
Our thanks for these suggestions to our friends in the Rivanna Master Naturalists Chapter.