December 2007 Unit Reports
AMHERST, CAMPBELL and city of LYNCHBURG (Hill City MGs) Deborah Straw Gracie Lanier	Our School Programs in five of Lynchburg’s City’s Schools have ended for the fall. The programs that were conducted with the 3^rd and 4^th graders included Bees and their Benefits, Composting, and The Life Cycle of Bulbs. The children were instructed on the equipment and procedure for Bee Keeping and were able to taste different flavors of honey. They built compost bins at their respective schools and learned of composts benefits to the garden and the environment. They also planted tulips and pansies in their school gardens for enjoyment through out the winter and spring. The School Programs will resume in late February. Some of the programs will include the children potting up Spider Plants to take home and planting petunias in their respective school gardens. Website – www.hcmga.com
BEDFORD Patty Gamache	Peter Lorenz of the BMG's is working closely with Bedford County (Moneta) Boy Scout's, Lion's and  Ruritan's clubs to create the Moneta Recreation Park (MRP).  Land has been cleared and as soon as weather permits a few Redbuds and Dogwoods in the nearby woods will be dug up and transplanted in the MRP.  To help the Scouts work on their Woodsman Badge, Peter will work closely with the Scouts teaching them how to plant and care for the trees.  Money was donated by BMG's and a concerned citizen to purchase seed trees (crab apple, etc.) to plant that birds would feed on.  Due to the severe drought we encountered this year the tree plantings were postponed to Spring 2008 weather permitting.
CARROLL, GRAYSON and city of GALAX (MGs of the Blue Ridge) Charlie Whittle	Winter weather has halted most project activity on the Blue Ridge. New officer elections were scheduled in conjunction with the annual holiday dinner meeting. There are tentative plans for a rain barrel workshop in the spring. Details will announced later.
CHESAPEAKE Pinky Derieux	VCE Help Desk and Help Desk at local nurseries are shut down until March. Our annual Heritage Arts Festival, held this year on November 2, 3 and 4, was its usual success. On November 2 we conducted Farm Days where we hosted 400 first graders making pine cone bird feeders. November 3 and 4 was open to the public where we featured composting for the homeowner, vermiculture, hydroponics, and ways to feed the birds using a four-foot Xmas tree strung with popcorn and cranberry garlands, dried apple and orange slices and dog and cat fur and sheep wool for lining nests. This was a big hit. Our new intern class starts on January 8. website - www.cmgv.org
CHESTERFIELD Lynn Foote	Chesterfield MGs continue to answer phones, but on a reduced schedule; only 2 times a week. Several opportunities for advanced training have been offered for the MG s: Bartlett Urban Tree Care symposium and pesticide safety. The Advanced Training Committee met and set up the calendar for next year. A new program will be offered by the MGs after all training has been completed: Urban Tree Specialist program. In November, 18 students graduated as Master Gardeners and their mentors provided the refreshments. MGs will assist in distributing materials to restaurants for the Chesapeake Club. Chesterfield County VCE will jointly host 4 rain barrel workshops this spring and the MGs will assist participants in construction. www.chesterfield.gov/extension
FAIRFAX George Graine	FCMGA won a District award entitled “Senior Baby Boomers Garden with the Masters” for the new in 2007 Gardening Classes at Senior Centers. The program was piloted at four out of 13 Senior Centers and will be expanded in 2008 where 5 additional centers will be included in the program. This expansion ups the training sessions from 16 to 54. Some of these sessions will take place during the day and some in the evening. If you desire additional information, contact Susan Renna, susan.renna@fairfaxcounty.gov www.fairfaxmastergardeners.org
FAIRFAX - Green Spring Unit Joan Richards	A class of 25 MG interns completed training in November and signed up for projects for 2008. Among these projects is a new volunteer opportunity called “Adopt a Library” where MGs will adopt a local library branch and arrange to display seasonal gardening demo boards as the library schedule permits. These MGs will make contact with the library manager for these displays and will be responsible for maintaining any brochures or handouts throughout the display period. Another new opportunity is the Written Word committee. This committee will develop outlines and text which will then be developed into demo boards and power point presentations to be available to present to community groups and at Farmers Market information tables. During the year the Speakers Bureau made twelve presentations to various garden clubs and other organizations featuring topics from EcoSavvy Gardening to pruning and herb gardening. Only half of the requests were able to be filled with speakers. The high and low tech committees put together presentations on bulbs, invasive plants, rain gardening, ornamental grasses, and growing more than grasses. MGs have continued to lead garden tours throughout the fall before teas held at the historic house at Green Spring Gardens. MGs will be presenting classes for the public beginning January 18 on invasive plants, composting and vermiculture and the how-to’s of herb gardening for the winter series of basic gardening classes. www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp/
GLOUCESTER Bonnie Bernard	Gloucester has grown from about 40 members to 70 in the last year.  We have been able to begin Horticultural Therapy for a second convalescent home.  Our county has obtained a new park area and our unit will have space for a demonstration garden.  We are continuing to maintain the planters on the Coleman Bridge - they have small Christmas trees for the season at present.
GOOCHLAND, POWHATAN Chuck Miller	Unit activities slow down at the end of the year, and preparations for the next year begin.  We elected new officers for 2008 - Richard Ayers and Mel Brannon were elected co-Coordinators.  Nancy Golden will be our new VMGA representative.  Our annual Transition Meeting was held  Nov. 15.  This is the occasion of transferring responsibility to the new officers and the approval of the next year's projects.  Discussion of problem areas and possible solutions for each approved project highlights this meeting.  It gives us an early start for the new year.  The successful projects from 2007 topped by our Fourth Annual Spring Garden Fest are on the 2008 agenda.  Several changes to the Bylaws were suggested in order to help the organization function more smoothly.  It appears that we have 10 new intern applications for 2008 which is our minimum to hold a class.  Graduation for the 2007 intern class will be at the January 10 meeting. Website - www.gpmga.org
HALIFAX (Southside MGA) Meredith Bowman	Bill McCaleb participated in a pesticide and household waste collections in our Halifax County. Five thousand pounds of pesticides and almost two tones of household waste were removed from the county. Our Beautiful Gardens committee is hard at work at the site, and we are proud of our efforts. One of our dear members, Margaret Gihlstorf, died suddenly this fall, and we will present a gardening book in her memory to the town of Clarksville's library. Our Association won a blue ribbon at the Halifax County Fair in October. The theme," Water Quality in Halifax County" was well received. A new member, Joan Layman, designed an electronic quiz board with questions, answers concerning water quality and other environmental questions. Our education committee is hard at work with 2008 themes which will be connected with recycling and environmental concerns.
HANOVER Christy Brennan	Hanover has been preparing for another Spring Home Gardeners Series. Homeowner's from the Richmond area will come to classes taught by Hanover MG's on Saturday mornings Jan - Mar.  We  have modified our series to include more work shops and have extended the question and answer time per class- this was requested by most of last years attendee's.   Hanover has had enough applicants to have both an afternoon and evening session of New Master Gardener Classes, starting the second week of Jan through Mar. Website - hanovermastergardeners.org
JAMES CITY COUNTY/ WILLIAMSBURG Anne Odle	As host of the December VMGA meeting we had 25 local MG volunteers helping. Thanks to all who attended. New Projects - Mobile MG displayed at 12/8 VMGA meeting, provides participation in any community venue.  Also, Automated Help Desk to get unit feedback. Landscape Love filmed an episode with follow up visit on Cable Channel 48.  If successful a series will follow. Website - www.jccwmg.org.
LOUDOUN Pat Martin	Loudoun County is winding down for the winter.  We are busy planning for next year.  We are meeting with candidates for our new Master Gardener Program which starts February 5th.  We held our annual Holiday Party on December 6th.  We will be offering a series of 4-6 classes in the evenings on topics such as Beginning Gardening and offering them to the public for February.  Website - www.loudouncountymastergardeners.org
NORFOLK Don Snipes	Norfolk tree stewards have wrapped up the street tree inventory for the year.  This involved 900 work hours and 17,000 trees. The barnyard garden at the zoo and the vegetable garden at the Heutte Center have been planted for the winter. Applicants for the 2008 training class are being interviewed. Table top holiday arrangements are being made and will be sold mid-December as a fund raiser for NMGV. Our annual awards luncheon will be held Dec. 19 at Hits In The Park Restaurant at Harbor Park. website - www.nmgv.org
NORTHUMBERLAND, LANCASTER, RICHMOND, WESTMORELAND and ESSEX (Northern Neck) Julie Denny	The Northern Neck Master Gardeners will have the along awaited handbook for sale early in the New Year.  The title is "Gardening in the Northern Neck:  A Handbook for Responsible Gardeners."  The book is a compilation of tips and hints for gardening success in our sandy/clay soils and moderate temperatures along the Bay.  It was written, illustrated, and edited by our Northern Neck Master Gardeners volunteers.  The printing was done locally.  Details on price and availability will be made soon. On March 29, 2008, the Northern Neck Master Gardeners will be presenting our annual Spring seminar entitled "Gardening in the Northern Neck."  The speakers and their topics will be announced shortly.  A field trip is scheduled to sites that demonstrate some of the issues/solutions following the seminar.    Our 3rd Grade after school program, called SUMS - Students using Math and Science - has been a wonderful success.  This is the 7th year of working with the Lancaster Primary School.  The students learn everything from tool safety, nutrition, insects, birds, how to work in the garden and prepare for winter and spring.   We have a special program specific to Farming in the Northern Neck which teaches the children what our local farmers produce and where the products go.  In April, we will have an open house where the students give tours of the garden to family members and school faculty. website - www.nnmg.org
ROANOKE, BOTETOURT, CRAIG and city of ROANOKE Kathryn Debnar	Congratulations to our neighbors, the Master Gardeners in Franklin County!  They have just published a new gardening book, and it is a very good read. We ended the year with our annual Holiday House Fund Raiser which was very successful.  We followed that with the closing event of the calendar year, our holiday dinner.   We look forward to a grand new year of gardening.
ROCKBRIDGE, BATH (Rockbridge Area MGs) Ted Jenks	Preparations are proceeding well for our next training class, which will begin in January. Even though we had our largest class ever last year with 23 students, we are very pleased to now have 12 applicants for this class. Our newsletter team over the last four years of Kate Jenks and Connie Schmoll has decided to “retire” and is turning the newsletter over to a new team of Sherry Smith and Gerri Wenz starting in January.
VIRGINIA BEACH Paul Campbell	On 1 November, Virginia Beach added 28 new energetic interns to our rolls as a result of the graduating class. They have quickly and efficiently entered our volunteer workforce to assist in many projects. Harvest Fair and Farm Days are traditional Events at the Farmers Market where VB MGs have routinely assisted with the Children’s activities at these events. This year Harvest Fair was attended by over 9,000 folks interested in agriculture, natural resources, and a variety of fun events for children. The Virginia Dare Soil and Water District conducted Farm Days with approximately 800 first grade students from eight Virginia Beach Schools participating. This event provided the opportunity for the students to participate in several educational stops to learn about agriculture, farm animals, and natural resources. The new President of the VBMGA is Fran Shelton. As many of you are aware, Fran has held a variety of positions in Virginia Beach, within the State organization and the MG College Advisory Team. website - www.vbmg.org