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June 2008 Unit Reports
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AMHERST, CAMPBELL and city of LYNCHBURG (Hill City MGA) Deborah Straw Gracie Lanier
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Our School Programs in five of Lynchburg’s City’s Schools are done for this spring. Programs included Houseplants and Geography; Insects, the Good and the Bad; Composting; All About Seeds; Birds of Virginia; and planting the school beds with wave petunias. Our Master Gardeners are now helping children plant their gardens at several Community Centers in the city.
Festival of Gardening, our only fund raising event, held on May 3rd, was a huge success. The event included a huge plant sale, a bake sale, a used and new book sale, garden art and various demos and speakers.
We graduated 25 Master Gardener Trainees into our newest Interns. They are busy helping with the summer programs as well as staffing our booth at Lynchburg’s Community Market and answering the phone at the office. We serve as information bases for our residents when it comes to gardening questions. Website – www.hcmga.com |
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BEDFORD Patty Gamache |
Bedford MGs in conjunction with D-Day personnel took part in a youth program for a Victory Garden at the National “D-Day” Memorial in Bedford during the 2007 growing season. Due to the networking and information received at MG college in 2006, Bedford MGs were able to start their first youth program teaching soil preparation, seed germination, beneficial and non beneficial insects, birds /bird houses, weather factors and more. Our Victory Garden, on March 3, 2008, was awarded the “National Gardening Award”. There were over 700 entries around the country and Bedford MG’s are proud to have been a part, however small, in helping the youth win this award. Bedford MGs give a heartfelt thank you for MG College and the shared knowledge received from fellow MGs. |
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CHESTERFIELD Lynn Foote
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The Chesterfield MGs started May off with a potluck picnic to meet and greet new seedlings and all perennials. May 9 was VCE Staff Appreciation Day at Maymont and everyone had an enjoyable time. The Urban Tree Specialist program continues to do training. The Grass Roots program has approximately 300 applicants and will take applications until June 1. The Gardening for New Residents program has approximately 30 applicants and will take 18 more.
June will be another busy month with MGs answering the phone line every day and workshops at garden centers on pollinators celebrating National Pollinator Week. Posters were sent to all Chesterfield Parks on “One Way to Help the James River”. If anyone would like copies we would be glad to share. These posters focus on easy ways citizens can help the river and bay (no spring fertilization of lawns, only water down the storm drain, and planting natives) we also have postcard sized handouts about using rain barrels to conserve water and reduce runoff. The MGs also helped with the James River Cleanup on June 14 at 3 different sites. |
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FAIRFAX George Graine
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We are hard at work doing plant clinics, about 20/week from May to the end of September. This adds up to more than 400 plant clinics at farmers markets and county libraries (17 locations) during the prime growing season. Of course we still answer questions at the MG Help Desk at our Extension Office and this activity is performed year 'round. www.fairfaxmastergardeners.org |
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FAIRFAX - Green Spring Unit Joan Richards |
All 120 plus Green Spring MGs met in April with Sandra Reichert, our MG coordinator and Adria Bordas, VCE agent for Fairfax County, to establish an annual recertification process. Annual dues were required for the first time. All hands had the opportunity to sign up for volunteer projects they deem interesting to them. Also discussed was the opportunity to donate to the Endowment for the State Master Gardener Coordinator position. A total sum of $800.00 was received and will be presented at MG College at Virginia Tech.
Fairfax County Farmers Markets started May 3 and continue each Saturday through November 15. MG volunteers have a table at two of the markets and are prepared to discuss gardening problems and answer questions.
Garden Strolls conducted by MGs continue several times weekly at Green Spring Gardens. Recent groups included an educational sorority, a Baltimore garden club and a red hat group. Some of the groups continue on to a Tea at the Historic Manor House at Green Spring Gardens.
Over a dozen MGs have presented topics to garden clubs and community groups this spring covering topics such as eco-savvy gardening, container gardening and perennials. www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp |
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FLUVANNA JoAnne Henry |
The Fluvanna County Office Complex Help Desk and the help desk at the Fluvanna Pleasant Grove Farmers Market are very busy. Many Master Gardeners are working on the Holland Page House Garden at Pleasant Grove with a focus on using native plants. The new Community Garden at Pleasant Grove is open and "helping hands" similar to the ones used at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, have been created. These “hands” acknowledge individuals, corporations, etc. who have contributed to the creation of the Community Garden. The "hands" will be inserted into the ground throughout the garden. This is a way to make visual the many supporters of the new Community Garden.
The Fluvanna Master Gardeners’ Annual Plant Sale was held in May and was a wonderful success. We look forward to expanding this effort for Spring 2009. |
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Halifax (Southside MGA) Meridith Bowman |
Southside Master Gardeners created a recycling education
program for the community to sell reusable shopping bags. The Halifax County
Improvement Council gave us a grant of $1,000.00 to help educate our citizens
about the waste and litter of plastic bags. At this time we have sold over
2,000 bags and have ordered another 500. GREEN is the word and so are
our bags. |
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Hanover Christy Brennan |
Hanover Master Gardeners had a well-attended Spring
Membership Meeting with John Wise as a guest speaker speaking about the
Beautiful Gardens Project. The meeting included the Graduation of 27
new interns and celebration of Milestone Achievement Awards. Ten
Hanover Master Gardeners have reached 250 hours, 1 MG 500 hours, 1 at 1000
hours, and 1 MG has an unbelievable 6000 hours! Hanover has been participating in several plant clinics
throughout the Richmond area and has reported over 500 contacts.
The Master Gardeners are busy volunteering around several gardens in the area
as well as helping staff Lewis Ginter and Maymont garden ad educational
events. |
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NORFOLK Don Snipes |
Our Spring Plant Sale, held in conjunction with the Stockley Gardens Arts Festival, was a big success. We have completed tree seeding at the Norfolk City Nursery. If the germination is successful we will have 5 varieties of trees to give away at our Arbor Day distribution in October.
Replacing old, inappropriate trees under utility lines in the median on Granby St. were Redbud, Fringe Tree, Styrax, Kousa Dogwood, Flowering Cherry and Stewartia. This was a joint effort by many partners including Norfolk master gardeners and tree stewards.
The Green Thumb Lecture Series for Hampton Roads homeowners was conducted by MGs from Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach this spring. This year was not as successful as past years.
The Beautiful Gardens project of plant evaluation at Norfolk Botanical Garden has been an on-off affair. We will have a training session conducted by Lisa Lipsey of Virginia Tech in late June. Hopefully this will help to get us back on track. This year for the first time we will have a brag board at Master Gardener College featuring Norfolk Zoological Park. www.nmgv.org |
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ROANOKE, BOTETOURT and CRAIG Kathryn Debnar |
We welcome Sheri Dorn to the Extension Agent, Agriculture position! Sheri began her employment on April 25. She is the former VCE State MG Coordinator and editor of the state MG Coordinator Manual and the volunteer chapter of the MG Handbook. She and her husband have owned a landscape business for many years in Blacksburg. |
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