Category Archives: Public Education

Regional Gardens: River Farm

Posted on July 6, 2017 by

by Elaine Mills, Certified Master Gardener A number of Master Gardeners recently had the opportunity to tour the gardens at River Farm, the headquarters of the American Horticultural Society. The 25-acre estate, located along the Potomac River in Alexandria,  Virginia,was … Continue reading →

Posted in Public Education, Regional Gardens

Five Annuals for a Pollinator Garden

Posted on June 21, 2017 by

by Mary Free, Certified Master Gardener Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds gravitate to gardens that bloom throughout the growing season and that contain an abundance of the same plant species as well as a diversity of species of … Continue reading →

Posted in MG in the Garden, Pollinators, Public Education

Five Things You Didn’t Know About . . . Annuals

Posted on June 19, 2017 by

by Mary Free, Certified Master Gardener Unlike perennials, which live for more than two years, annual plants sprout, bloom, produce seeds, and die in a single growing season. If the garden was a stage, perennials would be the leads and … Continue reading →

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Two Of My Gardening Book ‘Favs’

Posted on May 30, 2017 by

By Judy Funderburk, Certified Master Gardener Without a doubt, Tracy DiSabato-Aust’s The Well-Tended Perennial Garden is the most useful book I own and, to my mind, one of the most helpful “tools” a gardener can have at hand. Originally published … Continue reading →

Posted in Public Education, The Master Gardeners' Bookshelf

The Meyer Lemon as Houseplant

Posted on May 28, 2017 by

By Christa Watters, Certified Master Gardener Last fall I harvested five beautiful Meyer lemons from a potted dwarf lemon tree I had received as a Christmas present in 2015. Along with the plant came a handsome, generously large pot and … Continue reading →

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Organic Fertilizers: Giving a Jump Start to New Plantings

Posted on May 21, 2017 by

By Kirsten Conrad, Agriculture Natural Resource Extension Agent, Virginia Cooperative Extension Organic Sources of Nitrogen Fertilizers    Most of the soil test results we receive at the  VCE Horticultural Help Desk for vegetable gardens are high in phosphorus and potassium … Continue reading →

Posted in MG in the Garden, Public Education

June 2017 Public Education Events

Posted on May 17, 2017 by

The following are free public education events for June 2017. Printable Flyer–MGNV June 2017 Public Education Events Printable Flyer – Garden Talks at Arlington Central Library 2017 Waterwise Gardening Monday, June 5, 7-8:30 p.m. Fairlington Community Ctr, 3308 S. Stafford St., Arlington, … Continue reading →

Posted in MG in the Garden, Public Education

What’s up with those Cicadas?

Posted on May 15, 2017 by

by Mary Free, Certified Master Gardener If you think it is too early to find the exoskeletons of annual cicadas scattered along the sidewalk, then you are correct. What you see are the exoskeletons of periodical cicadas. Some of the … Continue reading →

Posted in MG in the Garden, Public Education

Five Things You Didn’t Know About . . . Bonsai

Posted on May 8, 2017 by

Compiled by Marsha Mercer, Certified Master Gardener In honor of World Bonsai Day on May 12, we looked into the history and art of bonsai. You may know the proper pronunciation is “bones-eye” or “bone-sigh,” but did you know the … Continue reading →

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Alexandria Earth Day

Posted on May 5, 2017 by

Master Gardener Silvia Boada-Salom organized a contingent of MGNV volunteers to staff a table at this year’s Alexandria Earth Day celebration, held at Lenny Harris Memorial Fields at Braddock Park on Mt. Vernon Ave., on Saturday, April 29, from 10 … Continue reading →

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