Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia
40 Years of Growing Gardens and Gardeners
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! Veterans Memorial Rose Garden in Norwich, Connecticut is located on two acres of gently sloping land in Mohegan Park and displays ~2,500 rose bushes in 120 varieties. A video shows a common eastern bumble bee and a longhorn beetle foraging for pollen on neighboring roses in the garden.
The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) in Washington, DC marked its 200th anniversary in 2020. Then, in February of this year, the USBG opened a two-part major exhibition, “Deeply Rooted, Branching Outward,” giving visitors an opportunity to examine historic images of the garden and learn about plant exploration through the years, as well as to discover how the garden works today. Unfortunately, celebratory events planned for the anniversary have been cancelled because of the pandemic restrictions. Learn more about the garden through this informative article.
This October marks the 50th anniversary of Green Spring Gardens, a public park in nearby Fairfax County, Virginia, whose landscaping and educational programs focus on practical horticultural techniques appropriate for home gardeners in the Washington, DC area. The Gardens had originally scheduled a large celebration to mark the milestone but the in-person event has been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the meantime, learn all about this local treasure in this informative article by Extension Master Gardener Elaine Mills.
Holiday lights make winter gardens glow - learn about four regional gardens with holiday light shows.
Here's part 2 of Elaine Mills' journey to southern gardens, in both Georgia and North Carolina. Enjoy some of the unusual natives she discovered on her trip there.
Join Extension Master Gardener Elaine Mills on her recent trip to North Carolina and Georgia as she explored four public gardens and gained new knowledge about native plants, some indigenous to the Mid-Atlantic and others to the Southeast.
By Extension Master Gardener Elaine Mills Photos by Elaine Mills July 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the opening of Brookside Gardens, the award-winning public garden situated within Wheaton Regional …
Ladew Topiary Gardens is known around the world for its topiary and flower gardens. See the gardens through the eyes and camera of Extension Master Gardener Elaine Mills.
Explore Winterthur Garden through the eyes of Extension Master Gardener Elaine Mills. Winterthur is an excellent destination for a day trip or weekend away from Northern Virginia. The former estate of Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969), a horticulturalist and renowned collector of antiques, houses an important collection of Americana and features 60 acres of formal and naturalistic gardens.
Learn more about the wonderful Norfolk Botanical Gardens. Part II of our series includes information on their themed mini-gardens, children's garden and statuary.
By Elaine Mills, Extension Master GardenerPhotos by Elaine Mills, Bob Kline & Alyssa Ford Morel Anyone planning a trip to coastal Virginia or the Carolinas may want to include a …
This in-depth article, on The Meadow Garden at Longwood Gardens, is another in our Regional Gardens series, written by certified Extension Master Gardener, Elaine Mills.
Anyone who visits Arlington National Cemetery (more than 4 million people do so every year) knows that America’s most hallowed ground, the final resting place of more than 400,000 service members, veterans and their spouses on 624 acres, is also a sanctuary for lovers of flowers and trees.
Regional Gardens: Chanticleer Garden
Chanticleer Garden, located in Wayne, Pennsylvania, about a three-hour drive from northern Virginia, is a wonderful destination for gardeners and non-gardeners alike. With its stately buildings, broad lawns, and wide vistas, Chanticleer Garden (Chanticleer) retains the feel of the private estate it once was, while serving as a demonstration garden with more than 5,000 plants.
December is an ideal time to visit Longwood Gardens, the expansive botanical gardens located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, about 120 miles from Arlington.
By Elaine Mills, Certified Master Gardener Photos by Elaine Mills, Bob Kline & Jennifer Kline Summer is the perfect time to visit Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, the only national …
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 …
Text by Elaine Mills, Certified Master Gardener Photos by Elaine Mills & Bob Kline The United States National Arboretum, established in 1927 by an Act of Congress, defines its function …
Text and Photographs by Elaine Mills, Certified Master Gardener Last October marked the 10th anniversary of the National Garden, the three-acre outdoor garden adjacent to the conservatory of the U. …
This 95-acre property, operated by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA), features a wide variety of planted beds, three lakes, four gazebos, and special plant collections, which are linked by multiple walking paths and surrounded by lovely forested hills. Numerous benches and seats are located throughout the garden, allowing visitors to relax and enjoy both garden details and panoramic views.
