By Cindy Robertson, Extension Master Gardener, Current MGNV Board President
Photos by Cindy Robertson unless otherwise noted
Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia (MGNV) turns 40 this year! Over the hill? No chance! We are between the rows, behind our trowels, beside our plants, and before the public, fulfilling our mission to promote sustainable gardening.
Would our founding members recognize us now? Regardless, they would be exceedingly proud of what we have accomplished. Join us on this trip down memory lane and help us celebrate MGNV’s success over the last 40 years.
What is MGNV?
Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia is a nonprofit organization of trained volunteers in Arlington County and the City of Alexandria who work with Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) to promote environmentally sound gardening practices.
Becoming a member of MGNV has not changed much in 40 years. Members first become certified as Extension Master Gardeners (EMG) by VCE. Each year, a growing number of trainees (now limited to 25) completes over 60 hours of combined classroom and field training, as well as 60 hours of volunteer work to become certified. Following graduation, certified EMGs are invited to join MGNV and must continue to volunteer 20 hours per year and receive 8 hours of continuing education.
MGNV has always supported its public education mission through a variety of methods, a key to our success. You can find us working in our demonstration gardens, providing advice at plant clinics, staffing our Extension Master Gardener Help Desk, writing articles for our website, preparing presentations, nurturing native saplings to give away, teaching our youth and advising our neighbors, among many other activities.
MGNV also conducts fundraising by hosting several annual plant sales and festivals and accepting donations from members and the public. As we have no paid staff, all of our funds go directly to support our educational programs and demonstration gardens.
Being a member of MGNV provides both purpose and community. Members become lifelong friends while working shoulder to shoulder on a new garden bed/path, planning an event, or laughing through a rain-soaked plant sale. We are united in our mission, yet come from all walks of life. And as curious as we are about gardening, we are equally curious about each other, providing joyful discovery on many levels.
Our anniversary slogan, 40 Years of Growing Gardens and Gardeners, thus perfectly encapsulates MGNV!
Key Changes Over 40 Years!
Growth in Membership and Volunteer Hours
Debbie Keefe, Cindy Robertson, Anne Reed, and Sue Viswanatha at Barcroft Elementary 
Anne Reed and Cindy Robertson at Garden Buds Event. 
Denise Dieter, Cindy Robertson, and Debbie Keefe at Boys and Girls Club 
Leslie Fillmore, Scarlett Swan, and Cindy Robertson at Garden Buds Even 
Cindy Robertson and Beth Buffington at Glencarlyn Spring Sale 
Julie Hanson Swanson and Cindy Robertson at Spring Gathering in 2023 
Sandy Johnson and Cindy Robertson display native plant sign at YMCA Alexandria 
Cindy Robertson, Joan Layne, and Kathryn Kellem at Spring Fling 2023 
Cindy Robertson, Leslie Fillmore, Beth Kramer, and Kirsten Conrad at the Greenspring Plant Sale in the rain! 
Cindy Robertson and Leslie Fillmore at Spring Fling 2023. 
Anne Reed teaching kids about greens. 
Elizabeth Collaton and Cindy Robertson at Garden Buds Event 
Cindy Robertson, Teacher, Anne Cusick, Alison Kindler and Anne Reed at Innovation Elementary School 
EMGs in the YEP program
In 40 years, our membership has grown from roughly 25 to over 250. That’s a 900 percent increase for you mathematicians. Our members collectively volunteered 25,000 hours last year. Wow! That averages to over 100 hours per volunteer (or about two and a half weeks of vacation), though many contribute far more. Honoring our members’ individual and collective work will be a hallmark of our 40th anniversary events and will be highlighted throughout the year.
[The slideshow to the left includes our president Cindy Robertson with many Master Gardener friends at a variety of events.]
- Garden Buds Mentor Program promotes meaningful connections within the Master Gardener community.
- Glencarlyn Annual Spring Celebration and Plant Sale
- Green Spring Garden Plant Sale
- Spring Fling Social Event
- Youth Education Program (YEP) events
Increased Public Outreach and Educational Resources
Another way in which MGNV has changed over time is in the scope of its outreach. In the 1980s,MGNV provided garden education primarily through local service projects, emerging demonstration gardens, and live speaking engagements/symposiums. As our numbers grew, and technology improved, so too did MGNV’s outreach.
- MGNV’s Award-Winning Website and Social Media Outreach
Following the emergence of the Internet, MGNV created a website in 2007 and opened its educational content to those living outside its locality. During this time, most of MGNV’s presentations were still held in person. COVID changed that. Faced with the inability to meet in person, MGNV shifted its live presentations to Zoom and began posting recorded sessions. Motivated by the understanding that new content was more crucial than ever for those seeking the healing power of gardening, MGNV increased its presentations to nearly every Friday and completed a massive update to its website in 2022.
As a result of these efforts, our award-winning website now offers 200+ free public education presentations and videos, along with hundreds of native plant fact sheets, weed and pest guides, vegetable garden calendars/checklists, and so much more. Now, hundreds of thousands rather than hundreds are benefitting from MGNV’s guidance and experience. Celebrate our 40th Anniversary by checking out this wealth of resources!
Our social media presence has also grown by leaps and bounds – on Facebook (18,000 followers), Instagram (1275 followers), YouTube (5730 subscribers) and just recently on Bluesky.
- MGNV’s Stellar Demonstration Gardens
Soon after its inception in 1985, MGNV began considering the adoption of a shade demonstration garden in Bon Air Park in Arlington. That garden, established in 1989, is now known as the Quarry Shade Garden and was the first demonstration garden adopted by MGNV. It remains on the site of an old rock quarry provided by the Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation.
Forty years later, MGNV now maintains eight thriving demonstration gardens throughout Arlington County and the City of Alexandria, with another likely joining this year. These gardens are beautiful and feature a variety of plants and conditions to enable firsthand viewing of successful garden solutions. Teams of dedicated Extension Master Gardeners meet at least weekly during the growing season to ensure their gardens’ success. Gardens also host special public events throughout the year, so be sure to check our website and social media posts for details.
Simpson Garden founding member Anne Lassiter 
Sunny Garden sign 
Beth Kramer, Bob Besse and Kathy Potter working on garden path at Simpson Garden. 
Caitlin Garlow working on a map of Simpson Park Demonstration Garden. 
Tour of the Small Space Garden with Angela McNamara and Leslie Cameron 
Catherine Barry works at Simpson Garden.s 
Charlie Gardner and Lisa Himmelstein at Simpson Park Demonstration Garden. 
Joan Layne weeds a path at Simpson Park Demonstration Garden. 
Scarlett Swan and Denise Dieter survey Simpson Park Demonstration Garden. 
Organic Vegetable Garden coordinators 
Joe Kelly and Kate Donahue at Sunny Garden. 
Celia Denton and Kate Donahue work at Sunny Garden. 
Simpson Park Demonstration Garden members. 
Richard Derbyshire working at the Sunny Garden.
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- MGNV’s Thriving Plant Clinics
When MGNV first began, a small group of Extension Master Gardeners worked diligently to provide the public with answers to their gardening questions. Gardeners relied upon VCE’s training manual and pest guides, along with other hard copy resources.
In 2025, MGNV now hosts five weekly plant clinics during the growing season at local Arlington/Alexandria farmers markets and libraries and provides weekday assistance at its Extension Master Gardener Help Desk, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Staff is available at the VCE office in Fairlington Community Center, or by phone at (703) 228-6414, or email at mgarlalex@gmail.com. Now aided by high tech equipment, including a Leica stereo microscope for plant/pest ID, and the Internet, MGNV fields thousands of inquiries through its Help Desk and plant clinics.
MGNV’s 40 Year Commitment to the Latest Science
One way that MGNV has not changed is in its continued commitment to sharing the latest scientific developments in gardening. The last 40 years have brought growing awareness of climate change and ecosystem erosion. Time has also led to remarkable discoveries about plants, soil health, and mycorrhizae.
In response to these developments, MGNV has steadily increased its focus on sustainability and the importance of healthy soil and native plants. This focus is equally evident on our website as it is within our demonstration gardens. MGNV’s focus is not just on a garden’s bounty or beauty but on its ability to support wildlife, manage stormwater, sequester carbon, and maintain soil health. Some examples:
- Sustainability:
MGNV prioritizes environmentally friendly practices like reducing chemical use, incorporating organic methods, and choosing plants suited to our local climates. Our mantra is to help the public find the “right plant for the right place” to allow for low-maintenance gardening that is also environmentally friendly. We also provide education on managing extreme weather, including capturing and managing stormwater. - Native Plants:
Over the past several years, MGNV has identified and described a broad variety of native plants that thrive in our local conditions and benefit our wildlife. Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic highlight the beauty, main characteristics and attributes, ease of care, and seasonal interest of these wonderful native plant varieties. Presentations also highlight landscape design using native plants. - Identification and Removal/Replacement of Invasive Plants
MGNV empowers homeowners to play a role in reducing the spread of invasive plants by identifying and providing tips for removing them from their properties and avoiding purchasing them in the first place. Our website now lists plants that have been categorized as invasive by Arlington County, the City of Alexandria, and the state of Virginia. The fact sheet for each of these plants describes problems associated with the invasive plant and suggests alternative native species that have similar characteristics and which, additionally, provide benefits for wildlife.
What Will Our 40th Anniversary Bring?
For one, lots of parties. Kidding aside, as Board president this year, I do want to celebrate who we are and what we have done—and will do! Our plan is to promote our 40th Anniversary in ways that will further gardening sustainably. How so?
Will we give away 40 native trees? Will we put up at least 40 new signs in our demonstration gardens to identify our native plants and helpful practices? Will we give away at least 40 packets of seeds? Will we celebrate 40 MGNV members that have gone above and beyond to serve the public or our organization? Yes, we will. And so much more. We are just getting started!
Make sure to sign up for our Facebook and Instagram posts so that you can join us in celebrating our 40th year together. “Throwback Thursday” posts will appear on Facebook and highlight “then and now” photos and a bit of MGNV’s history for your enjoyment.
I am so proud to be a part of MGNV. Here’s to our purpose, our passion, and some principled partying!