Suggestions & Messages:
3/28/25: Karen Dosier shares this FREE event info: ” Hi Garden Club friends,
The Dolley Madison Garden Club is hosting a FREE Conservation Forum featuring celebrated Landscape Architect Claudia West of Phyto Studio. Claudia’s book “Planting in a Post-Wild World” is a must for gardeners who want to support pollinators and wildlife while employing traditional garden design principles. Caudia and partner Thomas Rainer have created beautiful eco-friendly gardens all over the country and are currently working on the “Butterfly” garden at Lewis Ginter in Richmond – a spectacular butterfly-shaped pollinator garden featuring Virginia native plants.
Please join us April 9th 1:00-5:00 PM at Orange Presbyterian Church and help us spread the word for pollinators!
3/17/25: We received the following email and suggestion from an educator: “Thanks to the members of the BMGC for sharing your gardening tips! My daughter Julie joined her school’s Citizen Science Club for their Spring program and I’m happy to report that she’s been loving it! The kiddos have been learning about gardening with native plants and why it is so important to pollinators! They are also putting together an action plan to help build pollinator gardens and wildlife habitats this Spring! I was finally able to sit down and help her last night and it’s been fun for both of us! You shared some great gardening information for us to explore! Thanks so much! Have you seen this guide to Creating Pollinator Gardens and Wildlife Sanctuaries? www.avasflowers.net/creating-pollinator-gardens-and-wildlife-sanctuaries
Julie found it last night… there’s so much information on there for gardening for pollinators and other furry
friends. It was perfect for her project! I’m sure you’re busy, but could you take a minute to add it to your
Gardening Tips & Resources page for Julie? www.bmgcearlysville.com/local-resources/
I know she would love to share this with the rest of the Citizen Science Club if you end up including it!
Please get back to me when you have a chance… I’d love to surprise her over the weekend if it’s possible!
Thanks again to everyone at the Buck Mountain Garden Club!
– Amanda Jackson
3/13/25: As promised, here is the link to Waterperry Farm: https://waterperryfarm.com/the-gardens/
3/11/25: Here are the notes and slides from the fascinating lecture “From Seed to Bloom” by Emily Ann Steinbach of Black Haus Blooms in Earlysville, VA. Enjoy!
and…..
For information about upcoming events and workshops at Black Haus Blooms, please visit: https://www.blackhausblooms.com/events-workshops
2/16/25: Sue Gosnell suggests a program hosted by the Dolley Madison Garden Club, Free and Open to the Public: “Just Sustainable – A Conservation Forum” to be held on Wednesday, April 9th, 2025 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at the Orange Presbyterian Church, 162 West Main Street, Orange, VA. For more information, see: https://www.dmgcvirginia.org/home.html
Tips for Donating Flowers to UVA (Update Aug 2022):
Patti Booth hopes that several members will be interested in collecting and donating flowers to UVA’s “Flowers for Patients” program during the month of September each year. Other area garden clubs cover March, July, August, and October. The program could also use more flower delivery help in April, May and June, if anyone is interested – and we are also welcome to bring flowers (any amount, any month) during the winter months of November, December, January, and February!
The flowers will be arranged and distributed to patients by hospital volunteers each Wednesday morning.
The UVA Staff Volunteer Coordinator, LaDelle Gay, will come out and meet you at the curb in front of the Primary Care Center, on the right side just before the main hospital entrance. If you text LaDelle at 434-806-1357 about 5 minutes before you arrive, she’ll come right out and take the flowers from you. An alternate number – the UVA Volunteer Department direct line – is 434-924-5251.
Flowers can be delivered on Tuesday afternoons, or at 8:15 am or earlier on Wednesday mornings. Patti usually puts the flowers in 3-4 buckets, which can vary in size from a cut-down milk jug to a 5 gallon bucket – your choice. LaDelle will discard containers if you wish, and she’ll return them to you if you want them back. She has even offered up the use of buckets they have on hand at the hospital – just ask!
Patti often gets the blooms and greenery steeply discounted – or sometimes even free! – from the floral departments of local groceries such as Kroger, Food Lion, Giant, and Harris Teeter. Flowers on the “older side”, ones that might be difficult to sell, often are the least expensive.
And flowers from your own gardens, if they’re still blooming, are very welcome! If possible, choose flowers with a “Seasonal Theme” to match the time of year.
Please let Program Chair Sue Gosnell know if you’d like to take a week in September (or any of the other “free” months listed) for this fun activity! (You don’t need permission, though – donate as you wish!) And feel free to call Patti Booth for “insider tips”, if you want – “Have Fun!” – that’s Patti’s best advice!
12/3/24: Brian M., an online educator, is using this page to help his students find gardening resources. Fun!
He suggested two additions, both interesting and well put-together. Check these out:
http://billyoh.com/resource/benefits-of-gardening-older-adults
http://gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/resource/10-tips-eco-friendly-gardening/
10/15/24: Here’s a really nice message, via an email recently sent by speaker Linda Blum, PhD to Program Chair Sue Gosnell – “Dear Sue – Many thanks to the Buck Mountain Garden Club for hosting me at your September 9 club meeting. It was a lot of fun to speak with your group. They had amazing questions which always makes giving a presentation interesting for a speaker.
I also wanted to thank the BMGC for their honorarium which I have donated to the Piedmont Master Gardener (PMG) program. Any donations to Speaker’s Bureau are used to support PMG horticultural projects in the Charlottesville-Albemarle community. Please pass on my thanks and those of the PMGs to your group.
Kindest regards, Linda Blum”
10/14/24: Many Thanks to the Intrepid Movers and Shakers (Diggers and Planters?!?) who helped plant daffodil and iris bulbs on the afternoon of Monday the 14th along the Earlysville Corridor! Many bulbs went in, and many more are available to be planted in three areas: near the Earlysville sign at the crossroads, in front of our meeting place at BMEC, and near the historical marker sign in front of Earlysville Animal Hospital. If you’d like to help out with this Community Service project on your own time and at your own pace, please contact Sue Gosnell (suegosnell123@gmail.com // 434-987-4061 or 434-973-0878 – voice only, no text)
5/25/24: Virginia Gardner shared this link/article about “The Chelsea Chop” technique for improving flowering plant production. Check it out!
Ongoing: A link to the latest (Summer) PRISM newsletter….
3/6/24: Dottie McFalls mentioned this “quarry garden” south of town – maybe a potential future program? For info, see: https://quarrygardensatschuyler.org/
1/27/24: As a follow-up to Dr. Timko’s lecture about Communication between Plants, this video might be interesting!
Ongoing: Here’s the latest edition of the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont’s newsletter – News From The Garden August 2024 – and their Calendar of Events.
Lots of good info!
Ongoing: Recommended by Fran Dickerson – the (August 2024) Ivy Creek Newsletter.
And here is a link to their very full calendar of events!
Ongoing: Hummingbird Hill is a season Natives-Only Nursery in Free Union. Here is their June-July Newsletter.
8/1/23: Recommended by Fran Dickerson – https://www.homegrownnationalpark.org/
Ongoing: From Piedmont Master Gardeners Speakers Bureau – https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/events/
Information from Previous BMGC Programs:
February 2025: Presented by Claire Denton-Spalding, Master Gardener – “Hedgerows – Growing a Living Fence”. A fascinating lecture, with 3 supporting documents available in the Members-Only section: Claire’s Hedgerow Lecture Slides, a Resource List for Growing Hedgerows, and a Hedgerows Brochure. Enjoy!
September 2024: Presented by Linda Blum, Phd – the Power Point presentation on “Soil Basics: Erosion” is available on the Gardening Blog in the Members-Only section (at the request of the presenter.)
March 2024: Presented by Sara Kunkle – Dahlia Deep Dive.
February 2024: Presented by Virginia Gardner – Winter Seed Sowing Program and suggestion to listen to this related podcast by Joe Gardener (Joe Lamp’l).
September 2023: The Power Point presentation on “Why Landscaping with Native Plants Matters” is available on the Gardening Blog in the Members-Only section (at the request of the presenter.)
An extensive Resource List for Native Plants (and much more) can be found here.
Also available is list of “Keystone Plants” – Native plants every local gardener should consider.
April 2023: A Visit to The Gardens at Waterperry Farm
March 2023: PowerPoint Presentation from the 3/13/23 Seed Saving Lecture
Click HERE for lecture outline/notes.
February 2023: An overview of Sue Erhardt’s very detailed and informative lecture on the rich farming and family history of what is now the Ivy Creek Natural Area is available on their website at https://ivycreekfoundation.org/cultural-history and https://ivycreekfoundation.org/the-barn
January 2023: Slides from the “Pruning Basics” Lecture by Jeff Kunkle are available here!
Service Providers/Nurseries/Garden Centers & Retailers
(In alphabetical order, but with no particular endorsement –
additional suggestions welcome!! Just email them to deewalsh@embarqmail.com)
Blue Ridge Farmer’s Co-op (Formerly Southern States)
Chris Crawford Landscaping and Tree Maintenance
(205) 784-7157 or via Facebook (search “@chriscrawfordinc”)
The Corner Store
Classes and Educational Offerings: https://www.cornerstoregarden.com/new-events
Eltzroth & Thompson Greenhouses
Fifth Season Gardening Company
Fitzgerald’s Apple Orchard
728 Harper’s Creek Lane, Tyro, VA 22976 (Nelson Co.)
434-277-8248
Apple varieties include Red and Golden Delicious, Gala, Rome, Stayman, Granny Smith and York. Open Monday – Saturday during apple season. 8:00 AM – noon and 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
High Country Gardens (Online Shop & Blog)
Hill House Native Nursery (Castleton, VA – in-between Culpeper and Sperryville)
Hottinger Greenhouses (Louisa)
Hummingbird Hill Natives (Nursery)
Ivy Corner Gardens and Gift Shop
Landscape Supply (“Deer Scram” is recommended as an excellent deer repellent.)
Milmont Greenhouses (Waynesboro)
Sharondale Mushroom Farm (Keswick)
Shenandoah Garden Spot (Elkton/Culpeper)
TopSide Brush Control (Tree Removal, Understory Clearing)
(540) 241-8657, Cple Moore
Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) Tree Nurseries
Waynesboro Landscape and Garden Center
Organizations and Resource Links
USDA Hardiness/Growing Zones Updated in 2023
Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards
Botanical Garden of the Piedmont
Newsletters: July 2023
Piedmont Native Plants – Reference Book
Download (Free) // Hard Copy for Sale // PDF Here
Plant Virginia Natives (Many reference links available)
Common Native Trees of Virginia – VDOF Reference Manual
Virginia Natives – Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Buck Mountain Garden Club PO Box 683, Earlysville, VA 22936
Meets at 12:30 on the 2nd Monday of each month (Sept through June)
Deese Hall, Buck Mountain Episcopal Church – All Welcome!
https://www.thecharlottesvillegardenclub.com/
https://www.albemarlegardenclub.com/
https://therivannagardenclub.org/site/
PRISM (Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management)
https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/ – National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC)
https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/us/virginia – NISIC Virginia Invasives
Problem Species in Our Area:
https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/oriental-bittersweet
https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/japanese-stiltgrass
https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/tree-heaven
https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/invertebrates/spotted-lanternfly
American Horticultural Society
List of Deer-Resistant Plants/Rutgers University
Stilt-Grass Management (August is Prime Time) / PRISM
Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech)
Relationship Between Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven) & Spotted Lanternfly
Dealing Effectively With Ticks
Permethrin 0.52% Protective Bands
Shade Perennial Suggestions from “All About Gardening”.com
Piedmont Native Plants from DCR May 2023
Home Gardening Ideas and Projects on a Budget
Fall-Blooming Perennials – List
How to Plant Native Landscapes_ Designs From the Wild Ones Library – NYT Sept 2024
Best Garden Pruning Tools – Recommendations from Wirecutter Summer 2024