Suggestions & Messages:
10/3/24: The State Arboretum at Blandy Farm is having a Special Event to enjoy the gloriously yellow foliage of the Ginkgos in the Autumn!
Oct 26-27 and Nov 2-3 are their dates for this fun trip – see the newsletter link here if you want more info!
July 2024: Last year, Joy Matthews recommended this event, and now it’s coming up, this Fall! Check it out – A Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) exhibition on “Fine Arts and Flowers” to be held Oct 23–27, 2024. Fine Arts & Flowers 2024 will be a spectacular museum-wide exhibition of floral designs inspired by works of art in VMFA’s permanent collection. For more information, visit: https://mailchi.mp/vmfa/weekly-email-1321453?e=db1f2b3255
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/
2/14/24: Here is a list of announcements from the Council of Garden Clubs as of 2/5/24 – lots of interesting opportunities and ideas!
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/
Garden Basics: Square-Foot Gardening
Trinity Episcopal Church 1118 Preston Avenue, CharlottesvilleLearn how to maximize your growing space in the vegetable garden by using the square-foot gardening method. Square-foot gardening makes it easy to organize your garden layout and stop guessing about spacing. You will also identify weeds more easily. You…
Garden Basics: Fall Tasks in the Perennial Garden
Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital Demonstration Garden 595 Martha Jefferson Drive, Charlottesville, VATake a trip to the demonstration garden at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital to learn how to prepare your garden for winter. We will cover: how and when to cut back plants, fall mulching and soil amendments, dividing and planting bulbs,…
Garden Basics: Nature’s Cornucopia of Holiday Plants and Decorations
Trinity Episcopal Church 1118 Preston Avenue, CharlottesvilleWelcome the winter holiday season with this festive workshop. Learn how to select, showcase, and maintain plants such as amaryllis, paperwhites, and Christmas cactus. Discover possibilities for decorating with materials collected in the yard or on the trail. Get inspired…
Free
Information from Previous BMGC Programs:
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)
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