Suggestions & Messages Previous BMGC Programs Service Providers/Retailers Organizations/Resources
*Please Note: There is a LOT of information on this page! Please select from the categories above to “jump” to that section!*
Suggestions & Messages: (Back to top)
3/13/26: Here’s a tip forwarded on from Patti Booth: FREE Mulch is available through the City/County at this time, until supplies are exhausted. Info at:
https://www.charlottesville.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/2487?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email%20marketing
and
https://rivannasolidwaste.org/our-facilities/ivy-solid-waste-recycling-center/#mulch (bottom of page)
3/10/26: “Fascinating” sums up Lauria McShane’s recent lecture on “Native Plantings for Native Grassland Birds”. Her slide presentation is available here and Lauria also wrote: “Feel free to direct Garden Club members to the VGBI website where we have a number of helpful resources and materials: vagrasslandbirds.org ”
2/9/26: The presentation slides and supporting documents from PMG/Fern Campbell’s excellent lecture on weeds are now available. (The sun is shining, and the ice is ever-so-slowly melting…. which means the weeds are waiting for us!)
Weed Lecture Presentation Slides 2-9-26 PMG Fern Campbell
Weeding Resources Excerpted from 2-9-26 BMGC/PMG Lecture
Weed Summary Chart
Weeds Handout from VCE/PMG 2-9-26 Lecture
Pest Pesticide Management – VCE Handout
2/9/26: Kathy Cornett shared a template for making your own seed packets to share with others! You can view and print the templates – one for flower seeds, and the other for vegetable seeds – by clicking this link: Seed Packet Templates
1/12/26: We kicked off the New Year with a fascinating lecture on “Biodiversity and Dark Skies of the Piedmont, presented by Christine Hirsch-Putnam, Master Gardener & Carol Carter, a core member of both the “Dark Sky Piedmont” organization and the Jefferson Chapter of the Va. Native Plant Society. It was well-attended, informative, and most of all, thought-provoking! To see the slide presentation for this lecture, please click here: BMGC Biodiversity and Dark Skies Program 1-12-2026
1/5/26: Members who wish to suggest an organization to whom we can contribute should use this form to organize the information needed for a discussion and a vote: BMGC Guidelines for Recommending Donation Recipients Developed October 2025
2/4/25: Instructions for how to donate flowers to UVA (these instructions are also on the “Members Only” page under “Supporting Documents”)
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!
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! (This was repeated in the Fall of 2025 – such fun!) 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 via earlysvillebmgc@gmail.com
Information from Previous BMGC Programs: (Back to top)
3/9/26: “Fascinating” sums up Lauria McShane’s recent lecture on “Native Plantings for Native Grassland Birds”. Her slide presentation is available here and Lauria also wrote: “Feel free to direct Garden Club members to the VGBI website where we have a number of helpful resources and materials: vagrasslandbirds.org ”
2/9/26: The presentation slides and supporting documents from PMG/Fern Campbell’s excellent lecture on weeds are now available. (The sun is shining, and the ice is ever-so-slowly melting…. which means the weeds are waiting for us!)
Weed Lecture Presentation Slides 2-9-26 PMG Fern Campbell
Weeding Resources Excerpted from 2-9-26 BMGC/PMG Lecture
Weed Summary Chart
Weeds Handout from VCE/PMG 2-9-26 Lecture
Pest Pesticide Management – VCE Handout
1/12/26: We kicked off the New Year with a fascinating lecture on “Biodiversity and Dark Skies of the Piedmont, presented by Christine Hirsch-Putnam, Master Gardener & Carol Carter, a core member of both the “Dark Sky Piedmont” organization and the Jefferson Chapter of the Va. Native Plant Society. It was well-attended, informative, and most of all, thought-provoking! To see the slide presentation for this lecture, please click here: BMGC Biodiversity and Dark Skies Program 1-12-2026
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!
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.)
June 2024: Virginia Gardner organized one of our few “open-to-the-community” lectures, delivered by PRISM staffers on “Identifying and Managing Invasives”. The program was well-attended, comprehensive, and much appreciated. Attachments and notes are below, both containing many useful links!
Invasive Plants Package June 2024 BMGC – PRISM lecture
2024 Clickable links from Blue Ridge PRISM workshop
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).
January 2024: As a follow-up to Dr. Timko’s lecture about Communication between Plants, this video might be interesting!
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: (Back to top)
(In alphabetical order, but with no particular endorsement –
additional suggestions welcome!! Just email them to earlysvillebmgc@gmail.com)
Local-“ish”
Black Haus Blooms – Upcoming Events @ https://www.blackhausblooms.com/events-workshops
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.)
(“The Great Big Greenhouse”) and Meadows Farms Nursery (Richmond)
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
Online/National
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (Rare Seeds) – recommended by Sue Gosnell
Online plant vendors recommended by Karen Dosier, BMGC Club Member, who shares: “I love shopping on Etsy! It’s so easy, you can use PayPal, and the communication from Etsy letting you know about shipping times is great. I usually favorite the shops I like so I can be informed when they are having a sale. I usually buy only when things are on sale. Here are some of my favorites I’ve purchased from. Some ship small plugs of plants, and some are in 4″ pots:”
https://www.etsy.com/shop/KatkawLandscapes
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ButterflyFlowerFarm
https://www.etsy.com/shop/plantsandthings
https://www.etsy.com/shop/HostaKing
https://www.etsy.com/shop/JASPERPLANTS
https://www.finegardening.com/ (Print magazine, online articles and instruction/inspiration)
Harmony in the Garden (virtual on-line garden design consultation and more)
Mike’s Backyard Nursery (online shop for tools, plants, lots of education info)
Turtle Tree Seed Catalog (recommended by Sue Gosnell)
Organizations and Resource Links: (Back to top)
Gardens & Gardening/Environmental-Related Organizations Local to Charlottesville/Albemarle
Botanical Garden of the Piedmont (BGP) – Calendar of Events – Sign up for BGP Newsletter
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!
Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards
Charlottesville Invasive Plant Partnership/CHIPP
Charlottesville Office of Sustainability
The Gardens at James Monroe’s Highlands Estate
Ivy Creek Natural Area – Ivy Creek Calendar of Events
James Madison University’s Edith J. Carrier Arboretum
Piedmont Environmental Council
Piedmont Master Gardeners
https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/events/ // https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/speakers-bureau/
“Share your Harvest” – a program to encourage and coordinate fresh food donations in our community
Monthly Newsletter: The Garden Shed
PRISM (Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management)
Re-Leaf Cville (Tree Planting Program in Charlottesville Urban Area)
University of Virginia’s Pavilion (Lawn) Gardens
UVA Darden School’s Tahija Arboretum and LaCross Botanical Gardens
Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation, Natural Heritage Site
Helpful links, including natives/invasives/natural area preserves/multiple publications
Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative (VGBI)
Booker T. Washington Park Bog Garden
Gardens & Gardening/Environmental-Related Organizations – Regional/National
American Horticultural Society
The Clifton Institute for Ecology, Education, and the Environment (Warrenton)
Federated Garden Clubs of Virginia
National Gardening Association
Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech)
Virginia Invasive Plant Coalition
Information on Dealing with Invasives and Pests
Form to Report MULTIPLE Invasive Species, Flora and Fauna – via Virginia Dept. of Agriculture & Consumers Service (VDACS)
National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC) – https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/
NISIC Virginia Invasives – https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/us/virginia
PRISM (Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management)
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Invasive Species Information
Specific Problem Species in Our Area:
Japanese Stiltgrass (Federal Recommendations) // Japanese Stiltgrass (Local PRISM Recommendations)
Tier 1 Noxious Weeds (https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title2/agency5/chapter317/section20/)
Tier 2 Noxious Weeds (https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title2/agency5/chapter317/section20/)
AI Overview of Deer-Resistant Plants (great synopsis with multiple helpful URL links)
List of Deer-Resistant Plants/Rutgers University
Deer Resistant Spring Blooming Flowers per Great Garden Plants March 2023
25 Deer-Resistant Plants (Harmony in the Garden)
Deer-Resistant Virginia Native Groundcover: Canada Anemone
Virginia Public Media (search “Gardening With Deer) for a number of helpful articles
Fire Ants – Noted in Albemarle as of April 2025
Spotted Lanternfly // Relationship Between Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven) & Spotted Lanternfly
Dealing Effectively With Ticks
Permethrin 0.52% Protective Bands
Common Ticks in Virginia (A Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) publication)
Includes links to CDC information on Alpha-Gal Syndrome, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, and a Virginia Department of
Health (VDH) Overview of Ticks and Tick-borne diseases in Virginia
Information on Native Plants
Common Native Trees of Virginia – VDOF Reference Manual
Homeowner’s Guide to Preserving Our Natural Landscape – published by the Virginia Native Plant Society (VNPS), in cooperation with the State Arboretum of Virginia, the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, the Land Trust of Virginia, and the Piedmont Environmental Council
Piedmont Native Plants – Reference Book
Download (Free) // Hard Copy for Sale // PDF Here
Piedmont Native Plants from DCR May 2023
Piedmont Master Gardeners – Overview of “Planting Natives”
Plant Virginia Natives (Many reference links available)
How to Plant Native Landscapes_ Designs From the Wild Ones Library – NYT Sept 2024
Doug Tallamy – “What’s the Rush?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3KQW2BKtx4
24 minute video about the urgent need to regenerate biodiversity by changing how we manage our private landscapes, particularly planting native species.
Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation, Information on Native Species
Virginia Natives – Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Other Useful Information & Fun Facts
Albemarle County’s Growth/Environmental Stewardship Plan: “AC44“
Overview of Dark Sky of the Piedmont // Dark Virginia Sky
Home Gardening Ideas and Projects on a Budget
Hummingbird Fun Facts, suggested via email by youth enrolled in a Texas Environmental Education Program
Fall-Blooming Perennials – List
12 Perennials to Plant in July for Late-Fall Blooming
12 Perennials to Plant in August for Late-Fall Blooming
Shade Perennials Suggestions from “All About Gardening”.com
Creating Pollinator Gardens and Wildlife Sanctuaries (lots of interesting links!)
Shrub-Pruning Guide _ Garden Gate
Best Garden Pruning Tools – Recommendations from Wirecutter Summer 2024
Round-Up/Glyphosates, General Info
USDA Hardiness/Growing Zones Updated in 2023
Because there are so many gardening resources on YouTube, here are a few tutorial sites that can help you learn how to use this important platform:
Tutorial for using YouTube – basic; 4 minutes only – a nice overview.
And this is a more comprehensive tutorial video for YouTube; we suggest using the closed caption feature, as he talks fast – but it’s good info! 24 minutes
2022 – Karen Dosier recently recommended a couple of plants, including “Hummelo“. She described it this way: “It’s totally different from the light colored fuzzy stachys we know as Lamb’s Ears. It still has purple spikes of flowers, but is a mounding perennial and is deer and rabbit resistant!” The other plant recommended was a coneflower called Mellow Yellows. It “mellows” to more cream as it matures. Both sound like welcome additions to any garden!
2023 – Janet Parker shared an article (shared with her by Piedmont Master Gardener Mike Callahan) about “Nurturing Nature in Your Yard“ – an interesting read!
2024 – Virginia Gardner shared this link/article about “The Chelsea Chop” technique for improving flowering plant production. Check it out!
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/
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 (the BMGC website) 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? I know she would love to share this with the rest of the Citizen Science Club if you end up including it!
Thanks again to everyone at the Buck Mountain Garden Club!
– Amanda Jackson