Programs

We sponsor programs in Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah, and Warren Counties. Come join us!

Click to learn more about Programs in Clarke County, which include:

Blandy Garden Fair Information Booth
Blandy Community Garden Teaching Garden
Chet Hobert Park Xeriscape Garden
Clarke County Fair
Seed Exchange at Blandy
Greenline Help Desk
Home Consultations

Click to learn more about Programs in Frederick County, which include:

Belle Grove Plantation Teaching Garden
FFA High School Student Outreach
Fremont Street Nursery Garden
Gardening for Adults at Northern Regional Adult Detention Center
Junior Master Gardener Home School Program
Nature Surprises for Kids
Old Town Farmers and Makers Market
San Damiano Spiritual Life Center Courtyard
Timbrook Community Garden
Indoor Plant Clinic
Gardening in the Valley Symposium
GardenFest
FallFest
Greenline Help Desk

Click to learn more about Programs in Page County, which include:

Birdsong Pleasure Garden Tours
Farmers Market Information Booth
Page County Fair
Preservation & Education of Historic Chinquapin Oak
Greenline Help Desk
Home Consultations

Click to learn more about Programs in Shenandoah County, which include:

Children’s Gardening Activities
Community Garden Talks
Corhaven Graveyard
Edinburg Mill Biofiltration Garden
Farmers Markets
New Market Demo Rain Garden
Shenandoah County Fair
Strasburg Community Garden
Greenline Help Desk
Home Consultations

Click to learn more about Programs in Warren County, which include:

Belle Boyd Cottage Gardens
Samuels Public Library
Greenline Help Desk

We also support projects that cut across county lines, including:

Plant a Thank You – In June 2020, Extension Master Gardeners donated more the 200 plants to local hospitals for emergency room nurses and other staff to thank them for their efforts during the ongoing pandemic. In 2021, plans are in the works to extend the same appreciation to teachers and bus drivers for the challenges they have faced during this time.

Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association

10 hours ago

Incorporating Native Plants in Your Garden – Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) by EMG JennServiceberry is blooming all over my property right now, so I thought this would be a good native to talk about this week! There are actually four different types of serviceberry, and they can be difficult to distinguish from each other botanically: Downy, Shadbush (A. canadensis), Allegheny (A. laevis), and Apple (A.x grandiflora, a cross between A. arborea and A. laevis; multiple cultivars). Downy, or Common Serviceberry is the largest of the four, and grows into a small tree or large shrub. It is vase-shaped with an open branch structure, and is usually multi-stemmed, growing 12-20’ tall. Green to red and finally purple fruit show up in clusters in late summer to early autumn. A. arborea is native, like all Serviceberries, to most of the East Coast, except for the coastal areas of the Carolinas through to Florida. It will take a variety of soils, including clay, but thrives in slightly acidic, moist soil in full sun. It will tolerate drier soil if it has more shade and cooler temperatures. One of the earliest trees to bloom in the spring, the flowers are a source of pollen and food for hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. In addition, the serviceberries host hundreds of species of caterpillars. If you have been following my posts, you know how important caterpillars are in the ecosystem! And birds love the fall berries. Serviceberries can be susceptible to occasional rust diseases, as members of the Rosaceae (Rose) family. Because most of these rust diseases have an alternative host in junipers, if there are no species of juniper within a radius of several miles, this should not be an issue. In hot, dry locations, spider mites can affect the appearance of the plant. Serviceberry may be propagated by seed or by softwood cuttings. See www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=amar3 for more information. It does form root suckers, and over time will form a colony, growing as a shrub rather than a tree. Pruning should happen in the fall to avoid an excess of sap loss. The common name serviceberry comes because it blooms as soon as the ground starts to thaw, and it is blooming when people were able to dig graves and bury their dead after the winter. Not the prettiest image…but in bloom, this is a spectacular tree! It is lighting up the woods right now where I live. Other stories about the common name include that the “service” refers to the plant usually being in flower around Easter.This species is most effective in naturalistic plantings and along wood edges, ponds and streams. It is particularly effective against a dark background when it blooms!Join us each Tuesday to learn about #NativePlants you can add to your garden. See previous posts at #addnativeplants. For more information, see:plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/amelanchier/www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=286375hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/serviceberry/ ... See MoreSee Less

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