WELCOME

The Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association supports its members — Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Master Gardeners serving the counties of Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah, and Warren. The Association leads and financially supports projects, sponsors VCE home-gardening education events, coordinates each year’s Master Gardener class, and provides its members with unique continuing-ed and fellowship opportunities. Annual dues are $20 and open to all certified Extension Master Gardener Volunteers in the Northern Shenandoah Valley unit.

What is a “Master Gardener”?

Master Gardeners HelpingVirginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener are educators who volunteer within their communities to encourage and promote environmentally sound horticulture practices through sustainable landscape management, education, and training. Extension Master Gardeners are required to continue their education each year to stay up to date on current issues and recommendations for home gardeners. As an educational program of VCE, Extension Master Gardeners bring the resources of Virginia’s land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, to the people of the commonwealth.

How to Participate

If you’d like to help others while serving your community as a VCE Master Gardener, see when the next class starts on our join page. If you’d like to help without becoming a member, you can join us at our educational events, support our scholarship fund by attending our educational symposium, or pick up some plants and gifts at our GardenFest & Master Gardener Plant Sale.

You can also help while you shop! Click Brent and Becky’s Bulbs Blooming Bucks Program or Amazon’s smile program. Each program donates a portion of your purchase amount to registered nonprofit organizations at no additional cost to you. Choose Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association.

Projects Resume as Pandemic Restrictions Ease

We are continuing our mission to advise homeowners on good gardening practices while observing health mandates that remain in place. As vaccinations rise and restrictions ease, we are thrilled to again offer in-person services. Look for us at the Freight Station Farmers Market in Winchester (1st and 3rd Saturdays), South Street Barn Market in Woodstock (4th Saturdays), the Strasburg Farmers Market (1st and 3rd Saturdays) and at the Massanutten Country Corner outside Luray (2nd and 4th Saturday mornings). We held two major events in June: GardenFest at Belle Grove Plantation on June 5 and the Gardening in the Valley Tour featuring five Shenandoah County gardens on June 26. For kids, we are holding workshops at the Strasburg Community Garden every other Saturday through October. Contact kathrynd51@gmail.com to sign up. Other projects started during the pandemic, including our Seed Lending Libraries and the series of free webinars for beginning vegetable gardeners are ongoing.

Our Greenlines continue to operate remotely. If you have any type of gardening question, Extension Master Gardener volunteers will research your problem and provide unbiased, research-based solutions. We can answer questions about trees, shrubs, house plants, perennials, annuals, and more! E-mail a description and photos of your gardening problems to the GreenHelpLine in your county.

If you have questions about any programs, please email us at nsvmga.info@gmail.com.