Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association
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in Frederick County

Many of our activities have been curtailed, temporarily suspended, or canceled during the pandemic. If you have questions about our programs, please email us at NSVMGA.info@gmail.com.

NSVMGA sponsors a variety of programs in Frederick County, Virginia, including…

Belle Grove Plantation Teaching Garden – Extension Master Gardeners work with the public and Belle Grove volunteers while planning, planting, and improving the historic garden behind the house. Volunteers meet once a week during the growing season.

FFA High School Student Outreach 

Fremont Street Nursery Gardening After School  – Classes are offered for Fremont Street Nursery elementary children, aged 5-12, from 3-4 pm each Wednesday from March through May and mid-September through October. Gardening facilities include a 22-bed enclosed raised-bed garden and the school greenhouse. Extension Master Gardeners also teach a ten-week Summer Garden Project at Fremont on Tuesdays during June, July, and August for ages 4-12. Classes currently are suspended due to COVID-19.

Gardening for Adults at Northern Regional Adult Detention Center – Extension Master Gardeners advise, teach, and supervise gardening projects with adults at the center. 

Junior Master Gardener Home School Program – Extension Master Gardeners teach children the basics of gardening as well as the value of giving back to the community. Children are enrolled with the 4-H program and work with the Frederick County Extension Office. Classroom portion lasts from March through June.

Nature Surprises for Kids – Extension Master Gardeners teach a monthly class and hands-on activity to children to help them connect with nature. Normally held the second Wednesday of each month from 6 – 7 pm at Bowman Library, the classes currently are suspended due to COVID-19. 

Old Town Farmers and Makers Market – The Extension Master Gardener information booth is set up along the Winchester walking mall at the Farmers and Makers Market during the growing season. Brochures and information sheets are available to the public, and volunteers answer homeowner gardening questions.

San Damiano Spiritual Life Center Courtyard – The San Damiano Spiritual Life Center is a secluded place of peace and meditation in a bucolic setting in Frederick County. The retreat property is filled with garden settings throughout the campus. In 2020, the Center reached out to the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardeners to help redesign and plan maintenance for the inner courtyard area. The goal is to create a meditative and therapeutically healing environment for everyone who comes to the Center. The three-phase plan began with classes on sensory and therapeutic garden design and basic garden design for volunteers and staff members who are working on the project. The first work session was held in September 2020 and the second will be held in Spring 2021 after redesign plans are approved. 

Timbrook Community Garden – Extension Master Gardeners grow a three-season vegetable garden along with a pollinator-plant garden in the community garden area of Timbrook Park. All produce is donated to Highland Food Pantry. Seeds and seedlings from perennial plants are donated for the Seed Exchange and GardenFest. The gardens are summer field trip experiences for the children of Fremont Street Nursery.

Indoor Plant Clinic – Extension Master Gardeners sponsor a workshop, diagnostic clinic, and informational talks on indoor plants at the Bowman Library in Stephens City in February. Workshops for children and adults are free, and attendees can go home with free plants and cuttings.

Gardening in the Valley Symposium – NSVMGA sponsors this educational event focused on gardening topics of interest to both Extension Master Gardeners and homeowners in the Valley. The speakers are chosen from the horticultural industry, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and professional speakers on numerous topics.  The event will be held virtually in 2021. 

GardenFest – Extension Master Gardeners sponsor a day of education, gardening fun, and plants every year on the first Saturday in June at Belle Grove Plantation. Highlights include gardening vendors, animals, children’s events, and the Master Gardener Plant Sale.

FallFest – Get ready for winter and get a head start on your spring garden with a variety of educational talks. Plus demos, crafts, and giveaways!

To learn more about the projects that take place in Frederick County or to get help with your home gardening questions, contact us at:

  • Phone: 540-665-5699
  • Email: GreenHelpLine.FrederickCo@gmail.com
  • Location: VCE Office, 107 North Kent Street, Winchester, VA 22601

Webinars for Beginning Vegetable Growers

Visit our event web page to register.

Vegetables in a basket

Save the Date!

  • Beginning Vegetable Gardeners Webinar 3 – April 15, 7 p.m.
  • Beginning Vegetable Gardeners Webinar 4 – May 20, 7 p.m.
  • GardenFest – June 5
  • Beginning Vegetable Gardeners Webinar 5 – June 17, 7 p.m.
  • Gardening in the Valley Tour – June 26
  • Beginning Vegetable Gardeners Webinar 6 – July 15, 7 p.m.
  • FallFest – September 11, 2021

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Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association

10 hours ago

Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association
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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