in Frederick County

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 on Tuesday mornings 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 classes to children at Bowman Library in Stephens City. The classes include hands-on activities to help kids connect with nature. Register on the Bowman Library website for classes at least 10 days before the classes are scheduled. Upcoming classes: 

The Magical Forest, September 9, 5-6 p.m.:  Students will learn about trees and what lives in a forest. After the lesson children will be able to put together a display for the library of the Magical Forest.  We will have forest faeries and garden gnomes to place into our display. This will be an interactive experience that the kids can touch and experience every time they come to Bowman.

Pumpkin Tree, October 14, 5-6 p.m.: Come see how pumpkins, squash and gourds grow and find out what is inside them. Then make some Halloween gourds to hang on the Library Pumpkin Tree.  Make 2 or 4 and take some home.

Thankful Dish Gardens, November 11, 5-6 p.m.: Thanksgiving is a time for remembering what we are thankful for in our lives.  The students will be given a lesson on propagation and how to plant small plants into a dish garden to take home. There will be a space in the garden to write a thank you and show it in the garden.

Bird Seed Ornaments, December 9, 5-6 p.m.: Students will learn that it is important to nourish the birds in the winter garden and how to feed the winter birds with creative and nourishing birdseed ornaments. The children will be able to make and take-home fancy shapes to hang outside on the trees. 

Freight Station Farmers Market – The Extension Master Gardener information booth is set up at the Farmers  Market on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month 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. 

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.   

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:

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