NSVMGA sponsors a variety of programs in Shenandoah County, Virginia, including…
Children’s Gardening Workshops – The Children’s Gardens located within the larger Strasburg Community Garden and at Seven Bends State Park (Hollingsworth Rd.), are learning spaces where children can join gardening workshops to learn the joy of growing! We hold workshops for kids on Saturdays from April through October from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on topics including pollinators, insects, birds, and other garden-related topics. Garden work days and mini workshops are held on Tuesdays throughout the summer at 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in April, May, September, and October and 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. June, July, and August. Parent/guardian must accompany children; no drop offs are allowed. Workshops and mini workshops scheduled for 2025 are:
- May 17: Preparing Soil and Planting/Pollinators, Children’s Garden at the Strasburg Community Garden
- May 31: Preparing the Soil and Planting/Pollinators, Seven Bends State Park
- June 17: Mini-Workshop at the Children’s Garden at the Strasburg Community Garden – Making “Plant People”
- June 21: Composting and Vermicomposting, Children’s Garden at the Strasburg Community Garden
- June 24: Mini Workshop at Seven Bends State Park – Making “Plant People”
- June 28: Composting and Vermicomposting, Seven Bends State Park
- July 19: Pollination and Pollinators, Children’s Garden at the Strasburg Community Garden
- July 26: Pollination and Pollinators, Seven Bends State Park
- August 16: Insects in the Garden, Children’s Garden at the Strasburg Community Garden
- August 19: Mini Workshop at Seven Bends State Park – Leaf and Flower Prints
- August 23: Insects in the Garden, Seven Bends State Park
- August 26: Mini-Workshop at the Children’s Garden at the Strasburg Community Garden – Leaf and Flower Prints
- September 20: Saving Seeds, Children’s Garden at the Strasburg Community Garden
- September 27: Saving Seeds, Seven Bends State Park
- October 7: Mini Workshop at Seven Bends State Park – Gourd Bird Feeders
- October 14: Mini-Workshop at the Children’s Garden at the Strasburg Community Garden – Gourd Bird Feeders
- October 18: Preparing the Garden for Winter/Making a “Bug Snug,” Children’s Garden at the Strasburg Community Garden
- October 25, Preparing the Garden for Winter/Making a “Bug Snug,” Seven Bends State Park
Edinburg Mill Biofiltration Garden – Friends of the North Fork, working with multiple partners, have helped create one of the largest storm water bio filtration projects in the Shenandoah Valley. This rain garden is next to the restored Edinburg Mill where it helps halt erosion and filter polluted runoff between the parking area and Stony Creek. The rain garden serves as a teaching/learning venue for local and regional water issues. Extension Master Gardeners work with the Mill to create interactive signage and informational displays for the public.
EMG Seed Exchange – Extension Master Gardeners prepare thousands of packets of seed to swap at this annual event on a Saturday in January. The free seed exchange also includes a book exchange and opportunities to learn about growing plants from seed.
Farmers Markets – Our members regularly staff a plant clinic and information pamphlet display in two of the county’s farmers markets during the growing season: the South Street Barn Market (4th Saturday of the month, May through August) and the Strasburg Farmers Market (first and third Saturdays of the month, April 20 through October).
Habitat for Humanity – The EMG program has a joint project with Habitat for Humanity, currently in Frederick and Warren counties, working with new homeowners to design and execute landscaping for their properties. This enhances their property value and supports them in the path to owning and maintaining their own homes. We work together with homeowners to design their gardens and landscapes, so that the gardens are ones that they want and can maintain over time. We teach them about gardening and about the plants we choose. This project began in 2022 and has the ability to work with Habitat in any of the five counties covered by our EMG unit.
New Market Demo Rain Garden – Extension Master Gardeners educate the public on the rain gardens located at the New Market Library. Created in 2011 in collaboration with Rutgers University, the gardens filter the parking lot rainwater runoff in the area behind the New Market Government Building and on the library grounds.
Seed Lending Library – Extension Master Gardeners offer free seeds at the Shenandoah County Library in Edinburg. Learn the satisfaction and benefits of gardening then harvest and return a portion of the seeds to the library to share with others.
Shenandoah County Fair – Extension Master Gardeners register adult and youth horticulture entries for competition judging at this annual event. In addition, they staff an information booth throughout the week to help homeowner with questions and to share information about the VCE Master Gardener program.
To learn more about the projects that take place in Shenandoah County or to get help with your home gardening questions, contact us at:
- Phone: 540-459-6140
- Email: greenhelpline@gmail.com
- Help Desk Hours: First and third Fridays, May through September, 9 a.m. –Noon; First Fridays only, October through April, 9 a.m.–Noon
- Location: VCE Office and Classroom, Shenandoah County Government Center, 600 North Main Street, Suite 100, Woodstock, VA 22664
If you have questions about our programs, please email us at nsvmganews@gmail.com.
