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Explore ways that climate change is impacting plants in the Commonwealth

VPM | By Bryant Dameron

Published May 2, 2024 at 11:05 AM EDT

A lake with a curving bridge surrounded by blooming spring plants. — Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has recently moved into a warmer growing zone after the update to the USDA hardiness map.

Peggy Singlemann learns how marshes and wetlands can create more resilient shorelines and buffer against sea level rise in Norfolk with Mary-Carson Stiff, Executive Director of Wetlands Watch.

Serome Hamlin tours Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden with Vice President of Horticulture, Danny Cox, to see how new USDA hardiness zones are challenging public gardens with earlier bloom times and new pest and disease pressure, while also providing opportunities to grow new plants in the warmer climate.

Randy Battle shares tips to start growing in a new raised bed. Robyn Puffenbarger recommends plants that can stand wet feet to absorb runoff.

A large marsh area with spiraling waterways and trees. — Wetlands and marshes are under threat from rising sea levels.

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Bryant Dameron

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Getting Through the Winter Blues

Serome Hamlin
,
February 27, 2025

As gardeners, during the winter months we start missing our time in the garden. We spend so much time in our gardens during the warm season, that when we are forced to slow down due to frozen ground or uncomfortable cold, we can start feeling depressed and eager to get back to playing in the soil.
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Peggy’s Favorite Plants

Peggy Singlemann
,
February 27, 2025

A common question fellow gardeners ask me is about what my favorite plants are. While I have a few favorites, I really do like almost all plants so trying to choose just a few is difficult.
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Growing a Late Winter Garden

Shana Williams
,
January 29, 2025

I have always enjoyed going into my backyard and harvesting veggies for a meal, but I find it even more exciting during winter. I often continue growing into the winter by protecting my fall garden beds that get the most sunlight during winter.
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Peggy’s Annual and Perennial Plant Picks

Peggy Singlemann
,
January 29, 2025

When I sit in my sunniest room, flipping through the various catalogs stacked at my feet, I know I need to be very careful with the plant choices I make. My years of experience have taught me that these choices will have an impact on my garden — and on my time — until the end of the season.
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Gardening for Birds

Dr. Robyn Puffenbarger
,
January 9, 2025

At my house, bird watching and bird feeding is a year-round activity. To make the birds safe in your space, think about adding ‘cover’ so they can approach.
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Gardening in January? Really?

Peggy Singlemann
,
January 9, 2025

January is the coldest month of the year for most of the US and many gardeners manage through the month’s 31 days by hibernating inside with garden catalogs at their fingertips. However, just because it is cold outside doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to do in the garden.
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Holiday Garden Retreat

Serome Hamlin
,
November 22, 2024

It’s that time of year that’s full of family and friend gatherings; it can be very stressful and overwhelming. During this time, it’s so important to take time to just breathe.
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The Procrastinating Gardener

Peggy Singlemann
,
November 22, 2024

Usual questions running through the mind of the procrastinator gardener are: Where did the time go? Is it too late to plant? Can I prune now? The good news is that it’s not too late for most of these tasks.

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Explore ways that climate change is impacting plants in the Commonwealth

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