Gardening

Meet organizations growing greener communities. Explore a farm in Petersburg empowering youth to become stewards of their local food systems. Visit ReLeaf Cville and learn how planting trees to provide shade creates healthier neighborhoods.

Recently, I visited my sister — and while there I joined in on her daily walks. During one, she told me about a plant she received from a friend and called it Bishop’s weed. I am not the best at common names, particularly when in a different part of the country, so I wondered which plant she was referring to. This experience always leaves me wondering about gardeners who rely solely on common names.

Mulching is a time-honored technique in the garden. Using plant-based materials like wood chips, bark, leaves, grass clippings and compost are all ways to add “organic” amendments to your soil.

Visit a private garden using sustainable practices to promote soil health. Learn about biochar, a nutrient-rich additive that improves soil fertility and structure while sequestering carbon underground.

Many gardeners are afraid of the thought of container gardening, when in fact gardening in containers not only can add interest to your gardening spaces, but are also very functional.

The first flush of summer blooming flowers lights up the garden creating a magnificent sight and then, unfortunately, they fade. Keeping plants robust and repeatedly flowering means the gardener must not only maintain plant health but remove the spent blossoms, too.

Investigate climate change in the Commonwealth and learn about work to adapt our landscapes to the new normal. Discover how marshes buffer against sea level rise. Explore challenges and opportunities facing public gardens due to warmer growing zones.

I love the look of wood and its ability to break down and return to soil. However, we need raised beds that will last longer and require less maintenance over the years, so we have to consider sustainable materials.

With spring flowers faded away and the summer garden getting into gear, there are a few tasks you can do during these early days of summer.

Explore green technology for the home garden and state forests! Uncover the history of electric lawn care equipment that goes back 50 years. See how the Virginia Department of Forestry uses drones to survey forest health and help fight fires.