VPM
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VPM
Get a close-up view of the microbial life inside of plants and soil at a Cooperative Extension laboratory. Visit a colonial style garden to learn about flowers and herbs grown to make colorful dyes for fabric.
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VPM/VPMDiscover popular houseplant varieties and learn about their care. Visit a garden featuring unique herbs and discuss their uses beyond the kitchen. -
I am looking forward to consistently warmer weather so we can plant our heat-loving crops such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, beans, cucumbers and melons. However, what I am not excited about are the increased number of pests and diseases that come along with the warm weather.
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We all know the heat is coming; it’s only a few weeks away. Rather than react, I act now by taking a few simple steps to keep the landscape green, growing and resilient.
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Tim Wright/VPMExplore state and national champion trees at Richmond’s historic Maymont park. Tour Dragon Run on the Middle Peninsula to learn about bald cypress and the old growth forest network.
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PhotoJuthamat - stock.adobe.com/376424661Is your soil ready for your plants? This is a great question and most of us might just look at the soil to say yes — it looks loamy and has that black, rich color, or no — it looks like red Virginia clay to me! There is so much more to soil than meets the eye, and I want to introduce the best way to know more about what is in your dirt: the soil test.
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I garden with deer, where more than a dozen think my gardens are their personal restaurant to browse through. I have gardened with deer for many years, and through research backed by expensive trial and error on my part, I now only buy plants with specific traits.
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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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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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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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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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Peggy discusses the importance of having trees in our environment for a healthy and happy ecosystem. -
I enjoy the variety of fruit trees that give me fruit throughout the seasons. But, avoiding the desire to prune your trees too soon is difficult when there is no more fruit, or once the leaves have fallen.
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Healthy ecosystems need native plants to provide food and shelter for all types of wildlife. Learn about native fruit trees and other edible plants from a school that connects students to nature. Then visit an organization that restores indigenous plant and animal communities that have been suppressed by traditional landscape practices.
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Cooler temperatures and an increase in moisture make fall the perfect time to plant trees and shrubs. In USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7, early October is still not too late to plant perennials, while trees and shrubs can be planted until mid-December.
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Herbs are a great addition to a garden of any size. Even if you do a container garden on a patio, a few herb plants will bring an array of textures, smells and tastes to delight your senses. Fall is a great time to plant perennial herbs.
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Visit the State Arboretum to meet curator, T’ai Roulston and learn about butternut trees. Tour the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge with Manager, Chris Lowie, to talk about how the unique ecosystem is protected.
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I feel reinvigorated in September as the heat of the summer quickly fades to a memory. With this renewed energy, September becomes a planning month for me.
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Gardening with dogs can be a challenge, Serome shares some of his tips to make this experience better for everyone involved.
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Learn how to make two traditional Mexican foods with Monica Chavez of La Milpa restaurant.
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Visit the La Milpa garden in Richmond with Monica Chavez to learn about the restaurant’s farm-to-kitchen program. Explore Browntown Farms in Warfield and talk with Herbert Brown, Jr about being a fifth-generation family farmer. Blanche Smith gives a blueberry jam making demonstration in the studio. Amyrose Foll and Jen Naylor share gardening tips you can use at home.
