Healthy Landscapes
Our Program
The Healthy Landscapes program is designed to help homeowners create a healthy habitat for
both human enjoyment and our native flora and fauna. The focus of this program is on creating a healthy habitat – for instance, recommendations for Piedmont native plants; the removal of invasive species, water-wise landscaping, etc. Extension Master Gardeners will come to your property to assess existing conditions of the landscape and make recommendations to improve the health of the landscape based on the homeowner’s priorities.
Applicants for this program are asked to prioritize the top three areas
they wish to focus on for the site assessment visit:
Recommendations of Virginia native plants to grow in different site conditions
Suggestions for increasing wildlife diversity by providing shelter, food and water (planting hedgerows, planting in layers, adding winter shelter, saving leaves, mulching)
Recommendations on how to create native flower gardens
Suggestions for water management that conserves water, reduces runoff and erosion (adding rain gardens & vegetative swales, adding water features, water retention features, irrigation techniques, using pervious surfaces)
Invasive species identification and control management and suggestions of native plants to replace the invasives
Tips on how to easily shrink the lawn to make room for native species (sheet mulching, lawn alternatives, adding native shrubs, understory and canopy trees)
Tips for promoting healthy soils (composting, mulching, reducing fertilizer & pesticides use, reducing soil erosion, reducing soil compaction)
Apply Now
As a participant in this program, once your application and payment are received, a Piedmont Master Gardener will coordinate a date and time for your site visit which will last approximately one hour. Soil sampling will not be included with the visit, but you will be provided with a soil sampling kit that you can submit on your own. A $25.00 fee covers the cost of supplies, materials, a personalized report and the Piedmont Native Plants guidebook. This program is only available to residents of Albemarle County and Charlottesville City.
For the 2024 season, this program will run from April 1 to September 30.
*As of April 1st, we will begin accepting applications for the 2024 year. Please check back for updates.
*Please note that turf grasses will not be addressed in this program. If you would like an assessment of your lawn, please register with the Healthy Virginia Lawn program separately.
The Healthy Virginia Landscapes program accepts applications beginning April 1st
:For additional information, or if you have problems with application or payment,
please email pmghealthylandscapes@gmail.com