Upcoming Events August 2021

PIEDMONT MASTER GARDENERS
GARDEN BASICS CLASS VIA  ZOOM
“LAWNS AND LAWN ALTERNATIVES”
Saturday, September 18
2:00 – 3:30 PM

Please check this LINK for information, and to register. Register by September 13.

HEARTFLAME GARDEN
OPEN TO VISITORS
650 Sandy Bottom Rd.
Near Elkton, Virginia 22827 (Adjacent to Shenandoah National Park)
Phone: (540) 298–8684
email: inanna@heartflamegarden.com

This three-season, breathtakingly beautiful garden stretches over 2 acres, and is open to the public free of charge. The garden owners, Inanna and Gabriel Garretson, ask that you call before visiting unless you plan on attending one of the OPEN days where everyone is invited without appointment. The next open days are Saturday and Sunday, August 7 and 8, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Crape myrtles, hibiscus, and other large perennials will be in bloom. Please see this LINK for a list of the open days for fall, and look at recent photos. This garden is amazing!

CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA TREE STEWARDS
FREE WALKS AND TALKS IN SEPTEMBER
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

See this LINK for more information on each of these events, and directions. October events are also listed.

Pen Park Tree Identification Walk
Sunday, September 5, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 
Pen Park Road, Charlottesville

Please use the following link to register:  https://forms.gle/jpYgNy5oW6eLyPBfA

Directions: Pen Park is located off East Rio Road on Pen Park Road.  After entering the park, take a left just before the tennis courts and park near shelter #2.  The group will meet there.

Tree Basics Class: Trees and Wildlife  (ZOOM)
Thursday, September 9, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Please use the following link to register:   https://forms.gle/9Hqra61aFTjcXYLa8

Botanical Garden of the Piedmont Tree Identification Walk
Saturday, September 11, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 
950 Melbourne Road, Charlottesville

Please use the following link to register:  https://forms.gle/C1EFBpowEM2HkpDc9

Directions: The Botanical Garden of the Piedmont is located at 950 Melbourne Road (Corner of Melbourne Rd and the John Warner Parkway). Parking is available within the Garden when the Gate on Melbourne Road is open. Parking is also available along either side of Melbourne Road. The walk will be approximately 90 minutes and cover 1.4 miles.  If there has been any rain, the site tends to be wet so sturdy, waterproof shoes are recommended.

University of Virginia Campus Tree Identification Walk
Friday, September 24, 11:00 a.m. to about 12:30 p.m. 
University Chapel, 145 McCormick Road, UVA, Charlottesville

Please use the following link to register: https://forms.gle/zNaURLf5v9ciBJfg9

Directions: Parking is available in the 14^th Street Garage, Central Grounds Garage at 400 Emmet Street (the Bookstore Garage) and on the Street. Please meet at 10:55 am in front of the Chapel, which is on the west side of the Rotunda.  The walk will be limited to 16 people.

VIRGINIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
STATE AND CHAPTER EVENTS

See this LINK for a listing of both virtual and in-person August/September events hosted by different state and chapters of the VNPS.

THE NATURE FOUNDATION AT WINTERGREEN
3421 Wintergreen Drive, Roseland, VA 22967

August Guided Hikes

For information on guided hikes, difficulty ratings, and to register, please see this LINK to the August/September calendar.

NATIVE PLANTS FOR SALE AT THE NATURE FOUNDATION AT WINTERGREEN GREENHOUSE
725 Beech Grove Road, Roseland, VA 22967
Phone: 434-325-8169
Email: info@twnf.org

SPECIAL PLANT SALE
Saturday, September 4
9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon

The Greenhouse is closed Sunday and Monday; hours vary from Tuesday-Saturday. See this LINK for more information and to see a listing of native plants available for purchase. Plants can also be ordered online and picked up at an arranged time by emailing info@twnf.org

NEW DIRECTIONS IN THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE (NDAL)
HOME GARDENER VIRTUAL SERIES VIA ZOOM

“NATIVE MEADOWS: LET’S GET REAL”
Thursday, August 12
1:00 – 2:30 PM

By planting site-adapted native perennials, managed according to the ecological processes that govern open field vegetation in the wild, long-lived vibrant meadows can be consistently achieved. In this presentation, plant selection criteria, planting procedures, and management techniques will be illustrated through a series of residential case studies, including some over two decades old.

See this LINK for more information and to register.

“LIKE PAINTING A PICTURE: GARDENS OF BLACK AMERICANS”
Tuesday, August 17
1:00 – 2:30 PM

From George Washington Carver to Zora Neale Hurston and more lesser-known self-taught horticulturists, Black Americans have laid out the blueprint for garden design in their own personal spaces. In this presentation and conversation we will discuss these historic legacies and the plants they used to beautify homes and communities.

See this LINK for more information and to register.

LEWIS GINTER BOTANICAL GARDEN
FALL PLANTFEST
1800 Lakeside Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23228
Friday, September 17, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday, September 18, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Fall PlantFest is held outside in Parking Lot C at the Garden (no admission fee or ticket necessary.) The Fall PlantFest features vendors selling plants ranging from well-known favorites to rare exotics. Knowledgeable garden volunteers help you choose your best plants! See this LINK for more information.

MONTICELLO’S TUFTON FARM
2021 FALL PLANT SALE AT THE THOMAS JEFFERSON CENTER FOR HISTORIC PLANTS
1354 Tufton Farm
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Saturday, October 9
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Preregistration will be required; check back for more information in late summer by visiting this LINK. General information for Monticello is (434) 984-9800.

TUFTON FARM
HEIRLOOM APPLE TASTING EVENT
Saturday, October 23
9:30 – 11:00 AM

This popular annual event is a unique opportunity to explore the essence of heirloom apples. Supermarkets today provide only a limited sample of the thousands of apple varieties once available to 19th-century fruit lovers. Monticello fruit gardeners will provide numerous apple varieties and discuss their history and culture. Participants will taste, savor and rate each apple in this two-hour program.

Tickets available after August 1; spaces are limited to 75 participants. See this LINK for registration information.

BLUE RIDGE PRISM (PARTNERSHIP FOR INVASIVE REGIONAL SPECIES MANAGEMENT)
INVASIVE PLANT WORKSHOPS: IDENTIFICATION AND CONTROL
WORKSHOPS VIA ZOOM

See this LINK for general information on PRISM, research updates, invasive plant factsheets, and more.

CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA TREE STEWARDS

For information on upcoming Fall walks and classes, see this LINK.

ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE ALLIANCE (ELA)
WEBINAR
“Designing for Dry Stone Walling in the Landscape”
Wednesday, September 8, 3:00 – 4:00 PM

Traditional dry stone construction methods offer several advantages when used in sustainable landscape construction. This session will touch on the history, as well as some of the methods involved in dry stone construction. Learn the basic parameters for determining carbon footprint and other environmental implications when designing for dry stone walls.

For more information and to register, see this LINK.

Mt. CUBA CENTER VIRTUAL CLASSES, AUGUST/SEPTEMBER

“Instant Rain Garden”
Saturday, August 7, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Prevent excess rainwater runoff by installing a hard-working yet beautiful rain garden on your property. Sam presents the basic elements of rain garden installation and maintenance, a list of perennials for wet and dry conditions, and designs that are aesthetically pleasing and highly functional.

For more information and to REGISTER, see this LINK.

“From Wolf Spiders to Orb Weavers: An Overview of Mid-Atlantic Spiders”
Tuesday, September 14, 6:00 – 7:30 PM

Spiders are ubiquitous creatures in our basements, meadows, and woodlots. While they inspire feelings of fear among many, they are a source of wonderment and mystery to the nature enthusiast. Join entomologist Cathy Stragar for this interactive discussion on the natural history, identification, feeding strategies, and adaptations of the common spiders in the mid-Atlantic region.

For more information and to register, see this LINK.

“Seeds: Wild versus Commercial”
Thursday, September 16, 6:00 – 7:30 PM

For more information and to register, see this LINK.

We all know the importance of planting and promoting native plants, but what are the differences between wild seeds and those you can purchase from a commercial vendor? While seed farming is needed to meet the demand from restoration practitioners and homeowners, the end product can differ considerably from local, wild material. Join Native Plant Trust’s Research Botanist, Jessa Finch, for this interactive online session to explore the impact of seed sourcing on commercially sold seed and to equip yourself with the information you need to be an informed purchaser of native plant seeds.

Mt. Cuba Center is a non-profit botanical garden located in Hockessin, Delaware near Wilmington. Its woodland gardens produce some of the most spectacular displays of wildflowers in the mid-Atlantic region. The botanical garden is now open to the public, see this LINK for info.  See this LINK for information on Mt. Cuba’s world-famous trial garden and study results.

MONARCH JOINT VENTURE
THE 2021 MONARCH CONSERVATION WEBINAR SERIES
4th Tuesday of the Month *
2:00 PM EST

The Monarch Joint Venture is partnering with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center to put on another year full of informative and inspiring webinars on all things monarch. Webinars will be held live on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 2 PM EST. Each webinar will be recorded and for later viewing as well. Check on the session title to register.

Future Webinar Titles:

• August 24th – Conserving Grasslands for Birds and Monarchs
• September 28th – Protecting and Restoring California’s Overwintering Groves
• October 26th – Recovery of the Monarch Butterfly: Federal and State Legislation that can Provide Hope for this Iconic Animal
• November 16th – The Monarch Butterfly Fund – Supporting Monarch Conservation in Mexico
• December 21st – Eco-literacy and Conservation: The Convergence of Research, Policy and Education

* The November and December dates have been moved to avoid conflicting with major holidays. Please note this list is subject to change. Their EVENTS PAGE will have the most up to date information on the webinar series, as well as a calendar of additional monarch-related events, and information on recordings of past webinars.

SIERRA CLUB VIRGINIA CHAPTER FREE VIRTUAL EVENT
“Proposals to Reintroduce Red Wolves to Virginia”
Tuesday, Sept 14
7:00 – 8:00 PM

Richmond-based journalist Stephen Nash has been looking into proposals to reintroduce red wolves, Canis lupus rufus, to Virginia. In the 1970s, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service caught the last 17 known representatives of this critically endangered species, whose range once extended from Florida to New York and the Atlantic states to Texas. The agency has worked to enlarge the captive population and reintroduce these animals to the wild, with varying success and gale-force political headwinds. Today, only a handful of red wolves remain in the wild in coastal North Carolina, and two hundred or so are in captive breeding facilities, nine of which are at Roanoke’s Mill Mountain Zoo.

Register at this LINK for this free virtual event.

DOLLY MADISON GARDEN CLUB
LECTURE AND BRUNCH
MARIANNE WILLBURN, “BIG DREAMS, SMALL GARDEN”
THE BARN AT THE INN AT WILLOW GROVE, ORANGE, VA
Wednesday, November 10
10:00 AM – Noon

See this LINK for more information and to register. Space is limited. REGISTRATION opens on AUGUST 15.

VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION (VCE) VIDEO LIBRARY

VCE offers a variety of YouTube videos on topics geared to both beginner and more advanced gardeners. Examples of topics include:

Planning Your Fall Garden
Rose Rosette Disease, Parts 1 and 2
Plant Disease Clinic: IDs and Diagnoses
Weed Identification: IDs and Diagnoses
Soil Testing Lab: IDs and Diagnoses

For these and many more videos that address specific topics or those of more general interest, see this LINK.