Projects

After extensive training, Master Gardeners provide free or low-cost programming and information to the public
by staffing help desks, answering gardening questions, speaking at public events, teaching classes,
writing articles, and partnering with other community organizations, gardens, and educational facilities.
Our projects include:

HORTICULTURE HELP DESK

Get answers to your gardening questions at the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) office on Stagecoach Road, at farmers markets, and at community events. Find details in Gardening Resources or visit our Facebook page to find answers to frequently asked questions in the “Ask a Master Gardener” section.

SCHOOL GARDEN GRANTS

The Piedmont Master Gardeners annually offer grants to grade K-12 educators for programs related to horticulture or gardening in the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Click on these links to download the 2024 School Grant Guidelines and the 2024 School Garden Grant Application. (Please download this document before filling it out.) The deadline to apply is February 26, 2024.

SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY GARDENS

Student gardens at three area schools, Greer Elementary, Crozet Elementary, and Stony Point Elementary, benefit from Master Gardener expertise and teaching. Master Gardeners consult on community gardens and assist other organizations with educational programming around gardens.

HEALTHY VIRGINIA LAWNS

This statewide Master Gardener program offers property owners customized, scientific-based information for improving lawns while minimizing the environmental impact of lawn care. Find details in Gardening Resources.

HEALTHY LANDSCAPES

This program is designed to provide assistance on planning a healthy, sustainable landscape based on the eight elements of conservation landscaping. Find more information here .

DEMONSTRATION GARDENS

See best gardening practices applied at two locations created for public education: the Center Rose Garden at 1180 Pepsi Place off Greenbrier Drive, and the Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital Amphitheater garden adjacent to the hospital.

EDUCATIONAL EXHIBITS

Look for our exhibits on gardening and environmental horticulture at area fairs, festivals, and other one-time educational events. Submit your best home-grown produce to the Albemarle County Fair; where Master Gardeners accept, display, and judge entries.

CLASSES AND SPEAKERS

Hear well-known speakers on current gardening topics during our Spring Lecture Series; online registration is available closer to the event. Our Garden Basics classes are two-hour workshops on gardening topics of seasonal importance offered each month. Our Monthly Membership meetings, which are open to the public, feature speakers on garden-related topics. See Events for details.

SPEAKER’S BUREAU

Our Speakers Bureau matches Master Gardener experts to the gardening interest of other community organizations. Contact Judy Reigel at jreigel3@gmail.com if your group would like a knowledgeable speaker.

GARDEN GUIDES

Master Gardeners serve as docents for “Through the Garden Gate” tours of private garden, held each month from April to September, in partnership with local garden clubs. Volunteers enlighten visitors from around the world each April during Virginia’s Historic Garden Week and act as ambassadors in the Monticello gardens from April through November. See Events for dates and details.

SPRING PLANT SALE

Buy affordable plants from our members’ own gardens and greenhouses and from ethical growers of native plants at our annual Spring Plant Sale in May. See Events for details.

NEWSLETTER

Piedmont Master Gardeners write on garden topics for newsletters and regional gardening magazines, including a monthly online newsletter called The Garden Shed. To be notified when news issues are available, sign up here.