In the Garden: HERE & THERE

RED TAG ART SALE @FCCA

In the Garden

out & about

By tina will

It's refreshing to have restarted in-person events after a two-year gap. Where did those years go? Though sidelined, we stayed active where possible. We adapted to using Zoom, and started an MG Help desk which can be accessed by email: VCEStafford.helpdesk@gmail.com. The VCE office phone is 540-658-8000. Plant Clinics and Recorded Lectures

Plant Clinics are Back! Rte 3/Gordon Rd. has started, and gets a great following thanks to MG Ray Mikula and other MGs. They are enjoying re-engaging with the public on horticultural topics of concern. Our Plant Clinic at King George Middle School meets on the first Saturdays through October. Hurkamp Park Plant Clinic in Fredericksburg hopes to begin in June and plans to be there on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays through September. Our Facebook page, and website Calendar pages will also have this information. Also, Thanks to MG Mike DiSalvo and VCE/MG Coordinator Lisa Ellis, we are now recording lectures and posting the link to listen and view them on our w e b s i t e https://www.mgacra.org/recordings.html.

A Flower Show for Kids (young and old) MG Laurie Clarkston is leading a new project to encourage children to grow flowers this summer, and show them off in August. She is planning to run several 'How to Grow a Flower' workshops at CRRL downtown library. This is open to everyone, and info on the dates for these workshops will be posted on our website mgacra.org, on Facebook, on the CRRL Calendar, and in FLS Calendar listings. Earth Day

We spoke with hundreds of people at the Old Mill Park Earth Day. Children and adults loved to name the birds. Many assembled bird houses with Master Naturalist Jim Steele and his friendly team, or created rain on the Enviroscape. Visitors enjoyed learning about the benefits of using composted soil on gardens and seeing the worm compost bin. A live opossum was there, and a Peregrine Falcon too. VCE Agent Guy Mussey taught the timid to handle his Madagascar Cockroaches. Several MGs, and children and their parents, conquered their misgivings to the amazement of families and bystanders, and found these critters to be quite docile. Opossums

Why was a live opossum there? Because we need to know of the good they do! Opossums eat ticks, snails, slugs, and snakes, and are resistant to snake venom. They are part of the essential group of animals that act as scavengers of all of nature's debris. MG Karen Brace is also an opossum rescuer (not kidding), and has all the information you need. Her website is: https://www.awesomepossumz.com/. Vines and Native Plants

At our house, we replaced a vine that Japanese Beetles loved; I don't know why we endured that plague for so long, but I loved the berry that vine produced. We are growing Carolina Jasmine (top, photo by Bruan Will) instead, and enjoying the bright yellow flowers. In its first year it grew fifteen feet and flowered beautifully. My dear husband continues to add to our Native Plant collection. Pictured is Valerian. (photo by TINA wiLL) We'll keep an eye on Valerian which spreads rapidly.

Enjoy your garden this Summer! Be brave; try something new.