Native Grasses, Sedges and Rushes for the Home Landscape
August 21, 2020 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am
DATE: 10 July 2020
TO: Arlington/Alexandria Community Organizations
FROM: Publicity@mgnv.org, VirginiaCooperative Extension (VCE), Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia(Alexandria/Arlington)
SUBJ: August 2020 Public Education Programs
NEW! VCE-MGNV Virtual Classroom public education events for August 2020 are online and open to all. RSVP online at https://mgnv.org/events/ to receive the link to participate. Click on the event titles to RSVP for each event. If you can’t join us for a live online presentation, video recordings of the sessions will be posted to https://mgnv.org/reading-room/master-gardener-virtual-classroom/.
Friday, August 7, 10:00 – 11:30 am, ONLINE
Falland Winter Vegetable Gardening
Wondering what to plant when the weather starts to cool? Join us to learn what to plant when, and simple tips for success. We will discuss inexpensive techniques to extend your harvest and ways to enjoy some of your crops in the dead of winter. We will also discuss how to select and plant winter cover crops to improve your soil for next year. The speaker is Extension Master Gardener Dona Lee, an avid vegetable gardener who previously shared her tips on how to grow fantastic tomatoes all summer long! Free. RSVP at https://mgnv.org/events/ to receive link to participate.
Friday, August 14, 10:00 – 11:30 am, ONLINE
Managing Wildlife in the Urban Home Landscape
Learn how to manage and control garden critters affecting your vegetables, fruits, ornamentals, and lawn with Kirsten Conrad, the Agricultural Natural Resource Extension Agent for Arlington County and City of Alexandria. This will be an informative and entertaining look at some of the science-based advice offered in the Pest Management Guide: Home Grounds and Animals 2020 published by the Virginia Cooperative Extension (download for free at https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/456/456-018/456-018.html). Free. RSVP at https://mgnv.org/events/ to receive link to participate.
Friday, August 21, 10:00 – 11:30 am, ONLINE
Native Grasses, Sedges and Rushes for the Home Landscape
This class explains how native grasses, sedges and rushes can add structure and beauty to your garden all yearlong. Explore the landscape uses for native grasses and sedges, learn how to maintain them, and appreciate the important ways that these plants support wildlife. The speaker is Extension Master Gardener Elaine Mills who researches and writes the resources for the Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic at https://mgnv.org/plants/. Free. RSVP at https://mgnv.org/events/ to receive link to participate.
Friday, August 28, 10:00 – 11:30 am, ONLINE
Fall Lawn Care
Fall is the ideal time to restore cool-season grass, the most common turfgrass grown on lawns in our area. This program will describe how to improve lawns and the underlying soil, and outline steps for ensuring a beautiful weed-free lawn with an emphasis on sustainable practices and minimizing the impact to our native pollinators and wildlife. The speaker is Extension Master Gardener Joyce Hylton, who, in addition to Spring and Fall lawn care, is an expert in weed identification and management. Free. RSVP at https://mgnv.org/events/ to receive link to participate.
Note to All:
OPERATING! – The Extension Master Gardener Help Desk is still answering emails! We welcome your garden-related questions, including those concerning plant and insect identification. Please include photos to assist us with identification. The Help Desk is open weekdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm (noon).Contact us at mgarlalex@gmail.com.
Also check out the resources on our website, mgnv.org. You’ll find Gardening Basics for Arlington & Alexandria, VA listing our hardiness zone and frost dates, a list of problem plants and better alternatives, and an extensive compilation of Tried and True Native Plants for the Mid-Atlantic Area, complete with great color pictures and descriptions. Our schedule of gardening programs is posted on this website, so be sure to check it often!
POSTPONED – Our Plant Clinics: Alexandria Farmers Market Plant Clinic, Arlington Central Library Plant Clinic,Arlington Farmers Market Plant Clinic, Beatley Library Plant Clinic, and Del Ray Farmers Market Plant Clinic are postponed until further notice.
POSTPONED – The Wednesday Night Garden Talks at Arlington Central Library run from March to September 2020. 1015 N.Quincy St, Arlington 22201. Presented with the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) – https://afac.org/plot-against-hunger/pah-events/.