Except where noted, all events and meetings are open to the public. Some lectures and events will be offered via YouTube or ZOOM technology. Zoom meetings/presentations will require registration prior to start date. The Free Lance Star and MGACRA Facebook page will also be used to post/advertise all activities. All gardening, insect, plant disease, and horticultural related questions can be called into our VCE office: 540-658-8000. The office serves the four-county area and Fredericksburg. Additional resources are available at: ext.vt.edu where subjects of interest can be searched. *****************************************************************************************************************
Annual and Special Events: 1 Apr 2023 at 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 a.m. – Gardening Symposium “Flower Power from Roots to Blooms”
Gari Melcher Home & Studio, 224 Washington St, Fredericksburg
Speakers! Lunch! Tour the Gari Melcher garden
All proceeds go to MGACRA community projects and gardens
Registration now open! Click on the link below or at the MGACRA Home Page for on-line registration and more information.Registration closes 24 Mar 2023
14 Apr – National Gardening Day 22 Apr – Earth Day 7 Jun - Kicking Off Pollinator Week Celebration 19-23 Jun - Pollinator Week 22-23 Aug - Annual Flower Show
MGACRA Monthly Meetings: 15 Feb 2023 at 1:00 p.m. - MGACRA General Meeting/Education Program
Open to the Public!
Central Rappahannock Regional Library, 1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg
Speakers: Laura & John Westermeier, Joan Pope “Smart Green Lawns Program”
POC: Margene Sims, mmsims@aol.com
MGACRA Volunteer Opportunities: Please visit the gardens/projects. They are open and free to the public! Contact the Garden/Project coordinators listed below for information about the 2023 gardening season
Cedell Brooks Native Demonstration Garden: Coordinator Alvin Calhoun welcomes volunteers to join him at the Cedell Brooks Park Native Garden in King George VA. Please contact Alvin if you have any questions about the native garden and the 2023 schedule. Alvin can be reached at aac.a4@gmail.com.
Native Garden at Widewater State Park: Coordinator Beth Daily welcomes all volunteers to join her at Widewater State Park in Stafford VA. Reach out to Beth with any questions about the garden and the 2023 schedule. Beth can be reached at elizabethdaly@juno.com.
Belmont Nature Trail: MG Jody Wilken is the Grounds Coordinator at Belmont, and she is looking for some volunteers to work on the Nature Trail giving educational walking tours to visitors. The trail is located in King George VA. Though you would be volunteering as an MG, Belmont has its own internal volunteer process which includes a background screening (paid for by Belmont). Please contact Jody (jwilken@umw.edu) to get started in 2023!
Chatham Historical Gardens: The gardens are open year-round to the public and volunteers. Please contact Carol if you have any questions at cahyland@cox.net. Master Gardeners, did you know that you can earn volunteer hours every Wednesday, year-round, from 8am-1pm by joining project Coordinator Carol Hyland in the beautiful Chatham Historical Gardens? Interested? You can sign up in Better Impact (click on the Opportunities tab, go to the Opportunities Calendar, and click on whatever Wednesday works for you!), or you can just turn up with your pruners. Chatham Manor is located in Stafford County. Contact Carol if you have any questions at cahyland@cox.net
Master Gardeners Continuing Education Opportunities: Soil Sample Video: The Extension Office has prepared a short video on how to take a good soil sample! The video is now up on YouTube and will be posted on our website. You can also click on the link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J93LtWMTs0 Watching the video WILL COUNT towards your Continuing Education hours.
Need to more CE hours? The links to all available 2021-2022 presentations and lectures are located on the MGACRA website Home Page. Contact Lisa Ellis at lisae22@vt.edu for more information