Which October tasks in Virginia are you working on? Though temperatures are dipping and evidence of our food or plants is literally disappearing from view, October is one of the busiest months in the garden from Zones 6-8. What you do this month not only ensures you get to reap what you’ve sown, but your […]
Fabulous Francis Land House The first beautiful and historic home and gardens in Virginia Beach on my self-led tour is Francis Land House. Because this home is right off Virginia Beach Boulevard, it’s very centrally located from just about every part of the city. There’s ample parking and you don’t have to worry about paying, […]
I start my Virginia Beach Garden tour of mostly historic sites at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center and the Tidewater Arboretum. A true garden by and for the people, this Virginia Tech outpost near the beach has a lot to offer. An Oasis by the Atlantic The Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and […]
On my trip to find the living history in historic gardens, I decide (at the spur of the moment) to head to Chippokes State Park. This is an exciting detour. Usually, my normal route includes heading to Virginia Beach via Interstate 64. This time, though, my route requires a ferry trip! Best way to get […]
What history is growing in the gardens of historic Williamsburg? It’s early September and I visit several gardens to find out. I begin in Williamsburg, since I am coming from the north. Later in the week, I will work my way down to the Hampton Roads area. For now, though, I am deliriously happy because […]
Recently, I discovered a delightful botanical destination in the heart of Williamsburg, Virginia. It was my first stop on the beginning of a historic farm garden and home tour throughout Hampton Roads, and I only learned of the place once I was in town. I was not disappointed. A great time of the year to […]
I recently had the pleasure of going back to my hometown to take a wonderful walk around the plant world in Norfolk, Virginia. This place- Norfolk Botanical Gardens–is a place that’s near and dear to my heart, because I grew up less than two miles away, off Azalea Garden Road, where I used to feed […]
How did a volcano cause Virginia’s longest winter in the last150 years? This post is not like the usual articles you’ll find on Virginia is for Gardeners. But you’re here, so please! Read on. Please be aware that if you purchase from some of the links on Virginia is for Gardeners, we may receive a […]
Do you want to know how to have a spectacular late-summer garden in September? It is still possible right now. You will want to continue watering. You won’t need to as much as July and August, of course, because things should be cooling off quite noticeably during night-time now. But there will definitely be several […]
These are the most helpful things I can think of to have in a Virginia garden toolbox. After thirty years of gardening in this great state, these are the organizations, memberships, websites, seeds, apps, books and actual tools) I use, and
return to year after year.
A visit to the Awesome arboretum in Harrisonburg After several delayed attempts this summer, I finally was able to visit the awesome Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and I was not disappointed. It was a day of several stellar events, starting with the Perseid meteor showers, and the planetary […]
It’s August in your Virginia Garden and what kinds of things should you be doing right now? Well, first off: you’ve got to keep on watering. You are in the home stretch with the main garden season. Please be aware that if you purchase from some of the links on Virginia is for Gardeners, we […]
Maymont is magical is one of the best public gardens in Richmond! Since it’s only about an hour away from where I live, I decided to visit. I wanted to enjoy other nearby garden delights. The grand plan Richmond is a convenient city to get to from most of Virginia and the Atlantic seaboard. There […]
A land of many gardens When heading to the Charlottesville (also known as the Piedmont area), Virginia, don’t miss these wonderful public gardens. If you head this way, many great Plant-lover places await you. Check them out for free (or, in some cases, with an invite or small donation). Please be aware that if you […]
If you’ve ever wanted to nibble eat things while hiking, you may have wondered: “what are some of the best books about foraging?”. It’s important to know what is in season, what to look for, and how to prepare and eat what you find. This post is about four great publications (three by current Virginians) […]
Do you want to see Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Garden Ponds, a gorgeous garden full of Lotuses and Lilies in Washington, D.C? I sure did. So, I traveled to the most floral “swamp” in all of D.C. There are many reasons that I love going to the Capital city, and I always seem to go […]
What you need to be doing in July in your Virginia garden Please be aware that if you purchase from some of the links on Virginia is for Gardeners, we may receive a small percentage of that sale. Your cost will be the same, regardless! Thanks for reading:) Wet & Wild Hello and welcome to […]
Mid-summer Garden Dreams I highly suggest a midsummer visit to Virginia’s State Arboretum in Boyce, VA. Why? By the time July hits, most gardeners are usually second-guessing most of the ambitious plans they had last December when they ordered seeds. We are either are up early weeding and watering those ambitions or saying we WILL […]
In this post, we will discuss apps, local classes local certifications, schools, conferences, public gardens and nature center programs, WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms), and intern and work suggestions.
This year (Back in 2007, Ed.) Michael and the girls asked me what I wanted for Mother’s Day. Since we’d fenced the front garden in, I could no longer see the big pond. If you read my post on Drought, you’ll know it had been pretty low anyhow. I wanted a smaller, more aesthetically pleasing […]
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) growing in a community garden in Charlottesville, VA Lately I have been on a kick, learning about how many great plants we have in Virginia. I especially appreciate ones that are not only native, but also ornamental, edible and/or medicinal. (This designation includes birds, any other pollinators and myself. This leads me […]
An awesome Old World Estate finds appreciation and rebirth in a New World A long time ago (last century, even) I lived in Richmond. Agecroft Hall (also in Richmond) Virginia just didn’t seem worth it. There was a place that wasn’t far from where I lived. That had promises of a magnificent garden and an […]
Unexpected delights Travelling to see the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum was an unexpected and surprising delight. Located adjacent to the administrative offices at the National Arboretum on the Northeast side of Washington, DC. I’d not spent much time on that side of the capital, but I had the opportunity to visit in early July. […]
Exploring in D.C. There are many reasons to visit the beautiful children’s garden in the National Arboretum, Washington D.C.. I had fun exploring the Washington Youth Garden in D.C. It’s only minutes from Virginia, so exploring at the National Arboretum (where the Washington Youth Garden is located) is quick, easy and inspiring! Please be aware […]
So close! This time of year, it’s good to take a delightful daytrip. My destination? The National Arboretum in Washington D.C. It is less than ten miles from Reagan International, and feels a world away from many of the other popular sites in the nation’s capital. Getting there From Charlottesville, Virginia, it’s an easy trip […]
Patience is a Slow Art…so is gardening Patience in gardening: I’d like to talk to new and seasoned gardeners. Those of you that may have planted a lot of things recently or in the past, and cannot believe things are just sitting there, and not growing. Not dying. But not popping up, either. I’d like […]
Let’s get it started: grow great popcorn Presently, we’re perfecting the art of planting, growing, harvesting & popping popcorn. I ordered Japanese popcorn seed from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange for the student garden last Spring (2023). We have grown other organic popcorn, including Cherokee corn from Morven Kitchen Garden (thank you, Fiona!). We have planted […]
“…a few strategies that you can employ no matter where you are, (as long as you have a good nearby outdoor space). I call this approach “Porch Permaculture””…
We only recommend products and services we wholeheartedly endorse. This post may contain special links through which we earn a small commission if you make a purchase (though your price is the same). Cultivating beginner mind Over the past 25 years or so, I have been a beginner at many things, as both a teacher […]
What I learned turning my typical mundane Virginia front lawn into a meadow Recently I decided that mowing a lawn was a waste of my time. I had admittedly decided that on several other (yearly) occasions before. I was finally attempting to change the parameters of my typical lawn care in a neighborhood situation. I was […]
In years past, late January was for sitting by the woodstove, snowed in (as we usually have our first big snow fall in Virginia the third week of January) seed catalogs spread out before me. I felt warmer from just dreaming of eating fresh food straight from verdant lush gardens in July. Following are the […]
Many years ago, I edited a newsletter for the Master Gardeners in Virginia Beach called ‘Gleanings’. I often asked other gardeners for submissions. Because assembling a newsletter was new to me, as well as growing things, I needed their support. Occasionally, generous people obliged me, which is how I learned of an excellent idea for […]
Mushrooms on pizza do not excite me. And happening upon a mushroom when I’d much rather find a fried sweet potato or cauliflower in my tempura is always unwelcome. But one Portobello burger can go a long way. Next thing you know, you are looking at seed catalogs and ordering what is known in shiitake farmer’s language […]
I promised to share my ten books for the gardeners in my life. Woohoo! Books are always helpful for gardeners, and any garden-related gift is timely, because gardens (for gardeners and everyone else) are gifts that keep. on. giving!!! We only recommend products and services we wholeheartedly endorse. This post may contain special links through […]
Whether you live 45 minutes from the nearest store or within driving distance to three of our garden centers, chances are you appreciate free things. In this particular article, I will share with you at least 7 things you likely have in and around your home that you can use as free (or almost free) […]
What is a vermicomposting worm bin? Vermicomposting is also known as gardening or composting with worm bins. I’ve assembled bins before, and I will again. I have to say it’s much more fun to build with others, instead of by yourself. A long time ago, I made one with my young kids. They were 4, […]
Hosting pets, livestock and wildlife animals in your garden Hosting animals (pets, livestock or wildlife) brings joy to a garden. For the plants, animals and people, you can create a garden that welcomes all. The best part? The animals you invite will help you do it. Read on to find out how! Please be aware […]
“Next year will be better”. Have you said this before while working in your fall garden?
Unlike most beekeepers who are having fun in the southeast, I am the World’s Worst Beekeeper. I am not a retired Navy man or engineer, so I do not have the camaraderie I would in a circle of midwives or herbalists. Oh, well. I love honey with a passion. And as a Wonder Woman fan, I […]
Jasmine with Cici the chicken, who provided love and eggs for years. Ten or eleven years ago (now 25 years ago, Ed.), shortly we moved onto our own acre in the country. I began to hear the phrase “chicken tractor.” If you do not know what this is already, the image it probably conjures up […]
This is an ode to all women who live in the country, and chronicle the exciting and the mundane, and entices the rest of us to raise a lamb, plant a bed of asparagus, aspire to grow an entire meal’s worth of food, or at least eat locally for a year. These women have been […]
This is where I turn off the honey and step onto the soapbox. I may sound and feel like vinegar, but it is a reality here in Farm Country: how to survive drought. Very few places where agriculture is the main commerce escape it. The area we left (Virginia Beach) for Scottsville was 2-4 feet […]
I had no plan to be farming flowers in Virginia early in 2007. However, on a gorgeous day last Fall, my youngest daughter and I took a trip an hour south to Farmville. This was for an open house at a large, diversified farm. There were pastured chickens, a petting zoo, spinning and weaving demos, […]
The first natural medicine I recall growing and using probably was the Aloe Vera plant. While my mom grew all manner of succulents to surround our patio in Norfolk, Virginia, once we moved North, the only plant succulent we grew was the aloe. It didn’t live outside in Michigan…it lived on the top of the refrigerator. I never […]
What IS ‘gleaning’, anyway?! Cover of a Va Beach Master Gardener newsletter, art by Ajah Courts, c.1997. Somewhere in the Bible (Deuteronomy 24:19-21, Leviticus 19) and other ancient histories, there are references to the act of gleaning. For definition sake, gleaning is basically taking leftovers in a field or garden after its initial harvest. Someone […]
Everywhere across the world when dusk begins to cast shadows, the unprepared parents and caretakers all begin to ask: What’s for supper?” The joy resides in vegetable soup…straight from your garden. I am NOT a fan of the word ‘supper’; it conjures an underwhelming meal. For some reason, it also brings to mind smacking lips […]
A bit about sheet mulching…I am about as addicted to it as you can be, for something you don’t do all the time. I wait patiently for the materials, but as soon as they end up at our house, I am already thinking about the good soil they will one day turn into. I love to […]
There are no longer horses at our place here in Scottsville, a farm we’ve come to call “Horseshoe Hill.” Our barn did use to be home to several, though. In ode to them, our town’s location at the horseshoe bend of the James River, and the good luck we had finding such a home in the […]
I profess to have dreams of walking out my back door in the morning, strolling along a merry path just feet from our home, and picking strawberries, cherries, and raspberries. Or, if its later in the season, there are peaches, blackberries, and blueberries. Later, there are cantaloupe, apples, and pears. Obviously- I need an orchard. […]
One year, while turning our kitchen into a bedroom and our former bedroom into the kitchen, it finally happened. I had a very strange desire. Though I had three children under the age of five, I somehow wanted to live a pioneer style. This new obsession meant I wanted to do almost everything by hand. […]
This is a poem I wrote in July 2008, when I was deep in the throes of motherhood and seasonal living. In praise of self-sufficiencyI once holed up almost anacre-island of sand and trees.Many days spent on kneesamongst chickens and rabbits,trowels and error.Slowly, I learnedand from the soil I earnedthe right to eatthe right to […]
How many years did I drink bad coffee, then good coffee, until I finally learned about the beauty of a great cup of tea? When I was little, my grandmother would make me “coffee” to drink while we watched Lassie. It was probably 80 percent milk with a few drops of coffee, and a lot […]
How did I end up with a Lean-to greenhouse? In my early twenties, I moved out of the city with two small children and another on the way. My (then) husband and I purchased a small house. It was a 700 square foot “cottage,”. When things are tight, you can call it a “cottage” and […]
My mother once planted sunflowers that germinated overnight and grew to over eighteen feet tall. I’d heard about these sunflowers all my life and never realized how remarkable this was until I began growing things from seed myself. Conclusion? Growing from seed feels sweet and complete. Please be aware that if you purchase from some […]
Over the river and through the woods (and down the road apiece) lies the 150-acre intentional community Springtree. Located on the banks of the meandering and historic Rivanna River, Springtree has been demonstrating so many of the ideals I strive for (and more) for more than thirty years (Now, for more than fifty, Ed.) We […]
Not long ago, I asked some of my favorite gardeners to share their best tips and tricks for staying comfortable in the garden, and for working outside in general. Even though I have been gardening for almost thirty years, I was delighted to learn so many new things. My only regret is that I didn’t […]
Watering, weeding and the weather I call these things “The Three Ws” because these strategies make gardening easier. Also, I love alliteration. Alliteration is a good way to remember important things. I wish someone in my early gardening experiences had addressed these “Love them/Hate them, they’re always with us” subjects positively. Starting my young life […]
Hi! About me: I am Michelle. I grew up in a garden near the Chesapeake Bay. Since then, I’ve lived all around this great state. After tending plots on the coast, and in the Piedmont, I am now living in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I am happy to tell you that no matter where you […]
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