What’s New at the Help Desk One of our primary purposes as Extension Master Gardeners is to educate our community. There is No Better Way to do that than serving at the Help Desk. We are making some changes to make serving even easier! There will be a required training session on February 5th, after the monthly meeting, for all EMGs who are interested in reviewing those changes and expectations. It will last 20-30 minutes. Help Desk hours are Monday,...
In early 2025, I joined the JCCWMG, transferring my membership from the York Poquoson Master Gardeners (YPMG). For years, the YPMGs have partnered with Trex, the recycled-plastic decking company, to collect soft plastic and keep it out of landfills. Once they collected 1,000 pounds of plastic, they received a Trex bench for the learning gardens. It’s a meaningful program that aligns with the Master Gardeners’ values, and I wanted to introduce it to the JCCWMG. In April, I proposed a...
This ready-to-use resource helps you confidently connect with the public and share trusted, research-based gardening information wherever you go. Did you know the Master Gardener Outreach/Roadshow Kit is available to every Master Gardener—and it’s designed to make community outreach easy, polished, and fun? What’s Inside the Outreach Kit? A professional table setupIncludes a crisp green tablecloth featuring the Master Gardener logo—instant visibility and credibility. Easy-access resourcesA binder with QR codes linking to Virginia Cooperative Extension fact sheets, publications, and other...
Let’s Get Growing: Plant Sale 2026 Preparation Starts Now! Mark your calendars and get ready for our Plant Sale 2026 on May 9th! In case you haven’t yet heard (and I find that somewhat hard to believe) We are having our annual plant sale on Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 0900 a.m. to noon, at the Williamsburg Botanical Garden in Freedom Park. We will be busy preparing and setting up on the day before, Friday, May 8th, starting at 0800...
The Tropical Paradise Garden Brent Heath, Brent and Becky’s Bulbs 9:00 -10:00 am, February 5, 2026 Williamsburg Region Library, Theater From the tropical rainforests, the sunny shores of the Mediterranean, the veldt of South Africa, and the slopes of the Andes come bold, lush leaves and a myriad of stunning, diverse flowers of summer bulbs. Brent Heath, a bulb grower and naturalist from Gloucester, Virginia, and co-owner of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, will share ideas on how to weave these...
On Thursday, December 4, the James City County Williamsburg Master Gardener Association celebrated the graduation of the 2025 Master Gardener class at the Williamsburg Regional Library auditorium. Trainees achieved this milestone through diligent class attendance and volunteering at least 50 hours in community gardens, totaling over 1,740 hours as a group. Association president Dave Kleppinger introduced the speaker, Jim Orband, a retired York County Cooperative Extension Agent. After congratulating the graduates, Jim Orband shared the history and development of the...
Winter has a way of convincing us that the garden is asleep, but seasoned gardeners know better! January is a month of quiet stewardship— a time when the work is subtle, thoughtful, and deeply foundational. Beneath the stillness, we dream, plan, and prepare for the coming seasons. Soil Preparation: Nurturing What Lies Beneath Even when the beds are frozen, winter invites us to think about soil health. This is the perfect moment to review last year’s notes, send off...
Happy February! As we settle into the New Year, I want to take the opportunity to carve out a space where I can provide the membership with state updates, relevant information, and personal tidbits from your agent! Thus, the Agent’s Corner! Over the past year and a half, I have had the pleasure of supporting and working with this impressive group. I have seen firsthand all the efforts and passion that you have put back into the community. I want...
Master Gardeners, we had an amazing year with our Farmers Market Outreach Program! We showed up strong at three local markets—Williamsburg, Toano, and New Kent County—thanks to the 55 master gardener volunteers who made over 1,000 direct contacts with community members. We also debuted our new JCCWMG tent and Ask a Gardener tablecloth and launched a garden-topic program at the Williamsburg Farmers Market. It was a big success! Now it’s time to do it again in 2026! This year’s our...
Why you should consider joining the VMGA. Joining the VMGA gives you a stronger voice, deeper knowledge, and wider connections as a Master Gardener— linking you with volunteers across Virginia, expanding your access to high-quality education and events at a minimal cost, and helping you grow as a confident, well-supported horticultural educator while strengthening the entire Master Gardener program statewide. The Virginia Master Gardener Association is a statewide nonprofit organization that supports and strengthens the Master Gardener program across the...