Gardening Talks and Workshops

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Gardening Talks​
The Gardening Talks and Workshops committee of the Virginia Beach Master Gardeners plans and hosts a series of lectures for the public each year.  The one-hour lectures are currently being offered via Zoom. The lectures are not sequential, so you can attend all, or just your favorite topics.  All talks are free and open to the public. No registration is required. 

2022 Gardening Talks Schedule

February 7 - Native Groundcovers & Alternatives for Lawn
Helen Kuhn, Lynnhaven River NOW

Turf grass is overwhelming the most common plants used in our yards. However, it is not the best way to make our lawns sustainable.  Explore ground covers native to Hampton Roads, discover the invasive, non-natives to avoid and learn to plan just enough for your needs. 

March 7 - Wildlife Corridors: How Native Trees and Plants Can Restore Hampton Roads' Biodiversity
Kendall Topping

This presentation discusses the growing biodiversity loss due to development, parcel fragmentation, and invasive species. A viable solution is to introduce habitat to developed areas and private lands. This talk will demonstrate different ways to accomplish this goal.

April 18 - Bees: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Frank Walker

This presentation will provide an update regarding the latest research on bees and how we can support them. Beekeepers alone cannot sustain the colonies and we'll talk about why it is necessary to plant native plants.

​May 16 - Opening a Can of Worms: A Threat to Consider
Sherry Kern, VCE Virginia Beach Master Gardener

We will look at characteristics of invasive earthworms such as the European earthworm and the Asian jumping earthworm to determine what makes them invasive and how they are disrupting our native forests and affecting biodiversity. We will also look at the ecology of our native earthworms and take a peek at the “new” invasive hammerhead worm. 

August 1 – Common Pest and Diseases of the Vegetable Garden
Chris Epes, VCE Agent, City of Norfolk

This topic will provide a run-down of common pests and diseases that home vegetable gardeners face in the Hampton Roads region. Additionally, the presentation will outline basic control measures that can be utilized to control these problems using an Integrated Pest Management approach.

September 17 – Workshop: Propagating Perennials 
Stacie McGraw, VCE Virginia Beach Master Gardener

This in-person hands-on workshop teaches participants multiple ways to propagate perennial plants at home. 
The workshop will be limited to 20 participants and registration is required. More info coming soon.