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Be prepared to take care of your plants throughout the growing season. Going on a summer vacation? Remember that tomatoes and zucchinis grow strongest in the middle of summer. If you’ll be gone for part of the summer, you need someone to look after the crops, or they will suffer. Or, you could just grow cool-season crops such as lettuce, kale, peas, and root veggies during the cooler months of late spring and earlyfall. Virginia is a great state for gardening! The climate is perfect for growing all sorts of plants, from flowers to vegetables to trees. And the soil is rich in nutrients, making it easy to grow healthy plants. Plus, Virginia is home to a variety of plant life, which means there are plenty of options for gardeners who want to plant to benefit wildlife. Consider the availability of veggies at your grocery store. Maybe you want to grow tomatillos instead of cabbage or carrots, which are readily available in your area. Also, certain veggies are so far superior when homegrown that it’s almost a shame not to consider them (we’re thinking of garden lettuce and tomatoes). Also, homegrown herbs are far less expensive than grocery-storeherbs. If the gardener can’t get down to the garden, bring the garden up to the gardener. A raised bed garden is gardening in soil that is above the normal ground level. It could be as simple as piling up soil several inches above ground level or a garden bed on legs that can be reached from sitting or standing. Raised beds are generally two to four feet wide: two feet if gardening from one side and four feet if gardening from both sides. Depending on the individuals’ abilities, the length of the bed can be as long as desired. The height of the bed above ground level can vary significantly depending on the needs of the gardener. Byington teaches a flexible and low-cost style of raised-bed gardening that uses plastic children’s swimming pools, which can be raised on pallets for people who can’t bend over.
Horticulture therapy is another term often used interchangeably with therapeutic gardening. However, the American Horticulture Association differentiates horticulture therapy as utilizing a trained professional carrying out a plan of care with measurable goals. Therapeutic gardening uses plant materials and gardening techniques as a way to improve physical, psychological and social well-being. It can benefit the elderly and infirm, the mentally ill, the developmentally disabled, substance abusers, public offenders, and the socially disadvantaged. It can also help the able bodied to garden with more ease, sense of achievement, control, and pride in accomplishment. ( https://www.ahta.org/ahta-definitions-and-positions, and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC3372556/). History What truly makes the magic here is the state-of-the-art automated environmental control system. It controls everything down to the shade cloth, fans, and window vents giving the plants maximum growth opportunities. It makes the plants feel right at home and allows us to feel like we’ve been transported to a tropical land. Be realistic about how many vegetables your family will eat. Be careful not to overplant, as you will only stretch yourself thin by trying to take care of tons of plants! (You could always give excess veggies away to friends, family, or the local soupkitchen.)
Welcome Vegetable and Fruit Gardeners!
With new gardeners in mind, we offer a FREE week to try the Garden Planner—ample time to plan your firstgarden. Almanac Garden Planner . Earth’s most popular tool for planning your garden. Try it free for 7 days. Want to keep gardening in Virginia zones 6, 7 and 8 even as the weather cools? You might be surprised by your options! If planting in a raised bed, a 4’ x 4’ or 4’ x 8’ is a good beginner size. See our Raised Garden Bed Guide, which covers the benefits of raised beds, how to build a raised bed, and what type of soil to fill a raised bedwith. We know that, to many people, the idea of “ spraying” anything on their landscape is intimidating; however, when used properly insecticides, fungicides, and other “sprays” can have an important place in the home gardener’s toolbox. Here is some more information on pesticides: Topping can also make a tree more dangerous, as weakly attached branches are more likely to break in high winds. If you are concerned about the height of your trees, consult a certified arborist who can provide expert advice on how to safely reduce the size of your trees.
https://www.nchpad.org/fppics/NCHPAD_Accessible%20 Gardening.pdf Accessible gardening. Retrieved 10/21/22 Most plants require a specific type of soil to grow and thrive. If you provide your Christmas Cactus with the wrong type of soil expect it to not grow and possibly even die. Generally speaking, the best time to start a garden in Virginia is in the springtime, when the weather is mild and there's plenty of rain and sunshine. However, with a little planning, you can start creating a beautiful garden no matter what time of year it is. Be sure to water any new plants every day until they’re established. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/gardening-people-with-disabilities Health and Safety Tips for Gardeners with Disabilities. Retrieved 10/21/22 Meadowlark Gardens are one of the best botanical gardens in Vienna, Virginia. The grounds cover more than 95 acres! Here you will discover gardens with beautiful showcases of local Virginia flora. There are also peaceful ornamental display gardens.
Extension Master Gardener Video Series
The Christmas Cactus is the perfect gift for gardeners! Whether you are getting it for a Christmas gift or any other occasion the gardener in your life will love it. Freeman recalls one particularly important example of the lifelong impact gardening can have. At a recent intergenerational gardening event, a 105-year-old community member had the opportunity to make mud pies, which were filled with flower seeds. Though she had not put her hands into the earth for a long time, she happily made mud pies along with the children excited to play with mud.
But at the end of the day, for most common garden vegetables in Virginia zone 5, planting will have to wait until things warm up in June. Fall Gardening in Virginia Zones 6, 7 and 8 For warm weather crops such as these, start seedlings indoors in March. In April and May, once temperatures at night are consistently above 50 degrees, transplant established plants to the garden. Zone 5 River Farm’s manor house is home to the Society’s Administrative and Membership offices. The lower floor is open to the public and features a charming parlor with a stunning river view, and a beautiful ballroom. Rotating exhibits by area artists are often on display in these rooms. The manor house is a popular venue for weddings, corporate events, meetings, and memorials, and is available for rental. In Southwest Virginia’s Lee County, Extension agent Amy Byington agrees that access to gardening is important to many peoples’ wellbeing.If your plant can withstand the cold and snow, you don’t have to be concerned about it being late for the winter. Early May is usually the best time to plant because most places have seen their last frost. Plants that are not hardy should not be planted until the last frost has passed. A common misconception is that you begin your garden around four weeks before the first frost. Despite this, the autumn is an ideal time to begin gardening. Greenhouses heated to room temperature can not only extend the growing season, but they can also allow you to grow greens all year. Plants can be overwintered in the greenhouse during the winter. Plant tall veggies (such as pole beans on a trellis or sweet corn) on the north side of the garden so they don’t shade shorter plants. If you do get shade in a part of your garden, save that area for small, cool-season veggies. If shade is unavoidable in parts of your garden, save those areas for cool-season vegetables that appreciate shade as the weather heatsup. For the quarter of Americans who grow vegetables, berries, or fruit trees at home, gardening is a source of fresh produce, but gardening also has other benefits. According to the National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture, plants have a positive impact on physical, social, and mental health, and through horticulture therapy, gardening can help people with conditions like PTSD, addiction, and dementia. Community gardens, parks, and arboreta provide important community greenspace, allowing neighbors the chance to connect and build a sense of place and community.
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