Community Gardens And Education

Just thought I would ask a quick horticultural question before I retire from studying. Are any one you interested in information on Fall vegetable gardening, forming a community garden, (school garden too), and lectures regarding gardening issues for each season?

I belong to American Horticultural Society (AHS) and Reston Garden Club where I am an active member on education committees that we have formed. AHS has their headquarters at River Farm near Alexandria, VA and have great kids' educational and adult classes. A friend of mine works for AHS and Green Springs and could speak if interest is shown for topics pertaining to gardening questions. Green Springs Garden Park is affiliated with Northern VA Parks web site (fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp).

Also, 4H and Master Gardeners of Loudoun will give info if needed. Meadowlark Gardens on Rt. 7 is great for a tour and gives informative speeches and classes. You can also access USDA's web sites on agriculture, gardening, and other Cooperative Extension questions. Also, Loudoun County Extension Office has excellent information on specific issues on home economics/management, farming, garden questions, trees, native plants, vegetable and flower gardening--just to name a few. You can pickup a FREE soil sample test kit or call and have them mail it to you. After you follow directions--mail to VA Tech and they will send it back with diagnosis of sample of soil. Great resource for adding/deleting nutrients for lawncare, etc. Checkout 4H interests. Extension office also has resources on food safety issues, nutrition, and related concerns.

www.co.loudoun.va.us/extension/home.htm (Loudoun County's Extension Office web site.)

National Gardening Association web site (garden.org/home) is a non-profit national association for gardeners of all shapes and sizes! This is where you will have questions answered regarding SCHOOL GARDENING GROUPS. They also provide grants for schools and youth garden projects. FREE curriculum for kids to download through USDA and NGA.

In the past--we have formed a school community garden for educational purposes at kids school. Talk up the idea at Mill Run and other schools--can be a fundraiser for PTA/PTO.

Great resources for gardening and trees, shrubs, bedding and veggie plants are as follows:

Greenworks Landscaping and Nursery (greenworkslandscaping.com) has an excellent resource of all varieties of plants and unusual varieties not found at Meadow Farms and other local nurseries. They are located in Dulles South corridor (oh no!!) down from Meadow Farms (near S. Riding) on right past Meadow Farms.

Blue Mount Nursery is also great for all other plantings, etc. (Ashburn, VA)

Williams Greenhouses and Nursery (no web site) but here are directions:

Williams has been in Loudoun over 30 years and is a well-kept secret. They own 30-40 acres across from Claude Moore Nature Center. The street they are located on is MARIES DRIVE. You turn right if coming from Costco across Claude Moore Nature Center. Maries Drive is an asphalt road with warehouses on right--asphalt road turns into dirt road. Keep going you will see 10-15 large greenhouses on left side of road. Park in front and enter Building 1. Williams in the summer has heirloom varieties of vegetables, bedding plants (prices cheaper that Lowes and quality better), hanging baskets, poinsettas at XMAS, etc. Williams is recognized by Master Gardeners as best resource and the owners are knowledgeable about all types of garden issues. Ask away even in the fall season. They have huge poinsettas at holiday season and will sell out fast toward Thanksgiving and later.

I will provide future garden tidbits for you.
Good night,

Foodie(Food Dr)

 

Yep! Williams is great, I found it almost by accident. You go down this gravel road and just when you think you've made a mistake, it comes into view

 

Since Spring is here and there may be questions regarding garden issues or pests in garden, I have the web site for Loudoun County's Extension Office listed below. The Extension Office offers all kinds of info regarding gardening, farming (which we use alot), 4H clubs, and other helpful info.

www.co.loudoun.va.us/extension/home.htm (Loudoun County Extension Office web site.)

Also, you can request help online with garden issues, lawncare, etc. through the Master Gardener links. They have a helpdesk that offers FREE services and gets the correct info for your garden/lawn questions. Also, if you want a FREE lawn/soil testkit--ask the office to mail you one or you can pick it up at the Leesburg office. We have volunteered with them locally and find their help useful. For the soil kit test, the info gets mailed to VA TECH for analysis and the VA TECH department sends back a COMPLETE FREE report of your garden/lawn soil with recommendations if needed.

Good luck and happy gardening--

Foodie