@mgnv-extension.bsky.social
SHRUB: Clethra alnifolia (Sweet Pepperbush, Summersweet)
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Summer sweet and spicy is the pleasant fragrance of this pollinator magnet that naturalizes readily in shady, damp places and coastal landscapes. The Virginia Native Plant…
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Summer sweet and spicy is the pleasant fragrance of this pollinator magnet that naturalizes readily in shady, damp places and coastal landscapes. The Virginia Native Plant…
SHRUB: Clethra alnifolia (Sweet Pepperbush, Summersweet)
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Summer sweet and spicy is the pleasant fragrance of this pollinator magnet that naturalizes readily in shady, damp places and coastal landscapes. The Virginia Native Plant Society honored #SweetPepperbush as Wildflower of the Year in 2015. It is not native to NoVA.
mgnv.org
February 6, 2026 at 3:00 PM
SHRUB: Clethra alnifolia (Sweet Pepperbush, Summersweet)
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Summer sweet and spicy is the pleasant fragrance of this pollinator magnet that naturalizes readily in shady, damp places and coastal landscapes. The Virginia Native Plant…
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Summer sweet and spicy is the pleasant fragrance of this pollinator magnet that naturalizes readily in shady, damp places and coastal landscapes. The Virginia Native Plant…
Native Plants Then and Now
#NativeAmericans #NativePlants #TriedAndTrue #Colonial #mgnv Master gardeners enthusiastically sing the praises of native plants. For Native Americans, there was no question of the value of the native flora and fauna that thrived here.
#NativeAmericans #NativePlants #TriedAndTrue #Colonial #mgnv Master gardeners enthusiastically sing the praises of native plants. For Native Americans, there was no question of the value of the native flora and fauna that thrived here.
Native Plants Then and Now
#NativeAmericans #NativePlants #TriedAndTrue #Colonial #mgnv Master gardeners enthusiastically sing the praises of native plants. For Native Americans, there was no question of the value of the native flora and fauna that thrived here.
mgnv.org
February 5, 2026 at 9:50 PM
Native Plants Then and Now
#NativeAmericans #NativePlants #TriedAndTrue #Colonial #mgnv Master gardeners enthusiastically sing the praises of native plants. For Native Americans, there was no question of the value of the native flora and fauna that thrived here.
#NativeAmericans #NativePlants #TriedAndTrue #Colonial #mgnv Master gardeners enthusiastically sing the praises of native plants. For Native Americans, there was no question of the value of the native flora and fauna that thrived here.
Word Quiz of the Week
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary In botanical terms, what does the word persistent mean?
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary In botanical terms, what does the word persistent mean?
Word Quiz of the Week
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary In botanical terms, what does the word persistent mean?
mgnv.org
February 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Word Quiz of the Week
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary In botanical terms, what does the word persistent mean?
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary In botanical terms, what does the word persistent mean?
Plan to attend the 21st Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange Saturday, February 7, 2026, 12:30–4:00pm at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA. Bring your extra seeds and swap them with other gardeners.
For tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e...
For tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e...
January 31, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Plan to attend the 21st Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange Saturday, February 7, 2026, 12:30–4:00pm at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA. Bring your extra seeds and swap them with other gardeners.
For tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e...
For tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e...
SHRUB: Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel)
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic This handsome, native, eastern North American evergreen is the State Flower of Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Its glossy, leathery leaves and dry capsules make lovely winter-season…
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic This handsome, native, eastern North American evergreen is the State Flower of Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Its glossy, leathery leaves and dry capsules make lovely winter-season…
SHRUB: Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel)
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic This handsome, native, eastern North American evergreen is the State Flower of Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Its glossy, leathery leaves and dry capsules make lovely winter-season decorations. The Virginia Native Plant Society named #MountainLaurel as Wildflower of the Year in 1994.
mgnv.org
January 30, 2026 at 3:00 PM
SHRUB: Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel)
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic This handsome, native, eastern North American evergreen is the State Flower of Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Its glossy, leathery leaves and dry capsules make lovely winter-season…
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic This handsome, native, eastern North American evergreen is the State Flower of Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Its glossy, leathery leaves and dry capsules make lovely winter-season…
MASTER GARDENER VIRTUAL CLASSROOM: One way to bring both beauty and support for wildlife into garden design is through creating a well-layered landscape. This recorded presentation, illustrates techniques for adding layers of vegetation in a variety of garden settings. mgnv.org/mg-virtual-...
January 29, 2026 at 2:00 PM
MASTER GARDENER VIRTUAL CLASSROOM: One way to bring both beauty and support for wildlife into garden design is through creating a well-layered landscape. This recorded presentation, illustrates techniques for adding layers of vegetation in a variety of garden settings. mgnv.org/mg-virtual-...
Restoring Nature Action 2: Cultivate Healthy Soil
#mgnv #mastergardener #healthysoil The second action item in our Restoring Nature series focuses on strategies to cultivate healthy soil.
#mgnv #mastergardener #healthysoil The second action item in our Restoring Nature series focuses on strategies to cultivate healthy soil.
Restoring Nature Action 2: Cultivate Healthy Soil
#mgnv #mastergardener #healthysoil The second action item in our Restoring Nature series focuses on strategies to cultivate healthy soil.
mgnv.org
January 28, 2026 at 10:56 PM
Restoring Nature Action 2: Cultivate Healthy Soil
#mgnv #mastergardener #healthysoil The second action item in our Restoring Nature series focuses on strategies to cultivate healthy soil.
#mgnv #mastergardener #healthysoil The second action item in our Restoring Nature series focuses on strategies to cultivate healthy soil.
A layered landscape designed with as many plants as possible, especially trees and shrubs, maximizes the carbon drawn from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. Keeping the organic matter produced by those plants, including fallen leaves, benefits the environment by contributing to carbon storage.
January 28, 2026 at 2:00 PM
A layered landscape designed with as many plants as possible, especially trees and shrubs, maximizes the carbon drawn from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. Keeping the organic matter produced by those plants, including fallen leaves, benefits the environment by contributing to carbon storage.
BARK QUIZ: Today’s bark quiz featured the bark of Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), a tall evergreen tree native to eastern North America. It is noted for its dense, scale-like foliage and the dark blue berry-like seed cones that appear from July to March on female plants.
January 27, 2026 at 9:00 PM
BARK QUIZ: Today’s bark quiz featured the bark of Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), a tall evergreen tree native to eastern North America. It is noted for its dense, scale-like foliage and the dark blue berry-like seed cones that appear from July to March on female plants.
BARK QUIZ: The bark of this tree is reddish brown to silvery gray and exfoliates in long, fibrous strips.
Learn the tree’s identity in this afternoon’s 4:00 p.m. post.
Learn the tree’s identity in this afternoon’s 4:00 p.m. post.
January 27, 2026 at 2:00 PM
BARK QUIZ: The bark of this tree is reddish brown to silvery gray and exfoliates in long, fibrous strips.
Learn the tree’s identity in this afternoon’s 4:00 p.m. post.
Learn the tree’s identity in this afternoon’s 4:00 p.m. post.
Word Quiz of the Week
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) flowers disperse their pollen using an explosive pollination method—vertical catapulting; which flower parts are involved in this process?
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) flowers disperse their pollen using an explosive pollination method—vertical catapulting; which flower parts are involved in this process?
Word Quiz of the Week
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) flowers disperse their pollen using an explosive pollination method—vertical catapulting; which flower parts are involved in this process?
mgnv.org
January 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Word Quiz of the Week
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) flowers disperse their pollen using an explosive pollination method—vertical catapulting; which flower parts are involved in this process?
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) flowers disperse their pollen using an explosive pollination method—vertical catapulting; which flower parts are involved in this process?
WOODY KEYSTONE PLANTS: The Salix (willow) genus ranks third in Dr. Douglas Tallamy’s list of keystone plants, providing larval host support to 455 Lepidoptera and offering pollen to 14 species of pollen specialist bees. Species include tall Black Willow and shrubby Silky Willow and Pussy Willow.
January 26, 2026 at 2:00 PM
WOODY KEYSTONE PLANTS: The Salix (willow) genus ranks third in Dr. Douglas Tallamy’s list of keystone plants, providing larval host support to 455 Lepidoptera and offering pollen to 14 species of pollen specialist bees. Species include tall Black Willow and shrubby Silky Willow and Pussy Willow.
Plan to attend the 21st Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange in Maryland at Brookside Gardens Visitors Center on Saturday, January 31 from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m.
1800 Glenallen Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20902
Bring your extra seeds and swap with other gardeners.
For tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e...
1800 Glenallen Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20902
Bring your extra seeds and swap with other gardeners.
For tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e...
January 25, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Plan to attend the 21st Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange in Maryland at Brookside Gardens Visitors Center on Saturday, January 31 from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m.
1800 Glenallen Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20902
Bring your extra seeds and swap with other gardeners.
For tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e...
1800 Glenallen Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20902
Bring your extra seeds and swap with other gardeners.
For tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e...
Register now for a free class on HYDROPONIC VEGETABLE GARDENING to be offered via Zoom on Friday, January 20, 2026, 10:00-11:30 a.m. EST.
Learn best practices for growing specific types of vegetables hydroponically as well as how to troubleshoot common problems.
Register:
virginiatech.zoom.us...
Learn best practices for growing specific types of vegetables hydroponically as well as how to troubleshoot common problems.
Register:
virginiatech.zoom.us...
January 24, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Register now for a free class on HYDROPONIC VEGETABLE GARDENING to be offered via Zoom on Friday, January 20, 2026, 10:00-11:30 a.m. EST.
Learn best practices for growing specific types of vegetables hydroponically as well as how to troubleshoot common problems.
Register:
virginiatech.zoom.us...
Learn best practices for growing specific types of vegetables hydroponically as well as how to troubleshoot common problems.
Register:
virginiatech.zoom.us...
Protect Your Garden from Snow Damage!
Get ready for the BIG SNOW! Here are some useful links to protect your garden from snow damage.
Get ready for the BIG SNOW! Here are some useful links to protect your garden from snow damage.
Protect Your Garden from Snow Damage!
Get ready for the BIG SNOW! Here are some useful links to protect your garden from snow damage.
mgnv.org
January 23, 2026 at 8:34 PM
Protect Your Garden from Snow Damage!
Get ready for the BIG SNOW! Here are some useful links to protect your garden from snow damage.
Get ready for the BIG SNOW! Here are some useful links to protect your garden from snow damage.
GRASS: Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass)
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Once the dominant species of the North American tallgrass prairie, this native warm-season grass is noted for the open, airy appearance of its seed heads and the multi-season interest of its…
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Once the dominant species of the North American tallgrass prairie, this native warm-season grass is noted for the open, airy appearance of its seed heads and the multi-season interest of its…
GRASS: Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass)
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Once the dominant species of the North American tallgrass prairie, this native warm-season grass is noted for the open, airy appearance of its seed heads and the multi-season interest of its foliage. Many ornamental cultivars are available.
mgnv.org
January 23, 2026 at 3:00 PM
GRASS: Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass)
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Once the dominant species of the North American tallgrass prairie, this native warm-season grass is noted for the open, airy appearance of its seed heads and the multi-season interest of its…
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Once the dominant species of the North American tallgrass prairie, this native warm-season grass is noted for the open, airy appearance of its seed heads and the multi-season interest of its…
MASTER GARDENER VIRTUAL CLASSROOM: In this recorded class on “Sustainable Landscape Basics,” Extension Master Gardener Amy Crumpton presents solutions to a number of challenging landscape scenarios, such as eroding slopes; wet, soggy spots; and hot, dry hell strips.
mgnv.org/mg-virtual-...
mgnv.org/mg-virtual-...
January 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM
MASTER GARDENER VIRTUAL CLASSROOM: In this recorded class on “Sustainable Landscape Basics,” Extension Master Gardener Amy Crumpton presents solutions to a number of challenging landscape scenarios, such as eroding slopes; wet, soggy spots; and hot, dry hell strips.
mgnv.org/mg-virtual-...
mgnv.org/mg-virtual-...
Why Your Houseplants Need a Little Space This Winter
#mgnv #mastergardener #winterhouseplantcare In the world of indoor gardening, January is a month of dormancy for many of your plants. The most helpful thing you can do for your plants right now is to leave them alone. If you want your greenery…
#mgnv #mastergardener #winterhouseplantcare In the world of indoor gardening, January is a month of dormancy for many of your plants. The most helpful thing you can do for your plants right now is to leave them alone. If you want your greenery…
Why Your Houseplants Need a Little Space This Winter
#mgnv #mastergardener #winterhouseplantcare In the world of indoor gardening, January is a month of dormancy for many of your plants. The most helpful thing you can do for your plants right now is to leave them alone. If you want your greenery to survive until spring, it’s time to adopt a "less is more" philosophy.
mgnv.org
January 21, 2026 at 9:34 PM
Why Your Houseplants Need a Little Space This Winter
#mgnv #mastergardener #winterhouseplantcare In the world of indoor gardening, January is a month of dormancy for many of your plants. The most helpful thing you can do for your plants right now is to leave them alone. If you want your greenery…
#mgnv #mastergardener #winterhouseplantcare In the world of indoor gardening, January is a month of dormancy for many of your plants. The most helpful thing you can do for your plants right now is to leave them alone. If you want your greenery…
A layered landscape with trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, and ground covers help manage water on your property. Larger woody plants buffer the impact of rain, hold water on their leaves, and absorb it with their roots. Moisture-loving plants of varied heights can be installed in rain gardens.
January 21, 2026 at 2:00 PM
A layered landscape with trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, and ground covers help manage water on your property. Larger woody plants buffer the impact of rain, hold water on their leaves, and absorb it with their roots. Moisture-loving plants of varied heights can be installed in rain gardens.
BARK QUIZ: The answer to this morning’s bark quiz is Pawpaw (Asimina triloba), a small native understory tree notable for producing the largest edible fruit in North America. Dangling purplish-brown flowers appear on its branches in early spring before the leave emerge.
January 20, 2026 at 9:00 PM
BARK QUIZ: The answer to this morning’s bark quiz is Pawpaw (Asimina triloba), a small native understory tree notable for producing the largest edible fruit in North America. Dangling purplish-brown flowers appear on its branches in early spring before the leave emerge.
BARK QUIZ: The bark of this tree is smooth with wart-like lenticels. It has a strong peppery smell due to the presence of the phytochemical acetogenin that appears to act as a natural pesticide.
Learn the tree’s identity in this afternoon’s 4:00 p.m. post.
Learn the tree’s identity in this afternoon’s 4:00 p.m. post.
January 20, 2026 at 2:00 PM
BARK QUIZ: The bark of this tree is smooth with wart-like lenticels. It has a strong peppery smell due to the presence of the phytochemical acetogenin that appears to act as a natural pesticide.
Learn the tree’s identity in this afternoon’s 4:00 p.m. post.
Learn the tree’s identity in this afternoon’s 4:00 p.m. post.
Word Quiz of the Week
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary To what does this rhyme refer: “Sedges have edges, rushes are round, and grasses are hollow, straight to the ground”?
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary To what does this rhyme refer: “Sedges have edges, rushes are round, and grasses are hollow, straight to the ground”?
Word Quiz of the Week
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary To what does this rhyme refer: “Sedges have edges, rushes are round, and grasses are hollow, straight to the ground”?
mgnv.org
January 19, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Word Quiz of the Week
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary To what does this rhyme refer: “Sedges have edges, rushes are round, and grasses are hollow, straight to the ground”?
#MasterGardener #MGNV #Glossary To what does this rhyme refer: “Sedges have edges, rushes are round, and grasses are hollow, straight to the ground”?
WOODY KEYSTONE PLANTS: The Prunus (cherry and plum) genus ranks as number two in Dr. Douglas Tallamy’s list of keystone plants that provide larval host support, hosting 456 Lepidoptera. Virginia species include tall Black Cherry and smaller Chickasaw and American Plum.
January 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM
WOODY KEYSTONE PLANTS: The Prunus (cherry and plum) genus ranks as number two in Dr. Douglas Tallamy’s list of keystone plants that provide larval host support, hosting 456 Lepidoptera. Virginia species include tall Black Cherry and smaller Chickasaw and American Plum.
During this quiet winter season, you may enjoy taking a look at our series of garden musings. These short seasonal poems and essays were penned by Master Gardeners as they reflected on different aspects of gardening.
mgnv.org/category/ga...
mgnv.org/category/ga...
January 18, 2026 at 2:00 PM
During this quiet winter season, you may enjoy taking a look at our series of garden musings. These short seasonal poems and essays were penned by Master Gardeners as they reflected on different aspects of gardening.
mgnv.org/category/ga...
mgnv.org/category/ga...
Register now for a free class on KEYSTONE PLANTS for the HOME LANDSCAPE to be offered via Zoom on Friday, January 23, 2026, 10:00-11:30 a.m. EST.
Join Master Gardener Elaine Mills to see how woody and herbaceous plants can be used in gardens of various sizes.
Register:
virginiatech.zoom.us... # mgnv
Join Master Gardener Elaine Mills to see how woody and herbaceous plants can be used in gardens of various sizes.
Register:
virginiatech.zoom.us... # mgnv
January 17, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Register now for a free class on KEYSTONE PLANTS for the HOME LANDSCAPE to be offered via Zoom on Friday, January 23, 2026, 10:00-11:30 a.m. EST.
Join Master Gardener Elaine Mills to see how woody and herbaceous plants can be used in gardens of various sizes.
Register:
virginiatech.zoom.us... # mgnv
Join Master Gardener Elaine Mills to see how woody and herbaceous plants can be used in gardens of various sizes.
Register:
virginiatech.zoom.us... # mgnv