Norfolk Master Gardeners

06/10/2026

Norfolk Master Gardeners kicked off the summer Little Buds program at the The Virginia Zoo on Tuesday, June 9. Children listened intently as master gardeners read “From Seed to Plant.” They then dampened sunflower seeds on cotton balls to take home to sprout and plant. Children also showed their creativity by coloring sunflower pictures.

You will find the Little Buds program at the zoo on the second and fourth Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. through August. Master gardeners will be in the shade of the giant live oak tree next to the reptile house. They will be ready to share another horticulture story and a related craft. Thanks Sally!

06/10/2026

Today at the Weyanoke Bird and Wildflower Sanctuary the most important task the Norfolk Master Gardener volunteers accomplished was to water all of the plants that have been added recently. Even plants native to our area need some TLC the first few months after they have been planted. We also added some new plants to the collection today in the Meadow Garden and the Butterfly Garden. Some of the wildflower seeds planted a couple of weeks ago along the fence line are beginning to emerge.

Plants showing color today were a recently pruned grapevine with its bright green leaves, Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), American Black Nightshade (Solanum americanum), and the sharply spined Carolina Horsenettle (Solanum carolinense). Weyanoke residents we spotted today were a stripped Skink, an Orb-weaver Spider and a Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus). Thanks Ben and Vickie!

06/08/2026

Another excellent workday today at the Zoo Garden. We finished mulching all the pathways which is a major step. The garden now looks complete. Need to find some pine straw to mulch the beds with.

We also continued to tie up the rapidly growing tomatoes, planted some more green beans and vining okra, worked on the fence, did a bit of weeding, and watered all the plants and seeds.

Come see us at the The Virginia Zoo on Monday mornings. We'd love to chat and show you the garden! Thanks to our Zoo Crew!

06/08/2026

The Norfolk Master Gardener Significant Tree team returned to Lakewood Park today to measure trees for the city and state database today. This park has many large specimens. Among those we measured today were Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana), Water Oak (Quercus nigra) and Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda). One of the trees had deep crevices and poison ivy growing all around it. One of our sharp eyed measurers spotted the heart-shaped cavity about 12' up its trunk.

The Virginia Big Tree database is accessible at: https://bigtree.cnre.vt.edu/index.html. There you can learn how we measure trees, how the trees are scored (based on circumference, height and crown spread) and you can see of list of the largest trees in the state by specimen.

If you live in Norfolk and know of a tree in your neighborhood that you think is unique, whether it is because of the species or the size, send us an email at [email protected]. Thanks Ben and Jessie!

06/06/2026

Believe in Learning Norfolk Summer Kickoff! Having fun! Thanks Steve and Ben for pix!

06/06/2026

We're here at FUSE Fest with Teens With a Purpose. Come see us!

06/06/2026

It says May but it really is our June newsletter. (Don't) Pick Your Poison! Check it out!

In Southeastern Virginia, poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) thrives in the humid, subtropical climate, commonly appearing as a woody vine climbing loblolly pines or as a low-growing ground cover in maritime forests. In the Coastal Plain, it is often found alongside its lookalike, Virginia Creeper,...

06/05/2026

Our vegetable plants at our Square Foot Gardening Demonstration Garden are starting off the season with very promising signs. Our team of Master Gardeners and volunteers have been enjoying supporting plant development and growth. We ‘ve already been harvesting some lettuce to deliver to the Foodbank, and anticipate that squash, zucchini and cucumbers will soon be added to our donations. By the end of June or early July, we’ll be harvesting the potatoes we planted in March.

We enjoy showing off our garden and talking about the fundamentals and benefits of Square Foot Gardening. It’s an ideal system for growing in limited space such as our urban environment.

Our Square Foot Garden is located on the grounds of the Fred Heutte Garden at 1000 Botetourt Gardens, Norfolk, VA, Thursday mornings from 8:30 AM to approximately noon. Thanks Ziggy for the recap and Jasmine for the great photos.

06/05/2026

On Thursday, a dedicated group of Master Gardeners gathered at the Eco Garden surrounding Keep Norfolk Beautiful for a productive morning of planting and weeding. Thanks to their hard work, a new area was cleared and prepared for future plantings, creating additional opportunities to expand and enhance the garden. Volunteers also removed weeds and thinned out some Goldenrod (Solidago) to improve air circulation and make room for shorter native plants that will add diversity and visual interest to the landscape.

By the end of the day, the team had filled six bags with weeds and planted 27 new plants, including Stokes Asters (Stokesia laevis), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Butterfly W**d (Asclepias tuberosa), Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata), Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). These additions will provide valuable habitat and food sources for pollinators while enhancing the beauty of the garden. We are grateful for the dedication and teamwork of our volunteers, whose efforts continue to make the garden thrive. Thanks Renee!