Suffolk Master Gardeners

Suffolk Master Gardeners The official page for Suffolk's VCE Master Gardeners. Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S.

See our website at http://suffolkmastergardener.org or subscribe to our email list at https://bit.ly/suffolklist. The Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener program is a volunteer education organization that works with the community to encourage and promote environmentally sound horticulture practices through sustainable landscape management, thereby protecting water quality, improving ai

r quality, and improving our community. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and local governments, and is an equal opportunity employer. For the full non-discrimination statement, please visit ext.vt.edu/accessibility. If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Erin Wishall, VCE City of Suffolk at 757-514-4331/TDD 800-828-1120 during business hours of 8:30 am. and 5:00 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.

05/30/2026

Good morning from the milkweed patch! Native bees are the most successful pollinators of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) here in my suburban Suffolk VA pollinator garden, especially bumblebees and big carpenter bees. If you know this plant, you can smell this! It’s a wonderful scent. What’s blooming in your pollinator garden?

If you're looking for a volunteer activity to fill some of your free time, Suffolk VCE Master Gardeners might be for you...
05/28/2026

If you're looking for a volunteer activity to fill some of your free time, Suffolk VCE Master Gardeners might be for you! It's a group of more than 50 people with varied backgrounds -- homemakers, career military, educators, artists, nurses, marketers, farmers, scientists, and so much more -- all with three things in common:
1) a desire to help their community,
2) an interest in gardening, and
3) a little bit of free time over the course of a year to do it.
They build relationships and support systems with each other, becoming travel buddies, plant shopping pals, and real friends, helping through the good and the not-so-good all while volunteering together to provide horticulture educational projects and help to residents of Suffolk.

If you're interested in filling some YOUR free time and becoming part of a great group of volunteers, here's a link to a 13-minute overview of our program, with a little more detail on what it takes to become and stay a Master Gardener and information on this year's training and the application process. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cZGFbwzIyZH06V0RL2WXY6riTr80CPGq/view?usp=drive_link
Use the email address at the end or [email protected] if you'd like to receive more information, including a digital handout with class calendar.

We encourage you to apply soon at bttr.im/s8kpp. The application period is scheduled to close May 31st.

If you know someone who might be interested, please share this post!

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Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and local governments and is an equal opportunity employer. For the full non-discrimination statement, please visit ext.vt.edu/accessibility.

Join us tomorrow and help fill the seed library at North Suffolk Library! Get a peek at what goes into keeping a seed li...
05/26/2026

Join us tomorrow and help fill the seed library at North Suffolk Library!
Get a peek at what goes into keeping a seed library running and meet some of our volunteers.
You can even help package big seeds like squash, which is a good activity for young gardeners learning how to count!
And ask gardening questions, learn about our program, and get more details on becoming a volunteer.

Drop in between 4 - 7 and bring a friend and/or family member. If you have seed to share, it's a great time to stop by! See you tomorrow at the Seed Packaging Party | Please Help Us Get Seed Packaged to Fill the Library! with Suffolk Public Library.

Interested in becoming a volunteer with Suffolk Master Gardeners? Here's a link to a 13-minute overview of our program, ...
05/22/2026

Interested in becoming a volunteer with Suffolk Master Gardeners? Here's a link to a 13-minute overview of our program, what it takes to become and stay a Master Gardener, details about this year's training, and the application process. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cZGFbwzIyZH06V0RL2WXY6riTr80CPGq/view?usp=drive_link

If you think this is the right volunteer program for you, we can send you a digital handout with more information, and we encourage you to apply soon at bttr.im/s8kpp. The application period is scheduled to close May 31st.

I've been a volunteer for more than a decade, and I absolutely love it. Here's a little Facebook reel of some of some of our newer volunteers in last year's training: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17bzMFCH7h/

If you know someone who might be interested, please share this post!

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Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and local governments and is an equal opportunity employer. For the full non-discrimination statement, please visit ext.vt.edu/accessibility.

05/18/2026

🥗 It’s National Salad Month! 🥗

What better way to celebrate than by growing your own fresh ingredients?

Growing your own salad garden has some big benefits:
🥬 Fresher, more flavorful greens
🥬 Greater control over pesticides and fertilizers
🥬 A fun and rewarding way to eat healthier

Did you know?
💡Choosing the right vegetable varieties for our Virginia climate can improve yields, flavor, and even reduce pest and disease issues.
💡Leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, and arugula are great for beginners and many can be grown in containers if space is limited!

Interested in growing your own vegetables?
Virginia Cooperative Extension offers research-based guidance to help you succeed:
👉 Virginia Gardening & Edible Gardening Resources

Bonus idea: Try planting a “cut-and-come-again” salad mix so you can harvest multiple times!

💬 What’s your favorite thing to grow (or eat) in a fresh salad?

05/16/2026

🌳 Love a Tree Day! 🌳

Trees do so much for us, often without us even noticing.

Here are just a few of the benefits of trees:
🌳 Provide shade and reduce energy costs
🌳 Improve air quality
🌳 Support wildlife
🌳 Help manage stormwater

Here is a tip to keep those trees in your yard healthy:
Mulch in a wide ring around the base, but keep it away from the trunk (no mulch volcanoes!).

Planting and caring for trees is one of the most impactful things we can do for our environment.

Here is a great guide to common native trees of Virginia:https://blandy.virginia.edu/sites/blandy.as.virginia.edu/files/2023-11/Common-Native-Trees-ID_pub.pdf

💬 What’s your favorite Virginia Native tree?

05/15/2026

🌿 Endangered Species Day 🌿

Today is a reminder that conservation isn’t just about animals, plants need protection too.

In Virginia, several plant species are considered rare or endangered, including:
🌿 Small whorled pogonia (a native orchid)
🌿 Virginia round-leaf birch
🌿 Seabeach amaranth

Why it matters:
Plants form the foundation of ecosystems. When plant species disappear, entire habitats and the wildlife that depend on them can be affected.

🌿 How gardeners can help:
• Plant native species
• Avoid invasive plants
• Support habitat conservation
• Learn about local ecosystems

💬 Have you ever seen a rare or native plant in the wild?

Address

440 Market Street, PO Box 126
Suffolk, VA
23439

Telephone

+17575144335

Website

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