Basic Gardening Course to be offered

The Northern Neck Master Gardeners (NNMG) will be conducting a free Basic Gardening Course on three Saturdays in September at the Lancaster Community Library, 16 Town Centre Drive, Kilmarnock, VA 22482. Each session will require separate registration. 

Our NNMG volunteers have been fielding more questions than ever at our booths at local farmers’ markets and local Virginia Cooperative Extension offices”, said Susan Lindsey, project head of the new Basis Gardening Course. “Conditions over the last few years have made more people aware that gardens can help ensure food security during tough times, as well supply emotional relief from daily anxieties. Area families want to know more about starting a garden or taking better care of their yards. New arrivals to the Northern Neck want to learn what grows well here or how to tackle a larger yard than they ever had before”.

The course is designed for the beginning gardener, but even a seasoned gardener might learn something new. The course sessions are as follows:

Session 1, September 16, 2023 10 am to 11:30 am (register by September 14), is about Getting Started: Know your Land; Know your Soil; Know your Equipment. 

Session 2, September 23, 2023 10 am to 11:30 am (register by September 21) concentrates on Plants – The Basics: Growing from Seed; Right Plant, Right Place; Gardening for the Planet.

Session 3, September 30, 2023 2 pm to 3:30 pm(register by September 28) covers Everything Else: Maintenance; Resources; Vegetable Gardening and Shoreline Issues.

An additional offering, available only to registered participants, is a field trip to two gardens maintained by NNMGs, the Vegetable Demonstration Garden at the Northern Neck Farm Museum and the Living Shoreline Demonstration Garden at the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum. More information about the October 7 field trip will be shared during the Basic Gardening Course sessions.

Space is limited and registration is required for each session. To register call 804-580-5694.