Buck Mountain Garden Club (BMGC)
Established 1981

PO Box 683
Earlysville, VA

Gardening Tips & Resources

Suggestions & Messages:

10/15/24:  Here’s a really nice message, via an email recently sent by speaker Linda Blum, PhD to Program Chair Sue Gosnell – “Dear Sue – Many thanks to the Buck Mountain Garden Club for hosting me at your September 9 club meeting. It was a lot of fun to speak with your group. They had amazing questions which always makes giving a presentation interesting for a speaker.
I also wanted to thank the BMGC for their honorarium which I have donated to the Piedmont Master Gardener (PMG) program. Any donations to Speaker’s Bureau are used to support PMG horticultural projects in the Charlottesville-Albemarle community. Please pass on my thanks and those of the PMGs to your group.
Kindest regards, Linda Blum”

10/14/24:  Many Thanks to the Intrepid Movers and Shakers (Diggers and Planters?!?) who helped plant daffodil and iris bulbs on the afternoon of Monday the 14th along the Earlysville Corridor!  Many bulbs went in, and many more are available to be planted in three areas:  near the Earlysville sign at the crossroads, in front of our meeting place at BMEC, and near the historical marker sign in front of Earlysville Animal Hospital.  If you’d like to help out with this Community Service project on your own time and at your own pace, please contact Sue Gosnell  (suegosnell123@gmail.com // 434-987-4061 or 434-973-0878  – voice only, no text)

10/3/24:  The State Arboretum at Blandy Farm is having a Special Event to enjoy the gloriously yellow foliage of the Ginkgos in the Autumn!
Oct 26-27 and Nov 2-3 are their dates for this fun trip – see the newsletter link here if you want more info!

July 2024:  Last year, Joy Matthews recommended this event, and now it’s coming up, this Fall!  Check it out – A Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) exhibition on “Fine Arts and Flowers” to be held Oct 23–27, 2024.  Fine Arts & Flowers 2024 will be a spectacular museum-wide exhibition of floral designs inspired by works of art in VMFA’s permanent collection.   For more information, visit:  https://mailchi.mp/vmfa/weekly-email-1321453?e=db1f2b3255

 5/25/24:  Virginia Gardner shared this link/article about “The Chelsea Chop” technique for improving flowering plant production.  Check it out!

Ongoing:  A link to the latest (Summer) PRISM newsletter….

3/6/24:  Dottie McFalls mentioned this “quarry garden” south of town – maybe a potential future program?  For info, see:  https://quarrygardensatschuyler.org/

2/14/24:  Here is a list of announcements from the Council of Garden Clubs as of 2/5/24 – lots of interesting opportunities and ideas!

1/27/24:  As a follow-up to Dr. Timko’s lecture about Communication between Plants, this video might be interesting!

Ongoing:  Here’s the latest edition of the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont’s newsletter – News From The Garden August 2024  – and their Calendar of Events.
Lots of good info!

Ongoing:  Recommended by Fran Dickerson – the (August 2024)  Ivy Creek Newsletter.  
And here is a link to their very full calendar of events!

Ongoing:  Hummingbird Hill is a season Natives-Only Nursery in Free Union.  Here is their June-July Newsletter.

8/1/23:  Recommended by Fran Dickerson – https://www.homegrownnationalpark.org/

Ongoing:  From Piedmont Master Gardeners Speakers Bureau –  https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/events/ 

 

Garden Basics: Fall Tasks in the Perennial Garden

Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital Demonstration Garden 595 Martha Jefferson Drive, Charlottesville, VA

Take a trip to the demonstration garden at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital to learn how to prepare your garden for winter. We will cover: how and when to cut back plants, fall mulching and soil amendments, dividing and planting bulbs,…

Free

Garden Basics: Nature’s Cornucopia of Holiday Plants and Decorations

Trinity Episcopal Church 1118 Preston Avenue, Charlottesville

Welcome the winter holiday season with this festive workshop. Learn how to select, showcase, and maintain plants such as amaryllis, paperwhites, and Christmas cactus. Discover possibilities for decorating with materials collected in the yard or on the trail. Get inspired…

 
4/23/23;  Janet Parker shared an article (shared with her by Piedmont Master Gardener Mike Callahan) about “Nurturing Nature in Your Yard” – an interesting read! 
 
4/18/23:  From Sue Gosnell – PBS TV (WCVE-TV Channel 23) has gardening shows on Saturday mornings, including ‘Growing a Greener World’, focusing on vegetable gardening and related endeavors; Peggy Singelman’ show ‘Virginia Home Grown‘…she is part of the Maymont Garden crew in Richmond; also J. Schwanke’s ‘Life in Bloom“, and lastly, the ‘P. Allen Smith‘ show where a large variety of garden subjects are covered.  These shows can be seen real-time starting at 7 a.m. most Saturdays, and/or can be streamed anytime on the PBS website.
 
3/23/23:  Patti Booth recently recommended a blog article about “Dividing Perennials in Springtime”.  You can find a copy of the article here!
 
2/23:  From Dee Walsh – Here’s a list of “Deer Resistant Spring Blooming Flowers per Great Garden Plants March 2023
 
9/15/22:  Karen Dosier recently recommended a couple of plants, including “Hummelo“.  She described it this way: “It’s totally different from the light colored fuzzy stachys we know as Lamb’s Ears. It still has purple spikes of flowers, but is a mounding perennial and is deer and rabbit resistant!”  The other plant recommended was a coneflower called Mellow Yellows. It “mellows” to more cream as it matures.     Both sound like welcome additions to any garden! 

 

Information from Previous BMGC Programs:

September 2024:  Presented by Linda Blum, Phd – the Power Point presentation on “Soil Basics:  Erosion”  is available on the Gardening Blog in the Members-Only section (at the request of the presenter.)

March 2024:  Presented by Sara Kunkle – Dahlia Deep Dive.

February 2024: Presented by Virginia Gardner – Winter Seed Sowing Program and suggestion to listen to this related podcast by Joe Gardener (Joe Lamp’l).

September 2023:  The Power Point presentation on “Why Landscaping with Native Plants Matters” is available on the Gardening Blog in the Members-Only section (at the request of the presenter.)
An extensive Resource List for Native Plants (and much more) can be found here.
Also available is  list of “Keystone Plants” – Native plants every local gardener should consider.

April 2023:  A Visit to The Gardens at Waterperry Farm

March 2023:  PowerPoint Presentation from the 3/13/23  Seed Saving Lecture
Click HERE for lecture outline/notes.

February 2023: An overview of Sue Erhardt’s very detailed and informative lecture on the rich farming and family history of what is now the Ivy Creek Natural Area is available on their website at https://ivycreekfoundation.org/cultural-history  and https://ivycreekfoundation.org/the-barn

January 2023: Slides from the “Pruning Basics” Lecture by Jeff Kunkle are available here!

 

Service Providers/Nurseries/Garden Centers & Retailers 
(In alphabetical order, but with no particular endorsement –
additional suggestions welcome!!  Just email them to deewalsh@embarqmail.com)

Bartlett Tree Experts

Blue Ridge Farmer’s Co-op (Formerly Southern States)

Champ Lawson Landscaping 

Chris Crawford Landscaping and Tree Maintenance 
          (205) 784-7157  or via Facebook (search “@chriscrawfordinc”)

The Corner Store
             Classes and Educational Offerings:  https://www.cornerstoregarden.com/new-events 

Edible Landscaping

Eltzroth & Thompson Greenhouses

Fant’s Tree Service

Fifth Season Gardening Company

Fitzgerald’s Apple Orchard
728 Harper’s Creek Lane, Tyro, VA 22976 (Nelson Co.)
434-277-8248
Apple varieties include Red and Golden Delicious, Gala, Rome, Stayman, Granny Smith and York. Open Monday – Saturday during apple season. 8:00 AM – noon and 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM

The Garden Spot

Grubb Tree Service

High Country Gardens (Online Shop & Blog)

Hottinger Greenhouses (Louisa)

Hummingbird Hill Natives (Nursery)

Ivy Corner Gardens and Gift Shop

Ivy Nursery

JJM Tree Service

Landscape Supply  (“Deer Scram” is recommended as an excellent deer repellent.)

Lowe’s Charlottesville

Lowe’s Ruckersville

Meriweather Mowing 

Milmont Greenhouses (Waynesboro)

Mulch Monkeys

Panorama Paydirt

Protech Lawn and Landscape

Sharondale Mushroom Farm (Keswick)

Shenandoah Garden Spot (Elkton/Culpeper)

Snow’s Garden Center

TopSide Brush Control (Tree Removal, Understory Clearing)
          (540) 241-8657, Cple Moore

Van Yahres Tree Company

Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) Tree Nurseries

Waynesboro Landscape and Garden Center

Waynesboro Nursery

 

Organizations and Resource Links

USDA Hardiness/Growing Zones Updated in 2023

Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards

Piedmont Master Gardeners

Botanical Garden of the Piedmont
       Newsletters:  July 2023

 

Piedmont Native Plants – Reference Book

                                  Download (Free) // Hard Copy for Sale // PDF Here

Plant Virginia Natives (Many reference links available)

Common Native Trees of Virginia – VDOF Reference Manual

Virginia Native Plant Society

Virginia Natives – Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Buck Mountain Garden Club  PO Box 683, Earlysville, VA 22936
Meets at 12:30 on the 2nd Monday of each month (Sept through June) 
Deese Hall, Buck Mountain Episcopal Church – All Welcome!

https://www.thecharlottesvillegardenclub.com/

https://www.albemarlegardenclub.com/

https://therivannagardenclub.org/site/

https://www.gcvirginia.org/

PRISM (Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management)

https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/ – National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC)

https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/us/virginia – NISIC Virginia Invasives

Problem Species in Our Area:
https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/oriental-bittersweet
https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/japanese-stiltgrass
https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/tree-heaven
https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/invertebrates/spotted-lanternfly

Find Your Local VDOF Forester 

American Horticultural Society

Arbor Day Foundation

Links to Reporting/Combating Invasive Species (Lanternfly, Ailunthus/Tree of Heaven) in Albemarle County

List of Deer-Resistant Plants/Rutgers University

Stilt-Grass Management (August is Prime Time) / PRISM    

Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech)

Relationship Between Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven) & Spotted Lanternfly

Dealing Effectively With Ticks
            Permethrin 0.52% Protective Bands

Shade Perennial Suggestions from “All About Gardening”.com 

Piedmont Native Plants from DCR May 2023

Home Gardening Ideas and Projects on a Budget

  Fall-Blooming Perennials – List

Pokeweed ID and Management

How to Plant Native Landscapes_ Designs From the Wild Ones Library – NYT Sept 2024

Best Garden Pruning Tools – Recommendations from Wirecutter Summer 2024