VMGA Continuing Education Event
Saturday, November 9th, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM 9:30am – 12:00pm
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The Virginia Master Gardener Association (VMGA) is excited to announce its Fall Continuing Education Day, scheduled for Saturday, November 9th, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Washington VA Volunteer Fire Meeting Hall, located at 10 Firehouse Lane, Washington, VA 22747.
This event will feature a lineup of expert speakers, each bringing a wealth of knowledge in their respective fields:
- Janet Davis owner of Hill House Farm & Nursery will delve into the Propagation of Native Woody Plants, including trees, shrubs and vines. During her lecture, Janet shares her experience in nurturing and multiplying these essential plants and provides valuable insights for anyone interested in expanding their garden or landscape.
- Maddie Bright from Earth Sangha will speak on the importance of Keystone Native Plants and Plant Communities. Keystone native plants play a critical role in supporting local ecosystems, and Maddie will guide us in understanding which species grow well together and are vital for the health and biodiversity of our natural surroundings.
- Pat Lust, Professor Emerita from Longwood University, will share her extensive knowledge on Seed Propagation. Pat’s session will cover the fundamentals of starting native plants from seed, offering both practical tips and a deeper understanding of the science behind successful propagation.
Following the morning lectures and lunch, participants will have the opportunity to visit Hill House Nursery, located just 15-20 minutes from the Fire House. This field trip will allow attendees to see many of the propagation techniques discussed during the lectures in action and explore the nursery’s diverse collection of plants. (Carpooling will be required and numbers will be limited for the afternoon Field Trip – more details to follow.) Following the tour, attendees may also purchase plants.
Morning coffee, tea and refreshments are being furnished thanks to the local Master Gardeners of Fauquier/Rappahannock. Bring your refillable coffee mug. In order to be able to offer a timely afternoon field trip, we ask that attendees bring their own bag lunch and a refillable water bottle. Water and cookies will be provided.
This event promises to be an enriching experience for all attendees, whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just beginning your journey in horticulture. Don’t miss this chance to learn more about propagation and native plants from some of the best in the field and connect with fellow gardening enthusiasts.
Mark your calendars for November 9th, and join us for a day of education, inspiration, and community!
Register and pay using the form below. Cost to attend: $10.00 for VMGA Member, $20.00 for Non-Members.
If you’d like to join VMGA, and take advantage of the member registration rate, please submit a VMGA Membership Application. Dues are just $15 paid annually or $135 for continuing membership. The other option is mailing a check to our treasurer, Betsy Brown. Please, do not wait to last minute to register this way because your registration is not complete until your check has been received.
Elizabeth Brown
1732 Wycliffe Street
Bedford, VA 24523-1223
To enquire about your registration Contact Education@vmga.net
Bios:
Janet Davis
Known as the “cheerleader” for native plants, Janet has operated her landscape
design-install-consulting business for over 30 years, incorporating mid-Atlantic native
plants into garden settings and managed areas while using sustainable garden
techniques. In 2006 she opened her native plant nursery, Hill House Nursery, which
grows and sells regional eco-type native plants and select cultivars from the Mid-Atlantic
region. With essential help from her husband, Rob—aka “Mr. Infrastructure”—and her
awesome Nursery & propagation manager, Sterling Askin, Janet continues to share her
passion for native plants and expand the outreach and impact of Hill House Nursery
through her designs, lectures and volunteer efforts.
Janet and Rob live in bucolic Rappahannock County, east of the Shenandoah National
Park, with their 2 dogs and pet Corn snake…having just moved their only child, Olivia,
to the University of Vermont where she is studying sustainability and environmental
policy.
Maddie Bright is the Executive Director at Earth Sangha where she has worked full-time on native plant conservation since 2011, and where she grew up as the child of co-founders Lisa and Chris Bright. Maddie has worked closely with ecologists, botanists, and park managers across the Northern Virginia region on plant conservation and ecological restoration projects over the years, including a brief stint interning at Huntley Meadows Park. She regularly teaches for the Arlington Regional Master Naturalist chapter and serves on the steering committee for the National Capitol Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management. Before starting at the Sangha, Maddie graduated from Kenyon college with a BA in History and spent four years as a firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician with the College Township Fire Department in Gambier, Ohio.
Pat Lust, retired Longwood University faculty member and long-time Master
Gardener, is currently spending a lot of time growing native plants and talking about
them. Her backyard nursery focuses mostly on native perennials and bushes. She
says that, if you get to know her, you will probably be adopting more native plants
for your own garden.
Additional information.:
Patricia Lust, a native of Ohio farm country, holds degrees in music from Heidelberg
University, New England Conservatory of Music, and Indiana University. She spent
her career mostly as a singer and as a music teacher, first in several public schools
then in universities in New Hampshire and Indiana before coming to Longwood
University in Virginia. At Longwood she spent 37 years on the music faculty and in
several different administrative positions before retiring in 2016.
In 2001, Pat joined the Heart of Virginia Master Gardeners and pursued her special
interests in native plants and plant propagation. In 2018 she moved to the
Goochland/Powhatan Master Gardeners unit. Under her leadership as the vice
president for education, GPMGA developed an active speakers’ bureau, a regular
Monday morning post called “Sow You Know” and a popular community-oriented,
10-week course entitled Gardening 101.
Pat divides her time between the EMG program and her back-yard amateur nursery
where she grows mostly native perennials and a few bushes. In each of recent years
she has distributed about 1,200 native plants from her nursery to various
organizations’ plant sales and to the gardens of other native plant enthusiasts.