Gardening in NOVA: The Best Plants For Your Garden Sheryl London said it best..."Gardening is a kind of self-prescribed preventative medicine, good for all ills". Virginia's own Thomas Jefferson left us with numerous wonderful quotes on the subject. Among many favorites is a quote from a letter addressed to James Madison in late October of 1785. It affirms that "...as few as possible shall be without a little portion of land. The small landholders are the most precious part of a state." Born and raised in a very small town, deep in the country, albeit it not in this country, the lessons of tending to a garden were relayed at a very early age. We had a full-blown vegetable subsistence garden, along with fruit trees and shrubs, all adorned by the most beautiful flowers. The nearby pastures, wheat fields and forested land along the Maginot Line were my playground. Snack time and desserts included apples, pears, enormous raspberries and strawberries and tart currants and gooseberries freshly picked that very day. Dinner was a breeze with freshly picked veggies and herbs - carrots, beets, potatoes, asparagus, onions, shallots, garlic, lettuce, parsley, chives and much more. The only items left to purchase were meat, bread, and dairy products. Over the years, working in the yard has been enjoyable in a variety of climates and on several continents. In the process, I've also learned more about plants in general. While some locations were ideal for horticulture, others were not so friendly. Africa for one...a greenhouse atmosphere ideal for the growth of certain plants but not designed to spend much time outdoors in the middle of the day. Even the garden critters belonged in a very different category and made it difficult to enjoy a favorite hobby. Large iguanas who demanded respect replaced annoying squirrels. The itsy bitsy spider was saucer sized and glared back at you. Frogs were poisonous and the oversized ants were definitely out to bite. Today, home is in Prince William County and although jasmine and other subtropical and tropical flora do not tolerate our oftentimes-cold temperatures [morale of that story is to grow native plants], tending to this little part of northern Virginia is a rewarding hobby. I can vouch for the fact that a half hour of power work in the yard on a sunny day with its stretching, bending, lifting not only qualifies as excellent workout but it can literally jump start my entire day. Bottom line? It is a way of showing that you "believe in tomorrow". Favorite Native Plants Here is the secret to our success...prepare the soil correctly, then go native using plants which thrive in a specific location and establish themselves quickly. As much as we wanted to grow our favorite flowers, scrubs and greenery, we systematically had to replace them due to soil conditions, weather, or pests, including deer. In fact, we have to do a considerable amount of yearly deer proofing in order to maintain our landscaping. Some plants such as hosta, which thrive in our woodlands, are simply irresistible to the deer population. Yet, there are years when they totally ignore our collection of shade loving foliage and other where they vanish overnight. We have also learned - the hard way - that when a plant is labeled deer-proof, it is not necessarily so. Pyracantha, which grows well in our Woodbridge, Virginia area, is prized for its ability to be a thorny, care free specimen. Contrary to popular belief, it is not deer-proof. Now if we could find a way to convince the majority of the Virginia white tail deer found in our woods to mow the lawn on a weekly basis, we might forgive them their flower bed trespasses. Garden Basics - Jump Start into Spring March 10, 2012 Taught by VCE - Prince William Master Gardener Volunteers Manassas Park Community Center, 99 Adams Street, Manassas Park, 20111. 8:30 am - 3:30 pm Single: $40.00 (Your lunch and materials are included in the fee) Couple: $60.00 (Your lunch and shared materials are included in the fee) Registration required: For a registration form, call the Extension Horticulture Help Desk (703)-792-7747 or email Master_gardener@pwcgov.org Topics covered: Yard work with clay soils and composting; Ground-covers, Small space growing, Lawns, Planning a garden bed, Problem free trees Natives and invasive plants. Local Resources Hardware and home improvement retailers such as Home Depot, Lowe's and Ace Hardware all have extensive garden centers with a great selection of annuals and perennials. Don't forget the garden shops at WalMart or KMart. Lake Ridge Nursery: Beautiful plants, excellent customer service, seasonal events and a fun place to visit, especially at Halloween! Located at 3705 Old Bridge Road, Woodbridge, VA 22192-5001; [703]590-0178. Meadow Farms: We have two nearby locations - One at 14135 Jefferson Davis Highway, in Woodbridge; [703] 494-0444 and another at 11210 Dumfries Road [234], Manassas; [703]361-4769. Kingstowne Lawn and Landscape: Located at 7350 A1, Lockport Place in Lorton, VA 22079; Telephone [703]339-8706. Shear Scapes: Landscape designers located at 14887 Farm Creek Drive in Woodbridge, VA; Telephone [703]491-5557. English Country Gardens: Landscape designers located at 14195 Dumfries Road, Manassas, Virginia; [703] 791-5363. Merrifield: Well worth a trip up the road to actually see unusual plant specimens. Located at 8132 Lee Highway, in Falls Church;[703]560-6222. Woodbridge, VA Gardens... Calling all Woodbridge, Virginia gardeners. Whether you are into it as a hobby or offer a landscaping service, we'd love to have you share your green thumb stories. Enter Your Title Tell Us Your Story! [ ? ] Close Help Entering your story is easy to do. Just type!... Your story will appear on a Web page exactly the way you enter it here. You can wrap a word in square brackets to make it appear bold. For example [my story] would show as my story on the Web page containing your story. TIP: Since most people scan Web pages, include your best thoughts in your first paragraph. Upload 1-4 Pictures or Graphics (optional) [ ? ] Close Help Do you have a picture to add? Great! Click the button and find it on your computer. Then select it. Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional)  Click here to upload more images (optional) Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional)  Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional)  Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional)  Author Information (optional) To receive credit as the author, enter your information below. Your Name (first or full name) Your Location (ex. City, State, Country) Submit Your Contribution Check box to agree to these submission guidelines. (You can preview and edit on the next page) Click here to see the rest of the form and complete your submission. Other Visitors Also Liked... Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page... Linton Hall Teaching Garden  Not rated yet June 18, 2011 This afternoon, barring another torrential downpour such as the one we had yesterday, we are going to take the pruning shears to most ... Capitol Home and Garden Show  Not rated yet Perfect timing! Perfect deal... It's the Capital Home and Garden Show at the Dulles Expo Center. And...LivingSocial is offering 50% off 2 admission ... Virginia Flower Shows And Garden Tours  Not rated yet Don't know about you, but I am suffering from serious cabin fever. With the temperatures inching their way up the thermometer, we welcomed these few warmer ... Organic Gardening In Central Virginia  Not rated yet Organic Gardening In Central Virginia I have been gardening for decades and in Virginia for over 10 years. Be sure to visit my garden blog ... Living In Woodbridge VA › Gardening	Find Local Landscaping Services. Get Up to 4 Quotes Now. It's Quick, Free, and Easy! Landscaping Ideas and Projects Landscaping ideas for home owners Use your Cricut Machines to create scrapbook gardens!
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