Agriculture Department

Chesapeake Master Gardener Tips

August 2000

Virginia Cooperative Extension, Chesapeake Office

"Yard of the Month Contest" Comments

In the hot days of August, perhaps it is time to sit under a shade tree with a glass of lemonade or tea and reflect on your garden. The Chesapeake Master Gardeners have just finished judging the Yard of the Month Contest and saw many beautiful and well-kept gardens. We thought you would like to hear some of our thoughts and comments about the gardens that were nominated.

1. Gardeners in Chesapeake are knowledgeable. They research and incorporate good gardening practices using the right plant in the right place, good horticulture practices, and proper pest and disease management. They use the Internet, the public library and the research information from Virginia Cooperative Extension in the Agriculture Office in Chesapeake.

   Gardeners in Chesapeake improve the soil. A plant is only as good as the soil in which it grows. These gardeners are composting garden weeds and grass clippings. They are also using SPSA compost and good mulch. A good mulch will also decompose and add to the tilthe of the soil.

   Gardeners in Chesapeake use container gardening for interest and good watering practices. Many homes don’t have in-ground irrigation systems, so watering is a chore. Containers for annuals are easier to water and once in containers, the plants will not compete with the trees and/or the grass for needed water like they would in the typical yard setting. Plants, such as herbs, can also benefit from containers, since they prefer drier and sunny conditions.

   Chesapeake gardeners are choosing the right plant for the right place and variety in the selection of plants. An all azalea and dogwood landscape may be beautiful in the spring, but fairly mundane the rest of the year. Since in Tidewater we can garden almost all of the year, we have the luxury of selecting plants that will give us interest and bloom in the garden all year long.

2. Chespeake gardeners make judicious use of pesticides and fertilizer. The best defense against disease and insects for a plant is a healthy plant. However, more fertilizer is not always the answer for healthy plants. In the hot humid summers of Tidewater, pests and diseases thrive in the most carefully nurtured gardens. As always, “if a little does a little good, a lot does NOT do a lot of good”. Many gardeners try to use the organic methods of pest control; others find that pesticides are necessary. In either case, careful attention to the problem is the first line of defense.

The Chesapeake Master Gardeners visited many gardens this past month and we were pleased to see so many Chesapeake residents have adopted gardening practices that are friendly to our natural environment. In our minds every yard we visited was a winner. Congratulations to all!

For more information on good gardening practices contact the Chesapeake Master Gardeners located in the Chesapeake Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension, 310 Shea Drive in the Chesapeake Municipal Center off of Cedar Road. This office has information on gardening techniques and answers for the gardening questions you might have. Contact us at the Chesapeake Agriculture Office, phone number 382-6348 or by e-mail at gardener@cityofchesapeake.net. We will gladly provide you with the information you seek.

The “Yard of the Month” program is operated by the Special Events office of the Department of Parks and Recreation. Chesapeake Master Gardeners volunteer as judges for the program. For more information on this program contact Parks and Recreation, City of Chesapeake.

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact the Chesapeake Extension staff at (757) 382-6348/TDD (800) 828-1120 during business hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations 5 days prior to the event.

Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, veteran status, national origin, disability, or political affiliation. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. J. David Barrett, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; Lorenza W. Lyons, Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State, Petersburg.