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Gardening Memorial
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Date Posted: Sat, Jun 21 - 9:46 pm
- My other recently died in Richmond. She was a lifelong gardener and member of Lewis Ginter botanical gardens. We her children would like to donate to a local project that would provide gardening access to kids and/or people with limited means or perhaps to a gardening section in the Richmond Public Library system. Lewis Ginter is only accepting contributions not something more tangible or lasting. Do you have any suggestions?
- Steven, I'm very sorry about your mother's passing. You all have a very thoughtful idea to honor her love of gardening and the Richmond community through a gift on her behalf. I'm happy to connect with you to share some ideas that I'm aware of and see is any of those resonate with what you all are looking for. I'll follow up with an email to connect more.
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Plant ID: Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia)
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Date Posted: Mon, Jun 09 - 7:29 pm
- Is this plant A weed Invasive
- Thank you for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners! Based on the photo you shared, the plant appears to be Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia). While some gardeners consider it a weed due to its ability to spread vigorously, it is actually native to the eastern United States, including Virginia. Its spreading habit can be a challenge if you're aiming for a more controlled or manicured landscape. However, it also offers ecological benefits: it's a host plant for fritillary butterfly larvae, supports pollinators, and provides low-growing ground cover, especially in shady or naturalized areas.
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Hydrangea Pruning
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Date Posted: Wed, Jun 04 - 1:52 am
- Hello! My hydrangeas need some help. I inherited them with my new to me house in late fall, so this spring was my first opportunity to prune. They were already overgrown from the past owners. For the big leaf hydrangeas: I missed the fall pruning, so these haven't had a haircut since who knows when. The branches are getting weighed down from the weight of the flower and leaves, and the plant is very leggy. Should I try and start selectively and slowly clipping them back now or wait until they're done blooming and do it one big chop? If now, do I cut the old leggy wood back, or just the new green branches that are stemming from the old leggy wood (the two blooms on the top of the left bush are an example)? For the panicle hydrangea in the middle: I cut what I thought was way back this spring, but clearly not enough! Should I be trying to selectively trim some of this back now or bite the bullet and wait until spring and do a big chop? It's so tall and it's only May! Thank you!
- Thanks for reaching out—and congratulations on your new home and garden! It sounds like you’re giving your hydrangeas some thoughtful attention, which they’ll definitely appreciate. The blooms are beautiful! Here’s a breakdown of how to approach pruning both your bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) and your panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata): Bigleaf Hydrangeas : These bloom on old wood, meaning the flower buds for this summer formed last year. That’s why heavy spring pruning can often result in fewer blooms. Since yours are blooming now, I'd recommend that you hold off on major pruning until after they finish flowering—typically by mid to late summer. Then you can: Remove about 1/3 of the oldest, leggiest stems at the base to encourage new growth from the bottom and lightly shape the plant by shortening stems that look untidy or weighed down. Avoid pruning after August, however, as that risks cutting off next year’s flower buds. In the meantime, if any branches are flopping badly or blocking paths, you can do a light, selective trim now—just avoid heavy cuts that remove flower buds. Panicle Hydrangeas: These bloom on new wood, so you have more flexibility with timing. You’re absolutely right that they can grow quickly in spring! For now, you can lightly thin or shorten a few of the tallest stems to maintain a more manageable shape but avoid cutting more than 1/3 of the plant this time of year. If it’s still too tall for your space, plan for a more significant structural pruning next late winter/early spring, before new growth starts. General Tips: Always cut just above a pair of healthy buds or a leaf node. Use clean, sharp pruners to avoid disease. Consider adding mulch and checking soil drainage if plants look stressed or leggy—bigleaf hydrangeas especially like evenly moist (but not soggy) soil.
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Home Consultation
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Date Posted: Tue, Jun 03 - 11:24 am
- Hello, I stopped by the Master Gardener Help Desk last week and Pam told me that you all do yard consultations. I wondered if we could get one for our yard in the next couple of weeks. Please let me know. Best, Ellen
- Yes! We do have a group of master gardeners that offer home consultations. I will follow up with an email to get a few more details and then send your request to our group to try to get you connected with a volunteer.
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Becoming a City of Richmond Master Gardener
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Date Posted: Tue, Jun 03 - 11:20 am
- I'm interested in becoming a master gardener in Richmond, but haven't had much luck finding the resources to become one within city limits. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you!
- Hi Amber! We're excited to hear about your interest in becoming a Master Gardener in the City of Richmond. The city has been without an extension agent since 2021. Our group of Master Gardeners has been continuing on without that leadership, but has been unable to host classes for new master gardeners. Recently, we have gotten connected with Chesterfield and Henrico and now have opportunities to have new members go through their classes and still join the City of Richmond!! This has been a very excited opportunity for us. We will be opening applications for the program in September. I will send you an email, please e-mail me back to get on the wait list for more information as soon as it is available.
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Home Consult for Native Plants
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Date Posted: Tue, May 27 - 1:08 am
- I’m slowly redoing our front and back yards with native plants and would love some planning advice, including as to trees. Thank you!!
- Thank you so much for thinking of the Master Gardeners as you embark on the journey of redoing your yard with native plants! What an exciting venture that will have such a great impact! I will send you a follow up email to get a little more information from you in order to see if we have a volunteer available for a consultation. Please check your email to continue this conversation!
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Home Consultations
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Date Posted: Thu, May 22 - 10:28 pm
- Hello, I'd be interested in having someone come out and advise us on our garden at our house. Is that possible?
- Hi Debbie! We do have some master gardeners who offer home consultations. In order to see if we can get you connected with one, we will need to get a little more information from you. I will send you a follow up e-mail to connect. Thanks!
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Becoming a Master Gardener
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Date Posted: Wed, May 21 - 12:32 am
- Hello, I would like to become a master gardener. How do I register for the program and classes?
- We're so excited that you are interested in joining the Master Gardener Program. We anticipate applications for the next program opening September 1 of this year and the program running January - March 2026. Requirements for Master Gardener interns: Complete 20 educational hours and 50 volunteer hours Classes are typically on Tuesday mornings (virtually & recorded) and Thursday evenings (in person) You have the calendar year to complete your 50 volunteer hours A fee of $225 is required to participate and covers the cost of all educational materials Ongoing requirement for Master Gardeners: Complete 8 educational hours and 20 volunteer hours per year The Richmond Master Gardeners are a small, but fun unit! We have not had an extension agent since 2021 and operate mostly independently but have relationships with surrounding counties like Chesterfield and Henrico. We typically meet every other month on the first Monday of the month at 6pm at the West End Branch library and will often have speakers come to our meetings. Currently, our volunteer efforts are primarily focused at the Richmond Public Libraries and Richmond Public Schools. If you would like to be on the list to be notified when the application information is available, please send an email to rvamastergardeners@gmail.com. You an also send any questions that you have about the process. We hope to hear from you!
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Becoming a Master Gardener
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Date Posted: Thu, May 15 - 8:53 pm
- I'd like to sign up to take the Master Gardener classes. Can you tell me who to contact to get on the registration list? Thank you! Best, Marie
- Hi Marie! We are very excited to hear about your interest in becoming a Master Gardener! I will follow up with an email so that we can get you on the list when application information is available.
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Crimson Queen Japanese Maple
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Date Posted: Mon, May 05 - 1:44 am
- Hello, I recently purchased a Crimson Queen Japanese Maple (https://tinyurl.com/5hfc8k8p) and am considering planting it in my backyard, which gets a good balance of both sunlight and shade throughout the day. The location I'm considering is a minimum distance of 5' 8.5" from the patio retaining wall and a maximum distance of 8' 4" from the corner of the house where the foundation begins. I'm wondering if this distance is far enough away from the patio and the house. I've read quite a few different recommendations online, ranging between 3 and 10 feet, and it has me wondering if my distances are safe enough to prevent any damage to the patio and/or the house once the tree becomes more mature. I've attached a picture that shows the tree's distance from the patio and the house corner I mentioned earlier. If you could provide any other general info about tree planting specific to Japanese Maples, I'd really appreciate it, as this is the first one I've ever planted. Thanks for your help!
- Thank you for your question about planting your Japanese Maple! And thank you for your patience while we connected with our team to get a good answer for you. In general, our master gardeners typically recommend planting any tree at least 12 feet away from the house. Japanese Maples tend to grow their most attractive, rounded shape when they receive balanced sunlight from all sides. If one side is shaded, the tree can develop unevenly over time, with less foliage and an asymmetrical form. One of our gardeners has a tree that this has happened to —it receives more sunlight on one side, so it has a slightly lopsided look compared to the beautiful full shape seen in the photo you shared. We hope this helps as you make decisions about where you will plant your tree and that you will enjoy it for many many years to come!