Despite the frigid weather, 33 residents and Portsmouth Master Gardener Association members showed up to hear how to Get Your Garden Going.  Some technical difficulties delayed the start, but once resolved, PMGA member Beatrice Waddell spoke on various gardening methods such as container gardening, trellising, raised beds, lasagne method, and more. Her enthusiasm for gardening was evident as she shared personal vegetable gardening stories, lessons learned from failed attempts, as well as many tried and true methods.  Several excellent publications were handed out as people entered, which explained in more detail some methods that Beatrice touched on during the presentation. (See our January Library Talk Resources post.)

The audience was engaged and asked several questions.  At the end of the presentation, they were invited to attend the upcoming February library talk on Loving Natives. To wrap up the night, raffle items of books and gardening items were given out to enthusiastic winners. The first library talk of 2025 was a success!

Portsmouth Master Gardeners Impact at the Olde Towne Farmers Market
July 2024

In July, we continued to have a positive outreach to customers at the Olde Towne Farmers
Market. Although we missed one week due to storms and were blocked off for one afternoon
by people in line to buy tickets to the Commodore Theater, we still reached 327 people. July
20 was an especially good day when we talked to 189 people and were visited by 2 goats.

We introduced a new spinning wheel game that has proven quite popular. People spin the wheel and are asked a question based on the color they land on. The questions reflect the theme of the month’s library talk. Our first game was based on the July talk on butterflies and bees.

Barbara Byers, PMG Coordinator, Olde Towne Farmers Market

PMGA FIELD TRIP TO RYAN RESILIENCE LAB

Portsmouth Master Gardeners on a tour of the Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab in July. Pictured with the group are VCE Agent Cyndi Wyskiewicz and our tour guide, Pam Northam.

We’re on the second-floor deck of the Lab facing Knitting Mill Creek in Norfolk. The Lab is the entire building and surrounding grounds. It’s a global model for coastal residents and businesses on how to respond to sea level rise. It’s a Living Lab with dozens of practical, eco-friendly ideas and solutions for our area on how to cope with climate change and its consequences.
-Glenda Richard, PMGA President

The veggie garden at our Extension Office is producing beautiful things! We donate these items to the food pantry every week! Check out the numbers and variety of items we are donating this week.