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.
PMG’s booth at the OTFM was relocated in 2024 to High Street, near the Commodore Theater. This move has been quite advantageous for us. We are in a more visible spot and are able to reach more members of the public to answer gardening questions and provide horticulture education.
In June, PMG’s made contact and shared information with 358 people at OTFM.
In June we reinstated the matching games that were successful in the past. June’s theme was pollinators and the game was to match pollinators with their preferred plants. We had prizes for participation including herbs, iris bulbs, tomatoes, and tote bags. Thanks to all our members who provided items to use a prizes.
We are working on a butterfly educational game for July as well as a spinning wheel game to institute in the future. We have purchased a fan for the tent. The A-frame chalk board is very helpful in advertising our presence at the market as well as future events we want to highlight.
We have handouts on the Library Talks, the Help Line and a sign-up sheet for people who are interested in Master Gardener training classes.
June was a great month at the market and we are looking forward to reaching more members of the public in July!
On May 15, 2024, at the Portsmouth Public Library-Western Branch, Master Garden Volunteers Dr. Hajirah Abdus-Salaam and Mrs. Sandra Warren presented a Library Talk entitled “Tender Loving Care for Roses – TLC.” They shared that the ”Rose” is considered the most beautiful flower in the world, which is why it’s called the “Queen of the Garden.”It’s one of the most popular flowers worldwide, and it comes in many different types, sizes, and colors. The presenters shared information on types of rose bushes, choosing a location, size, fertilization, and pruning for the beautiful rose bush. They also shared their symbolic meanings. The red rose – love and romance, the white rose, innocence and purity, the pink rose, grace and gratitude, the orange rose, enthusiasm and passion and the yellow rose represents friendship and loyalty. The information was well received, and below is a picture of the six (6) recipients that received a miniature rose bush and a colorful pot. These were gifts from the presenters. On the far left is Mrs. Sandra Warren and on the far right is Dr. Hajirah Abdus-Salaam. The Rose Bush winners were the first three people and the last three people that arrived. They were chosen for their eagerness, tenacity, and determination to come and hear the lecture on Roses. “Everyone Please Take Time to Smell the Roses” Submitted by: Dr. Hajirah Abdus-Salaam
