Virginia Tech® home
Title Available As Summary Date ID Author
Selecting Landscape Plants: Rare and Unusual Trees
There are many tree species that can be successfully grown in Virginia, but are rarely seen in our landscapes. Although not ordinarily recommended or readily available, these trees may be useful to carry out a specific landscape theme, to substitute for an exotic type which is not locally adapted, or may be prized for unusual form, flowers, fruits, bark, or foliage.
May 19, 2021 426-604 (SPES-320P)
Selecting Landscape Plants: Flowering Trees May 19, 2021 426-611 (SPES-321P)
2025 Pest Management Guide - Home Grounds and Animals
The Virginia Pest Management Guide (PMG) series lists options for management of major pests: diseases, insects, nematodes, and weeds. These guides are produced by Virginia Cooperative Extension and each guide is revised annually. PMG recommendations are based on research conducted by the Research and Extension Division of Virginia Tech, in cooperation with other land-grant universities, the USDA, and the pest management industry.
Jan 23, 2025 456-018 (ENTO-603P)
Kitchen Garden Presentation by Henrico Master Gardeners Jul 14, 2020 SPES-225NP
The Right Answer: How to Find Unbiased, Research-Based Answers Horticultural Questions Feb 19, 2021 SPES-275P
How to Evaluate a Tree May 19, 2021 SPES-313P
Glyphosate: Health Controversy, Benefits and Continuing Debate Sep 20, 2018 SPES-63NP
Safety and Risk Management for Virginia Extension Master Gardeners
Everything that Virginia Extension Master Gadeners do involves some sort of risk. It could be risk to their own health and safety, risk to the health and safety of participants in the programs they lead, risk to property (like those new pollinator plants they are planting), risk to natural resources, or risk to the reputation of the volunteers, chapters, program, Virginia Tech, Commonwealth of Virginia, and local partners with whom they are volunteering. “Risk management” is the sum of all the strategies we use to try to reduce the likelihood that an action we take will cause harm. Risk management is the responsibility of every Virginia Extension Master Gardener (EMG). In this publication, we describe the common categories of risk EMG volunteers may encounter as part of their learning and service in the program. We give examples of specific risks in each category, and we describe recommended strategies for EMG volunteers to follow.
Jul 25, 2025 SPES-699NP
Extension Master Gardener Project Guidelines and Proposals
Very often, EMG projects and activities “spontaneously generate,” whether from a community request or from a volunteer who has an idea that meets a local need. Because the projects may or may not integrate with the planned educational programming to be implemented by EMGs, the opportunities that arise should be evaluated to see if they are appropriate Extension activities, whether they are feasible, and if there is sufficient commitment to ensure completion. New projects should be evaluated to determine how they fit into Extension program areas, such as sustainable landscape management, the unit’s Situation Analysis and the agent’s plan of work. If EMG projects and activities are planned outside of the educational program plan designed with local VCE agents and staff, then a Project Proposal and Authorization Form should be completed.
Jul 25, 2025 SPES-700NP
Virginia Cooperative Extension Gardener Handbook Jun 8, 2023 SPES-504NP
From the Ground Up: Seed Bank Growing Community Impact
Ed Olsen and Wendy Silverman, New River Valley Extension Master Gardener Director, discuss how Virginia Extension Master Gardeners are growing community impact by providing seeds for educational programs and nonprofits through their innovative seed bank program!
Jun 4, 2025 SPES-706-1NP
From the Ground Up: Winter Seed Sowing Using Recycled Containers
Looking for a simple way to get a head start on your garden? Try winter seed sowing! Virginia Cooperative Extension Specialist Ed Olsen and Extension Master Gardener Cathy Tignor discuss how you can use those recycled plastic beverage containers sitting in your recycling bin to start seeds! Milk jugs, iced tea containers and lemonade bottles make the perfect mini-greenhouses for this technique.
Jun 4, 2025 SPES-706-4NP
From the Ground Up: Foodscaping
Discover how foodscaping blends beauty with functionality as Ed Olsen and Master Gardener Phaedra Hise from Virginia Cooperative Extension share expert tips for incorporating edible plants into your landscape design, creating gardens that please both the eye and the palate.
Jun 4, 2025 SPES-706-5NP
From the Ground Up: Growing Ginger
Explore the many culinary and beverage uses of the versatile ginger plant in this conversation between Ed Olsen and Dr. Sanjun Gu of Virginia Cooperative Extension, who shares expert tips on how to cultivate this prized rhizome in your own backyard garden.
SPES-706-6NP
From the Ground Up: Three Sisters
The Three Sisters growing technique maximizes your garden space by planting corn, beans and squash together. Ed Olsen and Extension Master Gardener Noel Talcott with Virginia Cooperative Extension demonstrate this traditional companion planting method for efficient gardening.
Jul 30, 2025 SPES-706-7NP