From the vegetable transplants, you planted this spring to the shrubs and flowers that decorate the outside and inside of your home, Virginia’s greenhouses and nurseries supply a wide range of crops to regional and local markets. In addition, we have many farmers producing specialty cut flowers to decorate your home and dinner table. After learning about growing ornamentals, you will learn how to create some arrangements for your dinner table.

Garden mums (Chrysanthemum x morifolium) are known for their vibrant blooms and resilience and are a popular choice for adding color to gardens and landscapes in the fall. They are one of the best perennial plants for late summer and fall bloom. They are important in many Virginia landscapes, flowering during September and October when few other plants are in bloom. They bloom over a long period, exist in a very wide range of flower forms and colors, and require a minimum of care.

Annual flowers live only for one growing season, during which they grow, flower, and produce seed, thereby completing their life cycle. Annuals must be set out or seeded every year since they don’t persist. Some varieties will self-sow, or naturally reseed themselves.

“Bulbs” is a term loosely used to include corms, tubers, tuberous roots, and rhizomes as well as true bulbs. This publication will refer to all of the above as bulbs. Many vegetables are propagated from or produce edible organs of these types (e.g., tuber, Irish potato; tuberous root, sweet potato; rhizome, Jerusalem artichoke; bulb, onion).

This publication offers suggestions for creating spring gardens with a patriotic red, white, and blue color scheme using bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and grape hyacinths. It covers bulb selection, planting techniques, site preparation, container gardening, and maintenance tips to ensure vibrant displays. Design strategies for simultaneous blooming and layering are included.

This publication provides guidelines for creating patriotic-themed gardens along entrance corridors and public spaces to celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial. It offers design options for small signs, large signs, and extensive corridor plantings, emphasizing red, white, and blue color schemes. The resource includes curated plant lists featuring annuals, perennials, shrubs, and small trees suitable for Virginia’s diverse climates, with many native species recommended. Practical advice on soil preparation, watering, mulching, and planting techniques ensures successful establishment and maintenance.

This publication offers suggestions for creating spring gardens with a patriotic red, white, and blue color scheme using bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and grape hyacinths. It covers bulb selection, planting techniques, site preparation, container gardening, and maintenance tips to ensure vibrant displays. Design strategies for simultaneous blooming and layering are included.

This publication promotes the use of native plants in red, white, and blue garden designs. It explains the ecological benefits of natives, including their adaptation to local soils and climate, low maintenance needs, and role in supporting wildlife such as pollinators and birds. The guide provides practical advice on site assessment, soil preparation, and care, along with extensive tables listing native trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, and ornamental grasses suitable for Virginia gardens. These selections enhance biodiversity, celebrate America’s natural heritage, and offer aesthetic appeal while reducing reliance on irrigation and fertilizers.

This publication provides guidelines for creating patriotic-themed gardens along entrance corridors and public spaces to celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial. It offers design options for small signs, large signs, and extensive corridor plantings, emphasizing red, white, and blue color schemes. The resource includes curated plant lists featuring annuals, perennials, shrubs, and small trees suitable for Virginia’s diverse climates, with many native species recommended. Practical advice on soil preparation, watering, mulching, and planting techniques ensures successful establishment and maintenance.

Most botanists would define an herb as a plant that dies back to the ground each year without forming woody stem tissue. This definition limits the number of plants technically called herbs. Most gardeners include plants that have culinary, medicinal, aromatic, or ornamental uses. This definition would include lavender, rosemary, and bay, which form woody stems.

Iris leaf spot (also called Heterosporium leaf spot) is the most common disease of iris in Virginia. It is caused by the fungus Cladosporium iridis (syn. Heterosporium iridis). Leaf spotting is most conspicuous on the upper half of the leaf following bloom. Although this pathogen is most common on bulbous iris, it can also cause severe damage to rhizomatous iris, and has also been reported on Gladiolus, Freesia and Narcissus species.

Provides essential guidelines for soil testing and management in vegetable and flower gardens.

Have you ever wondered if it is possible to enjoy the beauty of bulbs in the middle of winter? The answer is definitely yes! Many people are familiar with the hourglass-shaped vase filled with water and topped with a hyacinth bulb, or a low bowl filled with several Paper White narcissus, and the popular boxed amaryllis bulb as a welcome winter holiday gift. Most bulbs can be forced but additional planning is required in order to have a successful period of blooms.

Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) is a plant virus with a large host range (>400 plant species), including many ornamental plants, vegetables, field crops and weed hosts (Table 1). TRV’s host range includes many popular ornamental plants, such as aster, bigleaf hydrangea, bleeding heart, hosta, peony, and petunia, which makes TRV a serious concern for ornamental plant growers and the horticulture industry.