Horticulture Programs in Danville
Assistance to the Green Industry
The Danville office of Virginia Cooperative Extension has a long standing relationship with the local nurseries, lawn care businesses, landscapers, and retail garden outlets. Assistance is provided on many horticulture topics including plant pest identification with control recommendations, soil testing, and training.
Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners
The Danville Master Gardeners have been an established group of dedicated volunteer educators since 1988. This group of people give their time to teach others how to get the most from their gardens and landscapes. They have several projects that they work on every year and they also make their services available by request. Anyone who needs the assistance of the Danville Master Gardeners can approach them directly or they can route their request through the Danville Extension office. Please keep in mind that the Master Gardeners are not a source of free labor nor are they to be engaged in planting simply for beautification, their job is to teach others how to do these things right!
Want to find out what the Danville Master Gardeners are up to? Visit their web site: www.danvillemastergardeners.org
A sample of Danville Master Gardener projects:
- Glenwood Magnet School Green House
- Seeds for Kids
- Danville Community Market, Saturday morning information booth
- Here’s the Dirt on WAKG
- Plant Clinics at retail garden outlets
- Danville Science Center Butterfly Station
- Southside Grounds Maintenance Conference
Any one interested in becoming a Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer should contact the Danville Extension office at 434/799-6558. There is a comprehensive training program that covers a wide array of horticulture topics. At the end of the training the prospective Master Gardener must pass a final examination. Then there is a requirement that the new Master Gardener serve as an intern – and – complete 50 hours of approved volunteer service within 12 months before being promoted to the status of Master Gardener. To maintain that status, the Master Gardener is required to provide 20 hours of approved volunteer service and attend 8 hours of additional training each calendar year.
Educational Programs
In addition to routinely scheduled programs, the Danville Horticulture Extension Agent provides educational programs by request from almost any group that asks. The programs are tailored to meet the needs of the group or organization requesting the service. These programs can range from lecture type instruction in a classroom setting to hands-on demonstrations outdoors in a garden or landscape.
Programs that are currently popular include short gardening presentations to garden and civic clubs, assistance with community gardens, public and memorial tree planting/garden projects, workshops and training programs for service organizations, and review of landscape projects in public areas.
Consumer Services
The Danville Horticulture Extension Agent assists numerous residents and property owners with a wide array of lawn, garden, and landscape problems. From having soils tested for lime and fertilizer needs to pest identification and control recommendations the Horticulture Agent assists hundreds of people every year. Current Virginia Cooperative Extension Publications are made available through the Danville office to provide more detailed, research-based information to help local residents to become more effective and more environmentally responsible gardeners.
Any person who needs assistance with a horticulture related topic should contact the Danville Horticulture Extension Agent at 434-799-6558.