Piedmont Master Gardeners

Garden Basics: Invasive Species—Not All Plants Are Created Equal
2025-05-17 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Trinity Episcopal Church, 1118 Preston Avenue, Charlottesville, VA, United States
All too often, unsuspecting homeowners come home from a local nursery with an invasive species. Sadly, invasives wreak havoc on our ecosystems, denying birds and other native fauna the nutrition necessary to sustain them. Come learn why a Butterfly Bush is comparable to giving an 18-year-old junk food before running a marathon. You will learn how to recognize and eradicate the top 10 invasive species in the Piedmont region, with a particular focus on invasives still sold in retail nurseries. And you will come away with a list of native species to plant in their place.
Space is limited. Registration opens March 8 and closes at 5 p.m. May 16, 2025, or when the class is full. Garden Basics is a partnership with the Bread and Roses ministry at Trinity Episcopal Church in Charlottesville.
Photo: Designed by Freepik

Garden Basics: Growing Tomatoes with Confidence
2025-06-21 14:00 - 16:00
Flavorful, vine-ripened tomatoes are often the main reason many of us plant a vegetable garden. This session will provide practical advice on the basics of tomato growing success, including:

Choosing tomato varieties
Planting guidelines
Caring for tomato plants
Dealing with tomato diseases and pests
Harvesting and storing tomatoes.

Space is limited. Registration opens April 11 and closes at 5 p.m. June 20, 2025, or when the class is full. Garden Basics is a partnership with the Bread and Roses ministry at Trinity Episcopal Church in Charlottesville.

Garden Basics: Resilient Gardening
2025-07-19 14:00 - 16:00
How do we adapt our gardens to handle a changing world and more extreme weather? Learn how to meet the challenges of unpredictability in your garden and weather extremes such as drought, excessive rain, and unseasonably high or low temperatures.
Space is limited. Registration opens May 10 and closes at 5 p.m. July 18, 2025, or when the class is full. Garden Basics is a partnership with the Bread and Roses ministry at Trinity Episcopal Church in Charlottesville.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Garden Basics: Household Food Waste—The Big Picture: How food storage and preservation can be part of the solution
2025-09-20 14:00 - 16:00
Consumers are responsible for most of the wasted food that winds up in our landfills and harms our environment. Learn some easy and practical strategies to reduce food waste, such as properly storing and preserving food for later use, including food harvested from the garden. Freezing, canning, dehydrating, and fermenting are great options.
Space is limited. Registration will close at 5 p.m. September 19 or when the class is full.
Garden Basics is a partnership with the Bread and Roses ministry at Trinity Episcopal Church in Charlottesville.
Photo: Designed by Freepik

Garden Basics: Tiny Indoor Gardens for Winter Green Thumbs—Easy, Nutritious Microgreens and Sprouts
2025-10-18 14:00 - 16:00
Microgreens and sprouts are the most local food you can eat. In this hands-on class, you will learn simple and inexpensive ways to grow delicious microgreens and sprouts. Small but mighty, these nutrition powerhouses are especially welcomed in the winter months.
Space is limited. Registration opens August 11 and closes at 5 p.m. October 17 or when the class is full.
Garden Basics is a partnership with the Bread and Roses ministry at Trinity Episcopal Church in Charlottesville.
Photo: Designed by Freepik

Garden Basics: When, Where and How to Prune—plus a tool checkup
2025-11-22 14:00 - 16:00
Proper pruning can improve the health and structure of trees and shrubs. In this session, we will focus on:
• the basics of structural pruning,
• when to prune various species,
• where and how to make proper cuts,
• the right tools and how to use them, and
• how to prune safely.
Arrive 30 minutes early with your pruning tools for a checkup on sharpness and condition.
Spaces is limited. Registration will close at 5 p.m. November 21 or when the class is full.
Garden Basics is a partnership with the Bread and Roses ministry at Trinity Episcopal Church in Charlottesville.
