Bedford Extension Master Gardeners

Bedford Extension Master Gardeners For the full non-discrimination statement, please visit ext.vt.edu/accessibility. Each spring BAMGA offers educational gardening seminars, open to the public.

Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the USDA, and local governments, and is an equal opportunity employer. In the summer of 1991 a small group of Master Gardener Volunteers began meeting monthly. They elected officers and formally established the Bedford Area Master Gardeners Association (BAMGA) in 1992. BAMGA followed guidelines established

by the VCE/Virginia Tech Master Gardeners Program for the mission of its organization, as well as continuing education of its members (BAMGA offers members a wide range of service opportunities to facilitate accumulation of volunteer and continuing education hours required annually in order to maintain their Master Gardener certification). BAMGA initiated information booths at the Farmer’s Market and local festivals such as Farm Day, Centerfest, and Sedalia Center functions to provide research or Q&A assistance regarding plant, tree, gardening or related insect problems. New festivals and functions continue to be added or changed as the community grows. Educational service projects were established at Claytor Nature Center, Wharton Gardens, Poplar Forest and other area facilities. A Greenline “hot line” service function was added at the VCE office, where Master Gardener volunteers research and respond to questions from area citizens regarding plant, tree or gardening related matters. In 2010, BAMGA began offering Master Gardener training through a unique computer-based, self-paced, independent study format with hands-on labs. Master Gardener College, offering Continuing Education Units (CEU)-credit hours, is held each Spring at Virginia Tech and has been attended by a number of BAMGA members. Partial and full scholarships are offered by BAMGA, subsidized by profits from the BAMGA-sponsored Spring and Fall Plant Sales (where plants grown from seed or donated from member gardens are offered for sale to the public). Master Gardener Volunteers of all ages and scope of talent and interest are added every year to the very active and growing Bedford Area Master Gardeners Association.

Very cool discovery in Bedford County - A rare Piedmont Rock-Pink (Phemeranthus piedmontanus). See below for more info!
09/04/2026

Very cool discovery in Bedford County - A rare Piedmont Rock-Pink (Phemeranthus piedmontanus). See below for more info!

Come join us for a Salsa Workshop on 9.25.26! See info below!
09/04/2026

Come join us for a Salsa Workshop on 9.25.26! See info below!

Join the Bedford Extension Master Food Volunteers in a Hands on Salsa workshop.

September 25, 2026 from 9 am - 1 pm at the Bedford Extension Office: 1257 County Farm Road, Bedford, VA 24523.

The cost is $25 and registration is required. Please call 540-586-7675 to register.

Pruning your rosemary and lavender is good for their health and shape, but make your cuts in the tender, green - not woo...
09/03/2026

Pruning your rosemary and lavender is good for their health and shape, but make your cuts in the tender, green - not woody- areas!

Question: I have some rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Arp’) and English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’), which have some dead stems and branches, perhaps due to the harsh winter weather. About half of the stems are affected. Will they come back? Should I trim off the tips, prun...

If you haven't already, you should be noticing some new customers at your feeders soon and missing some who have been th...
09/02/2026

If you haven't already, you should be noticing some new customers at your feeders soon and missing some who have been there for awhile! They are heading south!

Hummingbirds are making their way south!
⬇️
Each fall, these tiny dynamos travel thousands of miles from breeding habitats across Canada and the United States to nonbreeding grounds in Central America. Along the way, they rely on networks of flowering native plants and healthy habitat to fuel their journey.

If you want to help these little jewels on their journeys south, remember to keep your feeders clean! Use a 1:4 white sugar-to-water ratio and change the mixture every few days, especially in warmer weather. No one likes mold or ants ruining their food — hummingbirds included!

Learn more about these tiny travelers on our website:
https://abcbirds.info/4qD0nld

Do you know the importance of keeping your garden tools clean? If you are pruning and make a cut on a diseased plant and...
08/28/2026

Do you know the importance of keeping your garden tools clean? If you are pruning and make a cut on a diseased plant and then use the same tool on the next plant, you can pass the disease on! Definitely not what you want to do. Here is an article from the University of Florida Extension with recommendations of which cleaning methods to use/or not to use! https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/tools-and-equipment/disinfecting-tools/ *Photo credit Sue R

08/28/2026

Do you know your bee facts?

Master Gardeners at the Bedford Farmer's Market 8/22/26! They share gardening information, have fun gardening activities...
08/26/2026

Master Gardeners at the Bedford Farmer's Market 8/22/26! They share gardening information, have fun gardening activities for children, and even gardening trivia games for adults! Stop by and see us when you're at the market. *Photo Credit MaryA W

We were so sorry to hear about Dolly Parton's passing today. She was such an impressive woman and had a real connection ...
08/26/2026

We were so sorry to hear about Dolly Parton's passing today. She was such an impressive woman and had a real connection to horticulture with a lichen named for her--Dolly's Dots.

Did you know that Dolly Parton had a lichen named after her? Dolly’s Dots (Japewiella dollypartoniana) can be found in the Appalachian Mountains and are particularly prevalent in heath balds of Southern Appalachia. The small purple cups here are the fruiting bodies (apothecia) of Dolly’s Dots.

Photo by Tomas Curtis CC BY-NC 4.0

Address

1059 Turning Point Road
Bedford, VA
24523

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Bedford Extension Master Gardeners posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Bedford Extension Master Gardeners:

Shortcuts

Share

Category