What are the opening hours?

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Franklin County, PA Master Gardeners, 181 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg, PA (2026)

We invite you to learn more about us and our programs. Call us for information.

09/01/2026

Fall Garden Day
Free Native Bee Presentations

Join Penn State Master Gardeners for two free presentations on native bees at their Fall Garden Day event on September 12.

You’ve heard of honeybees and bumblebees, but did you know that Pennsylvania has way more bee species than that? Over 400, in fact. Come to our Fall Garden Day on Saturday, September 12 and learn more about these amazing insects!

Two free back-to-back presentations with Penn State Master Gardener Tracy Snyder are scheduled to begin at 9:15 AM in the lower-level meeting room of the Ag Heritage building, which is located next door to the Penn State Extension office at 181 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg, PA. Pre-registration is not required to attend.

You’ll learn about Penn State’s PA Bee Monitoring Program, how to tell the difference between a bee, a fly, and a wasp, and how the bee species differ. Along the way you’ll see some great photos of native bees.

Gardening season will be over before you know it, so our second program will give you tips for insect-friendly garden cleanup. You’ll also learn about the threats insects face plus why they are so important to our ecosystem.

The bee program will begin at 9:15 AM followed by the second program at 10:10 AM. We are really excited to share our love of the natural world with you and hope to see you there!

The Fall Garden Day event runs from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and will also feature a small plant sale (cash or check only), including limited quantities of native trees, shrubs, and perennials, free demonstrations and displays in the Master Gardeners’ Demonstration Gardens, and family-friendly activities for children accompanied by an adult parent or guardian. It will be held at Penn State Extension in Franklin County, 181 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg. For more information, please call the Extension office at 717-263-9226.

Photo caption: The pure golden-green sweat bee (Augochlora pura) is a solitary sweat bee found in the eastern United States

Author: Tracy Snyder
Photo Credit: Ron George

08/28/2026

Fall Plant Sale
Willow Oak

Willow oak (Quercus phellos) does not look like your “typical” oak, with its long, narrow, elliptical leaves tipped with a single bristle, that look more like willow leaves. The disease-resistant foliage is bright green in spring, shading to dark green in summer and changing to shades of yellow to russet red in the fall.

Native from New York to Florida and west to Texas, and hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, it occurs naturally only in a small corner of southeastern Pennsylvania, but it grows well in home landscapes across the state. It prefers sunny floodplains and low-lying areas, but it grows as well on drier sites, and its fibrous root system makes it easier to transplant than many other oaks.

When young, it has a symmetrical pyramidal habit; as it matures, it develops a more oblong-oval crown, eventually reaching a height of 40 to 60 feet and a width of 30 to 40 feet. Acorns are small, round, with a thin cap, and mature in their second year. With its fine leaf texture, neat form, ease of transplanting, and adaptability to a range of soil conditions, and given moderate space to grow and flourish, willow oak is an outstanding native tree for street use and home landscapes – one of the best!

The Franklin County Master Gardeners will have a limited number of willow oak trees, as well as other native trees, shrubs, and perennials, available for sale at their upcoming Fall Garden Day on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, at their Demonstration Gardens, 181 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg, PA 17202. For more information, contact the Penn State Extension office at 717-263-9226.

Photo Caption: Willow oak leaves in the summer sun.
Photo Credit: Annette MaCoy, Penn State

08/25/2026

Fall Plant Sale Spotlight
American persimmon

American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is a small- to medium-sized tree, native to the eastern United States and hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9. It is commonly found growing in pastures, fencerows, and roadsides, where it can form small thickets because of its suckering roots.

It has several beautiful and interesting attributes which make it a great addition to a naturalized home landscape, including a neat, slender, symmetrical oval crown reaching 30 to 50 feet in height by 15 to 25 feet in width; a slow to medium growth rate; distinctive, almost black bark broken into blocky squares like alligator hide; and glossy dark green foliage that turns yellowish to reddish purple in the fall. In a landscape, without excessive pruning, it is less likely to sucker.

It is a fantastic tree for pollinators in late spring, when its white, intensely fragrant, urn-shaped flowers attract myriad pollinating insects. On female trees, flowers are followed by edible fruit, about 1 to 1.5 inches around, apricot-orange in color with a waxy bloom and four distinct calyx lobes, like the Asian persimmons you might find in grocery stores in the fall. They are relished by all kinds of wildlife as a winter food source.

For people, care must be taken to harvest the fruits only after they are fully ripened by several frosts, turning soft and almost blackish – a process called “bletting” – and have fallen off the tree. Otherwise, the astringent tannins in the fruit will pucker up and dry out your mouth, an unpleasant sensation.

The Franklin County Master Gardeners will have a limited number of these native persimmon trees, as well as other native trees, shrubs, and perennials, available for sale at their upcoming Fall Garden Day on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, at their Demonstration Gardens, 181 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg, PA 17202. For more information, contact the Penn State Extension office at 717-263-9226.

Photo Caption: American persimmon fruits in the autumn sun.
Photo Credit: Annette MaCoy, Penn State

08/04/2026

Visit the Master Watershed Steward Native Tree and Shrub Sale Catalog. The pickup date for Franklin County is October 9 at the Penn State Extension Office, 181 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg, PA

07/28/2026

📅 SAVE THE DATE! 🌻🍂

The Franklin County Master Gardeners Fall Garden Day is coming soon!

📍 Location: 181 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg, PA
📅 Saturday, September 12, 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

🌿 Fall Plant Sale
Featuring a selection of native trees, shrubs, and perennials.
Cash or Check ONLY
🌱 Garden Hotline Information Booth

🎤 FREE Informational Presentations for Adults

🐝 Native Bees in the Garden
🍅 Make Salsa (Take home a salsa sample!)

🌷 Self-Guided Tours
Explore the Demonstration Gardens at your own pace.

🛠 Displays & Demonstrations
Planting Bulbs
"Hot" Composting
Drip Irrigation

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family-Friendly Activities
(Parent/Guardian must accompany youth)
🔎 Scavenger Hunt
🌿 Herb Smell Test
☀️ Sun Printing & Leaf Printing
🦋 Butterfly Bracelet

Bring your gardening questions, shop for beautiful plants, and enjoy a fun and educational morning for the whole family!

🌻🍁🌱

Address

181 Franklin Farm Lane
Chambersburg, PA
17202

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+17172639226

Website

https://extension.psu.edu/programs/master-gardener/counties/franklin

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