How can a homeowner navigate the options and possibilities when it comes to landscaping choices? How to select plants that will not merely thrive but also stabilize the soil and reduce polluting runoff?
For answers, the Northern Neck Master Gardeners’ (NNMG) Shoreline Evaluation Program (SEP) will present “Planting for Success: Best Choices for Shoreline Protection” on Friday, October 3, from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. at the Bayne Center, Historic Christ Church, 420 Christ Church Rd, Weems, VA 22576.
The program will outline the reasons careful plant selection is crucial in promoting a healthy shoreline and introduce participants to many new cultivars of familiar plants that are better adapted to local needs and conditions.
The program is free, but advance registration is required as space is limited. To register, or for additional information, please call the Lancaster office of Virginia Cooperative Extension at (804) 462-5780. If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devises, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Trent Jones at 804-580-5694/TDD* during business hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to discuss accommodations 5 days prior to the event. *TDD number is (800) 828-1120.
SEP team members have developed plant lists for specific shoreline situations, offering suggestions for each scenario that consider soil, light, moisture, and shoreline conditions. The presentation will also illustrate ways appropriate plants can be combined to achieve different visual effects for aesthetic considerations. There will be ample time for questions and interaction with the presenters.
“When we go out and conduct on-site evaluations, we see many of the complex challenges waterfront homeowners face,” states Katherine McConnell, one of the program presenters. “In response to this need for very specific information, we have spent much of the past year developing a toolbox that can guide homeowners towards plant selections that are going to work and will meet their needs.”
“This is a very different area of plant knowledge”, added Susan Lindsey, Chair of the SEP program. “Shoreline planting is not the same as general landscaping. Recognizing the problems and refining the planting options are the keys to a successful outcome.”
Founded in 1989, the Northern Neck Master Gardener Association is a not-for-profit organization. Its purpose is to promote and serve the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Master Gardener Program in cooperation with the Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, Westmoreland, and Essex County Extension Offices in fulfilling the educational mission of VCE.
Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and local governments, and is an equal opportunity employer. For the full non-discrimination statement, please visit ext.vt.edu/accessibility.
Northern Neck Master Gardeners – https://www.nnmg.org
Virginia Cooperative Extension – https://northumberland.ext.vt.edu
Contact: Mary Beane, Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Coordinator –
mbbeane@vt.edu] – (804) 580-5694
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