Ask a Master Gardener

Question: I have several types of hydrangeas and I am confused about when to prune them. One year I pruned in the spring and had no blooms. Please advise. When pruning hydrangeas, it all depends on the variety. Some hydrangeas…

Question: I’m building a new home and want to incorporate sustainable landscaping in my yard. What factors should I consider and how do I begin? It’s very confusing to me. You are wise to think about sustainable landscaping for your…

Question: We have wild honeysuckle everywhere, especially along our creek. It smells so lovely, but it is growing up into the dogwoods we planted. A neighbor said it is a native and I should leave it alone, but I don’t…

Question: In January 2018, a new invasive pest, the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), was first seen in Northern Virginia. Is this insect a problem and what do I need to know to protect my property? The Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), was…

Question: How can I upgrade my garden to provide a welcoming habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, while keeping some of the nuisance wildlife, like deer, out of my yard? What a very timely question! In fact, June 21 –…

Question: How do I start a wildflower meadow? What native plants can I use? There is growing interest in the gardening community to increase the availability of native plants at our local nurseries. Wildflower meadows provide food sources, nesting sites…

Question: What are some recommended plants to grow for a cutting garden in Central Virginia? I’d like plants that also will improve my yard’s appearance, even while I’m cutting many of them for flower arrangements in my house. If possible,…

Question: For my new home, what are some stormwater management practices to protect my yard and for water conservation so that water can be retained and used onsite? Thank you for asking about stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) to use…

Question: Last year I tried a raised bed vegetable garden, but it didn’t produce any vegetables. What am I doing wrong?  Seedlings and plants grew very slowly, not much at all or died. Congratulations on experimenting with raised bed gardening,…

Question: There are several species of ticks in Virginia. Do I need to be concerned about all of them? How do I identify different types of ticks? What do I do if I get a tick bite and how do…