Keith is originally from a small, unincorporated village called Yorkfield located eleven miles west of Chicago. Keith describes his birthplace as “so small that the only person in Chicago that has ever heard of it is his oldest brother, because he moved there!” Originally the town was eight blocks long by two blocks wide. The western part of the village, where he grew up, was four blocks long by two blocks wide until annexation into Elmhurst. Keith went to elementary, junior high and high school in Elmhurst, the “big city of 55,000.” After school he joined the U.S. Navy and spent a lot of his enlistment in San Diego. He retired in Norfolk in 1994 as a non-destructive testing (NDT) of metals inspector. Following his retirement, Keith worked for the Johnathan Corporation in downtown Norfolk, and after the corporation’s closure, he became employed with NORSHIPCO (now BAE Systems, Norfolk Ship Repair) until he retired in early 2021. Keith wanted to become a Master Gardener to learn more about proper gardening methods as he believed he often gave his neighbors misinformation. He thought the classes were “great.” He was particularly impressed with the training team and their innate ability to overcome obstacles at a moment’s notice (e.g. snow, ice, and traffic, etc). To attain his fifty hours, Keith worked at the Fred Heutte Square Foot Garden, Weyanoke Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary, the Zoo Garden and the East Ocean View Children’s Garden. He wanted to get to all the NMG projects but it became difficult due to time constraints. Now that he is certified, he plans to continue with these projects as well as help with community involvement projects. Keith has completed his training at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, and looks forward to volunteering at the Butterfly House. Keith is the Sergeant-at-Arms at the American Legion, Second District of Virginia, Post 37. The organization provides a monthly food pantry for the community and maintains a lifetime commitment to our greater than 81,000 POWs and MIAs, to get their status for them, their families and friends. Keith’s family consists of his wife, six children (located in four states), one grandson, a Cavachon puppy and two pet rabbits that provide pellets for the Red Wigglers to eat in his compost. Each year one of the rabbits acts as the Easter Bunny for the egg hunt at the American Legion post. They are bashful but love attention. When you see Keith, be sure to give him a shout out and welcome him to the Norfolk Extension Master Gardeners.

I first heard a plant described as a “Wait and See ‘em” when I was an NMG Intern at Weyanoke tasked with weeding an area. Many of the weeds targeted were recognizable, though some plants that I considered weeds at my home (e.g., Virginia Creeper) were not weeds in a Native Plant Garden. As a newbie at Weyanoke I enthusiastically pulled out what I knew I should, but I always called on the more seasoned NMGs to identify the plants I was unsure about pulling out. The last thing I wanted to do as an intern was to rip out valuable native plants! There were very rare occasions when very young plants couldn’t be identified by anyone, and Donna Van Keuren would label them “Wait and See ‘ems.” In other words, “leave those plants until they get large enough for us to recognize.” At home I have always let plants grow large enough for me to identify before deciding whether they were keepers or not. Whether they’ve migrated from neighbors’ gardens, or the seeds are deposited by wildlife and strong breezes, I have plants that I don’t recognize when they first emerge. Various areas of my property have plants that I did not put where they are currently growing. I live in a 75-year-old house with a 75-year-old patio consisting of 14 three-foot square concrete blocks. Originally there was mortar between those blocks but, like my 70-year-old body, things aren’t exactly like they used to be. Weeds seem to flourish in the narrow bit of soil that accumulates there, like it does in the cracks of a sidewalk. I normally weed whack the patio when I see something emerging but this one area caused me to have a Wait and See ‘em moment. And I’m glad I did! Can there be a more ideal garden than one that you don’t have to prepare the soil for, plant seeds in, water, or even weed? For now, my Wait and See ‘em Patio Pollinator Garden has two species of plants ( Gaillardia pulchella Indian Blanket and Rudbeckia Black-eyed Susan) and is frequented by bees and butterflies. Hopefully as these flowers go to seed, they will spread to other areas of my patio. It gives a little color and life to what had become the storage area for water hoses and bins for trash and recyclables.  We all will probably experience emerging plants now that the weather is warming and the rains have become more frequent. I suggest you embrace the Wait and See ‘em attitude of gardening. You may be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Last spring an 8-year-old boy eager for his group’s Hermitage Museum garden tour made a beeline for me -- a Norfolk Master Gardener docent. “Ma’am, please show me the bluebonnets,” he said excitedly. “I wish I could, but you need to go to Texas to see them,” I replied. “Texas! That’s where I’m from,” the boy said with a grin. “Me, too,” I said as I steered him toward flowers flourishing at the Hermitage. That encounter made me dream of enjoying Texas bluebonnets. I was born in Houston and lived in East Texas until I was 15. I hadn’t seen a bluebonnet since moving out of state decades ago. When a college friend suggested a 2025 sorority rendezvous in the Texas Hill Country, I signed on. She researched peak bluebonnet time and rented a ranch for seven friends outside Fredericksburg in the heart of bluebonnet country. This adventure led me to spend two weeks this April driving around the Hill Country, Dallas, Austin and East Texas seeing family, friends and bluebonnets. Although Texans blame recent droughts for what they consider a less-than-stellar bluebonnet blooming year, bluebonnets looked good to me. I delighted in spotting hazy blue patches near roadways, in fields and flower beds. Along highways, bluebonnets often had colorful companions -- Indian paintbrush, red clover and Indian blanket. Natural beauty flourishes in Texas thanks in part to the late Lady Bird Johnson, the Texas-born United States First Lady. The Highway Beautification Act of 1965 is known as Lady Bird’s Bill after the First Lady advocated planting wildflowers along U.S. roadways and eliminating billboards and other roadside eyesores. Mrs. Johnson believed supporting native plants creates ecological richness, beauty and biodiversity. This led to the 1982 founding of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin. It promotes sustainable gardening, research, plant conservation, and education.

In 1787, Gen. George Washington likely was stressed from presiding over the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. For a respite, he rode to Bartram’s Garden, which is hailed today as the United States’ oldest surviving botanical garden. Library of Congress documents reveal that Washington was intrigued by the garden on the outskirts of Philadelphia. It was started by John Bartram, a Quaker plant collector named by King George III in 1765 as “His Majesty’s Botanist for North America.” In 1728, Bartram purchased a 102-acre farm along the Schuylkill River and transformed it into a botanical garden that is now a National Historic Landmark. Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus called Bartram “the greatest natural botanist in the world.” Bartram and his sons are credited with introducing more than 200 varieties of plants to American science. They propagated more than 4,000 plant varieties and built their first greenhouse in 1760. . After Bartram died in 1777 at age 78, his sons William and John Bartram Jr. took over the family business and hosted Washington’s visit along with other constitutional convention delegates. In his June 10, 1787 diary entry, Washington described riding “to see the Botanical garden of Mr Bartram; Tho stored with many curious plts. Shrubs & trees, many of which are exotics was not laid off with much taste, nor was it large.” Despite being underwhelmed by Bartram’s Garden, in 1792 Washington ordered hundreds of Bartram plants for his Mount Vernon home. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson also were Bartram customers. Washington’s order included rhododendrons, hypericums, magnolias and viburnums. The list of 106 plant varieties he bought gave their botanical names, number of plants ordered, and the plants’ projected height at maturity. See Washington’s plant list here : https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-10-02-0109 Unlike Washington, my sister-in-law and I were impressed with Bartram’s Garden in southwest Philadelphia. It is only a 15-minute drive from the heart of the city where I traveled for the Philadelphia Flower Show. In contrast to the glitz and crowds at the flower show, Bartram’s Garden was peaceful on a chilly day with just a few visitors and only spring ephemerals blooming -- delicate snowdrops, tiny winter aconite flowers, and daffodils. Hellebores were days from opening their buds. Deciduous trees were bare, which made it easy to admire their shapely limbs.

Winter is my favorite time to visit arboretums. The reason? With a scarcity of leaves growing on deciduous trees, it is easy to see nature’s sculptures. On a chilly but sunny winter day with no snow it is a pleasure to bundle up, be outside, and observe the curves and angles of mature tree limbs. Virginia is home to 18 official arboretums, including three in our region: • Norfolk Botanical Garden with its 175 acres. • Tidewater Arboretum in Virginia Beach with its 5 acres at Virginia Tech’s Agricultural Research and Extension Center. • Chesapeake Arboretum in Chesapeake with its 51 acres. I have visited the botanical garden and AREC arboretum many times, but recently enjoyed my first visit to the Chesapeake Arboretum, which was only a 30-minute drive from my home. Virginia’s Department of Conservation & Recreation classifies the Chesapeake Arboretum as a Virginia Treasure. Admission is free with plenty of parking across from the trail head. The 3.5 miles of flat trails lead you through a mature hardwood forest with tall native trees. The arboretum started in 1996 and is part of both the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail and the American Camellia Trail.

As 2024 draws to a close, I am struck by how Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners’ year-long invasive species theme inspired me. Like my childhood detective heroine Nancy Drew, I searched for clues to plants and animals that don’t belong in the 757. First, I accused the passionflower vine I bought two years ago of being invasive since in spring and summer it migrates far beyond its trellis. But, no, this vigorous climbing plant with its showy purple flowers and little green fruit is native to Virginia, according to the Virginia Native Plant Society. This exotic-looking beauty with its big frilly flowers is a host plant for variegated fritillary and zebra longwing butterflies. To be classified as invasive, offenders have to originate far from southeastern Virginia and disrupt our environment, economy or human health. So, the native passionflower vine is staying in my yard but with maintenance to keep it in its place. Note to self : Next time plant passionflower in a container like I did mountain mint. In October, I was convinced Asian jumping worms had invaded my black cloth grow bag. I was digging deep in the bag for sweet potatoes when wiggling, electric blue creatures jumped to the surface. They scared me and then quickly burrowed into the soil. I immediately thought of Dr. Linda Blum’s talk we had at our September Norfolk Master Gardener meeting about invasive Asian jumping worms. Dr. Blum is a University of Virginia professor, Piedmont Master Gardener and worm expert. After chatting with Dr. Blum and Ed Olsen, VCE’s master gardener specialist, I unstressed. Most likely my lively wigglers were Common Five-lined Skinks, who are native to our region. Their young offspring flash bright blue tails as they rapidly hide. Although these lively lizards had vacated my grow bag by the next day, I hope they remain nearby since skinks devour large quantities of mosquitoes.

I enrolled in this course with the hopes of gaining some scientific knowledge and hands-on skills to better garden at my home and at my preschool program. Norfolk Master Gardeners did not fail – they exceeded any and everything I had imagined. I had heard a lot about the newly acquired information, but certainly not to this extent. I have gardened for many years prior to taking the course – at my home and with the students at the Academy, but not with the zeal and confidence I now possess. Again, thanks NMG. From pollenating flowers to invasive plants, from rain barrels to compost bins, from square foot gardens to raised flower beds, nowadays, my conversations are more about “garden talk”. Check out what these new green thumbs have started thus far. We’ve added 2 square foot gardens at the Academy. We planted and harvested vegetables, mainly cucumbers and peppers and we also planted and harvested sweet potatoes for the first time. This fall, we harvested those sweet potatoes and for the first time, planted kale and collards. At home, it’s the beginning of garden heaven for me. I’ve added 2 square foot gardens, several raised beds and a few grow bags – all have been very successful. I also have a rain barrel and a tabletop compost bin (not fond of the bin though!) And for the first time ever, I planted a tree! So again, Norfolk Master Gardeners, thanks for an awesome program. I love the results! They say, “unless there are pics, it didn’t happen.” So, check them out!

Renee is originally from Franklin, Kentucky. Her family lived on a farm growing tobacco, soybeans, corn and hay.