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.

Julia grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania, but relocated to Wisconsin for college.

Debbie was born and grew up in California. Before moving to Norfolk she lived in Las Vegas, South Carolina and Tennessee. Because her son was in the U.S. Navy stationed in Norfolk, Debbie and her husband, Gary, moved here in 2011. Although Debbie is officially retired from her job as bookkeeper/payroll clerk, she currently works for her son’s company from home one day a week. Debbie met Vickie Reid while walking their dogs and Vickie shared that she was a Master Gardener. She encouraged Debbie to join the Class of 2024. Debbie laughed at the suggestion. Although she loves growing vegetables she didn’t believe she could become a Master Gardener. Upon joining and attending her first class she asked herself what in the world had she gotten herself into. Although it was a lot of information to digest, she is very proud of herself for completing the classes and learning so much. To attain her required fifty hours, Debbie worked at the Fred Heutte Center in both the pollinator garden and the square-foot garden. She also worked at the East Ocean View Children’s Garden, the Potager Garden and Butterfly House at Norfolk Botanical Garden, the plant sale and the seed project. Debbie attended the Virginia State Fair where the Norfolk Master Gardeners share information with attendees about gardening. Now that she has completed her training, she plans to participate in as many projects as possible, hoping to try all of the projects at least once. Debbie likes to tend to her garden at home, read, sew and visit with friends. She volunteers at her church and at Christian concerts. She is working on a scrapbook about her mission trip to Kenya with Project Lucas, where she helped them plant a garden. Debbie and her husband have been married for 34 years and have one son and three granddaughters. Her cat rounds out the family unit. When you see Debbie, be sure to introduce yourself and welcome her to the Norfolk Extension Master Gardeners.