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.

Westport, Ireland house photos from 2013 and 2024 show the progression of Virginia Creeper, which now surrounds the doorway.

Looking for a new way to bring in the New Year while improving our environment and having fun? Try composting; it’s relatively easy, will add nutrients to your gardens, both flowers and vegetables, and will decrease the amount of waste that you put into your trash. If this interests you, here’s a brief outline to get you started. Compost is composed of three ingredients: • Green Materials: grass clippings, coffee grounds, vegetable and fruit scraps, tea and coffee grounds, and weeds. • Brown Materials: leaves, uncoated paper, coffee filters, straw or hay • Water & Oxygen These materials are mixed together and over time turn into a rich organic resource for use in your garden. For the home gardener, the easiest way to become a composter is through the use of a garden tumbler like the one pictured below.

Amy was born in the Philippines. Her father was in the U.S. Navy and her family moved all over the country and the world, but retired in Virginia Beach. Amy graduated from Kellam High School and then Radford University with a degree in nursing. After her husband graduated from Virginia Tech, they moved to Minnesota so he could teach Chemistry in a small university setting. During the forty years they lived in Minnesota they visited Virginia Beach often and their goal was to retire here. When Amy’s daughter and son-in-law moved to Virginia Beach in 2016 with all the grandchildren, it set their retirement plans in stone! They purchased a home in Southeast Norfolk which reminded them of their country home in Minnesota. The property is on wetlands and there are no houses behind them. The icing on the cake is that it is one mile from her daughter’s home in Kempsville. Amy retired in June, 2023, after forty years as an Intensive Care Registered Nurse. Her passion was working in the Intensive Care Unit and she was fortunate to work in a large medically advanced hospital. She witnessed many changes during her career and even persevered through the pandemic. Amy learned gardening from her grandmother, mostly about planting perennials around their Minnesota home. She wanted to become a Master Gardener for years but decided to wait until she retired and moved to a new environment. Amy loved the Master Gardener classes. She appreciated the variety of classes, speakers and field trips that gave her an opportunity to experience many different sites around Norfolk and Virginia Beach. To attain her required fifty hours, Amy participated at the Native Dune Garden, the Zoo Garden, the Weyanoke Bird and Wildflower Sanctuary, and the Butterfly House at Norfolk Botanical Garden. In addition, she was especially drawn to, and will continue to participate in the Significant Tree Project. She looks forward to learning about and visiting the remainder of NMG projects. When she is not working on NMG projects, Amy likes spending time with her family. Her son lives in Denver. Amy and her husband like to travel, especially when it involves being around family and friends. She enjoys scrapbooking and golfing; however, she has not golfed since moving to this area and is looking for some golf buddies so she can get back out on the golf course.  When you see Amy be sure to introduce yourself and welcome her to the Norfolk Extension Master Gardeners.

Jon was born and grew up in Sanford, NC, a small city in the Piedmont region and self-proclaimed “Brick Capital of the USA.” During its heyday in the 1950s and ‘60s Sanford’s brick industry produced about 10% of bricks made in the U.S. from its clay- and shale-rich soils. Jon earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill. Before moving to Norfolk in the summer of 1994, Jon and his wife, Elizabeth, lived in Manteo, NC, where he worked as a general assignment reporter in the Nags Head bureau of The Virginian-Pilot. They left the Outer Banks for Hampton Roads after the Pilot offered Jon a reporting job in Norfolk. For the last 15 years of his career, Jon worked in the corporate communications department at Norfolk Southern, retiring from the railroad in the fall of 2022. Approaching retirement, he was looking for meaningful ways to volunteer and give back to the community while continuing to learn and grow as a person. The Master Gardening Program seemed a good fit because its mission contributes to the well-being of our city’s neighborhoods and is based on science-based research. In addition, growing up, he helped his parents (not always voluntarily) plant, weed, and harvest their summer vegetable garden. As an adult, Jon never planted gardens of his own, so becoming a Master Gardener is a way to get back to his roots. Jon thoroughly enjoyed attending the Master Gardening classes. He was particularly impressed with the strong lineup of guest speakers. Other highlights included field trips to the Hermitage, where the class received hands-on pruning training, and to ODU, where they learned about the importance of urban tree canopy. To attain his initial fifty hours, Jon participated in several shoreline resiliency projects, including at the Hermitage. He also volunteered for multiple gardening sessions at the Weyanoke Bird and Wildflower Sanctuary, P.B. Young Elementary, and the Elizabeth River Trail. As a certified Master Gardener, Jon is interested in projects that advance shoreline resiliency and promote biodiversity, such as pollinator and native plant gardens. He hopes to expand into the realm of square-foot gardening, especially as a way to address food insecurity in the community. As a member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Jon plays guitar in the Gospel Lights band, performing old-time gospel favorites and contemporary Christian music. He also enjoys reading and keeping up with the news, walking for exercise and pleasure, grilling on his back deck, and taking trips back to the Outer Banks. Jon and his wife, who runs a PR and marketing business, have two adult daughters. The empty nesters now share their home with a sweet old cat they call Mr. Whiskers, who adopted them after showing up in their neighborhood about 12 years ago. Jon is proud to be a part of the Norfolk Master Gardener program and is looking forward to many productive and rewarding years “playing in the dirt” to help make Norfolk a better place to live, work and play. When you see Jon, be sure to introduce yourself and welcome him to the Norfolk Extension Master Gardeners.

I have been gardening in Virginia since 1985, and I love every type of flower you can imagine. My yard is chock full of hundreds of plants that were gifted to me by friends and family, purchased at garden centers and Norfolk Master Gardener plant sales, and carted home from the side of the road. Lately though, it is not the blooms that beckon me to the garden, but rather all the critters that buzz and flutter amongst them. I can easily identify everything I have lovingly planted over the years, but even the shortest visit to the garden turns up an insect, or spider that I do not recognize. The foray into the flower beds is generally followed by at least 30 minutes’ worth of research on the computer to identify the tiny visitor that I just discovered, using a photo from my phone as a reference. I love to share these photos with my family and friends, but the pictures invariably elicit a loud “EEEEEW, YUCK!” If you ask me what "bugs" me, it is not the creepers and crawlers in the garden, but the lack of appreciation for their beauty and diversity by human beings. I am not suggesting that we must love every mosquito that tries to suck the life blood out of us but taking a few minutes to look beyond the blossoms never fails to provide you a chance to learn something new about the garden's inhabitants, and subsequently helps you to resist the urge to reach for a pesticide. After all, it is we humans who are invading their homes as they work to prepare dinner, raise their babies, take a nap, or just enjoy the sunshine. Below are a few of the wondrous critters I have discovered in my garden. As you look through them I hope you are inspired to join me in saying “bugs don't bug me!”

Tony was born and raised in Huntington, Long Island. He went to school at Huntington High School and then the University of Buffalo where he graduated with a degree in Geology. Tony moved to Norfolk for his work. Although Tony is not working at the moment, he is waiting for the right opportunity. He has been working in Direct Marketing such as supporting infomercials and the related distribution of products in retail channels. Tony’s sister is a Master Gardener in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. His father was a Master Gardener and Curator of the New Hanover County, Virginia Arboretum. Since they seemed to enjoy their experiences, he applied and was accepted into the Class of 2024. Tony enjoyed the classes, especially the way the presentations and the related field trips were organized. In order to attain his required fifty hours, Tony volunteered at the Weyanoke Bird and Wildflower Sanctuary, with the Significant Tree program, at the Butterfly House at Norfolk Botanical Garden, and for the plant sale. He is training in the Norfolk Botanical Garden greenhouse, and is hoping to get involved with the Norfolk Master Gardener greenhouse. He is also interested and hopes to volunteer in the resilience programs. When he is not participating in NMG activities, Tony likes to work in his yard and to walk the dog. He also enjoys maintaining his North American Native Pitcher Plant (and other carnivorous plants) collection. Tony shares his home with his Olde English Bulldogge named Kranepool!  When you see Tony, be sure to introduce yourself and welcome him to the Norfolk Extension Master Gardeners.

Scott was born in Newport, Rhode Island and lived in various places until settling in Maryland at age seven where he stayed through college. The Navy brought Scott and his wife to Virginia Beach in 1978. They moved to Norfolk in 2000 to be closer to work. Scott shares that he wishes they had moved to Norfolk sooner! Scott went to school in Maryland near Fort Meade and met his wife Monica during his senior year in high school. He went to the Naval Academy while Monica went to the University of Maryland, and they were married there three days after graduation. Scott retired from the Navy and then retired from the Civil Service four years ago, working for the Department of Defense. Scott always enjoyed gardening, albeit on a small scale. He and his wife did all the landscaping work at their home so he knew some of the basics. Four years ago Scott and Monica took over the Fred Heutte Center in the middle of Ghent Square. The center contains five separate garden areas covering nearly two acres, so Scott felt that he needed to know more about gardening. Plus, Monica became a Master Gardener in the class of 2022 so the pressure was on for him to join a class. Scott thought the classes were great. They exposed him to a great deal of information that he had no chance of remembering at first blush, but gave him the references to find everything when needed. He has enjoyed meeting many of the Norfolk Master Gardeners, and building relationships with classmates. The great majority of Scott’s fifty hours were spent at the Fred Heutte Center, working closely with Monica and Vickie Reid at the Native Plant and Pollinator Garden, and he will continue to work on getting those gardens up to speed. He also enjoyed working at the Weyanoke Bird and Wildflower Sanctuary and will continue participating in that project. Scott plans to start visiting other projects, and since he is a huge Lepidoptera fan, is particularly looking forward to working in the Butterfly House at Norfolk Botanical Garden. Scott and Monica work at the Fred Heutte Center almost every morning, as there is a large formal garden, quite a lot of planting and irrigation work to do, and additional work in the Pollinator Garden (beyond the scheduled volunteer days). The afternoons are reserved for pickleball, to which he has become totally addicted. Scott and Monica have two adorable cats which Scott shares “has them well trained!” When you see Scott, be sure to introduce yourself and welcome him to the NMGV.