"When students see pictures of starving children in Africa, it never dawns on them to ask 'why?'" This is one reason Tracy Mendoza feels teaching soil science is so important.
nutrients
My girls love watermelon. We buy watermelon flavored candy, lip gloss, toothpaste, and drinks! So, of course, our garden has watermelon, too!
From the time you step off the curb, you begin experiencing the Smithsonian through their expansive gardens. About 20 Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia recently took a “field trip” to the Smithsonian Museum of American History.
September 6, 2013 Read more
Soil, water, nutrients, and sun will affect the quality and taste of the produce; therefore, we cannot always rely on size and color of the produce to know when to harvest.
July 12, 2013 Read more
I have found that many teachers want to incorporate a learning garden into their curriculum but do not know how to garden. This is not a big issue for the teachers if they collaborate with an experienced gardener, horticulture agent, garden club, or master gardener to help train the teachers.
Wait! Don’t throw those eggs shells in the garbage can! Those make great compost! Call me “scrap happy,” but kitchen scraps are valuable to me.
July 16, 2012 Read more
I enjoy planting, watering, and nurturing a plant to its fullest potential. To keep my landscape the “prettiest on the block,” I plant a combination of perennials and annuals.
July 3, 2012 Read more
My three year-old and I were watering the garden and saw something red in the midst of green leaves. We reached in with excitement: our first tomato of the season - yum!
June 22, 2012 Read more
As I drive to the grocery store, I pass a school with an outdoor classroom and learning garden. I have often been envious of the space and considered how lucky they are to have it. A few years ago, the school principal contacted the Extension Office asking for help from the Master Gardeners. Despite having an amazing resource, only one (yes, one) teacher uses the space. An incredible resource left fallow and neglected by most of the staff. How can this happen? What went wrong? Why aren’t they using it?