April 11

training

The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley offers twice-weekly free "Gather in the Gardens" training sessions from 9 a.m. to noon on Fridays through December and 6 to 9 p.m. on Mondays through September, weather permitting. Sessions offer attendees the opportunity to learn about various aspects of gardening by assisting the museum with garden maintenance. For details on future sessions, visit www.shenandoahmuseum.org.

April 17

lecture

State of the American Farm: Expectations, Pressures, Possibilities will be the topic of Blandy Experimental Farm's Third Thursday Talks series in the library from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Jim Baird, of the American Farmland Trust, will discuss farmland preservation, land-use issues and related topics. Cost is $6 for Foundation of the State Arboretum members and $8 for nonmembers. Reservations are requested by April 11. For more information contact Blandy Experimental Farm at 837-1758 or visit www.virginia.edu/blandy.

April 22

workshop

Shenandoah County Parks and Recreation will host a Summer Flowering Plants landscape design course from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the old Edinburg Middle School. The class costs $15 and is for ages 15 and older. The deadline to register is April 18. For more information call 984-3030 or visit www.scpr.info.

April 26

tours

The Little Garden Club of Winchester will host tours of four area historic homes, Huntingdon, Long Branch, Foxcote and Red Gate, for Historic Garden Week in Virginia from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 26 and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on April 27. A full ticket is $25, and admission to single sites is $15. Tickets for children ages 6 to 12 are $14 and $10 for single sites, and children under 5 are admitted free.

All children must be accompanied by adults. Tickets may be purchased on tour days at any of the open houses. Tea will be held at Long Branch from 1 to 4 p.m. during both days of the event. For more information visit www.vagardenweek.com. As part of the event, there will be a boxed luncheon held at Blandy Farm Library on April 26. Cost is $13 per person and reservations are due by April 13 by calling Mary Beth Wood at 662-5899.

may 1

field trip

Trilliums of the Thompson Wildlife Management area, a field trip to see trilliums and other spring wildlife flowers, will be help from 9 a.m. to noon for the Blandy Experimental Farm's First Thursday Workshops and Field Trips series. Participants will meet at the Blandy library and carpool to the site. Cost is $6 for Foundation of the State Arboretum members and $8 for nonmembers. Reservations are requested by April 25. For more information contact Blandy Experimental Farm at 837-1758 or visit www.virginia.edu/blandy.

may 3

nature walk

Flowering Trees and Shrubs will be the topic of Blandy Experimental Farm's First Saturday Walks series from 10 to 11 a.m. No reservations are required and participants meet at the kiosk. Cost is $4 for Foundation of the State Arboretum members and $5 for nonmembers. For more information contact Blandy Experimental Farm at 837-1758 or visit www.virginia.edu/blandy.

May 6

lecture

Jennifer Willoughby, communications specialist with the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, will discuss rain barrels at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley for its Tuesday Garden Talk series. The lecture will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the museum's reception hall and is free for museum members and $6 for nonmembers. The fee also includes admission to the Glen Burnie Gardens at the museum. For more information visit www.shenandoahmuseum.org or call 662-1473, ext. 235.

May 10

garden fair

Blandy Experimental Farm's Garden Fair will be held May 10-11 at the State Arboretum of Virginia. The fair will feature a plant and garden supply sale and a variety of free events including guided tours, bird walks, food and more. A $10 per car fee will benefit the Foundation of the State Arboretum endowment. For more information contact Blandy Experimental Farm at 837-1758 or visit www.virginia.edu/blandy.

workshop

Shenandoah County Parks and Recreation will host a Make and Take Rain Barrel Workshop from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the old Edinburg Middle School. The class, sponsored by the Potomac Conservancy and Friends of the North Fork, costs $35 and is for all ages. The deadline to register is May 5. For more information call 984-3030 or visit www.scpr.info.

May 15

lecture

Honey Bees in Virginia: 400 Years of Beekeeping will be the topic of Blandy Experimental Farm's Third Thursday Talks series in the library from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Keith Tignor, Virginia's state apiarist, will discuss the current status of honey bees, their threats and their prospects. Cost is $6 for Foundation of the State Arboretum members and $8 for nonmembers. Reservations are requested by May 9. For more information contact Blandy Experimental Farm at 837-1758 or visit www.virginia.edu/blandy.

May 17

workshop

Shenandoah County Parks and Recreation will host a Creating a Rain Garden class from 9 a.m. to noon at a location yet to be determined. The class costs $10 and is for all ages. The deadline to register is May 12. For more information call 984-3030 or visit www.scpr.info.

June 3

exhibits

The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley's gardens and grounds manager, Mary Stickley, will discuss ways to attract birds and other wildlife to gardens as part of the museum's Tuesday Garden Talk series. The lecture will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the museum's reception hall and is free for museum members and $6 for nonmembers. The fee also includes admission to the Glen Burnie Gardens at the museum. For more information visit www.shenandoahmuseum.org or call 662-1473, ext. 235.

June 6

garden fair

Belle Grove Plantation in Middletown will host a Garden Fair sponsored by the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardeners from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and will feature a plant sale with garden and specialty vendors, a toad house workshop, garden talks, demonstrations, raffles, food and more. For more information call 869-2028 or e-mail info@bellegrove.org.

June 25

tour

The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley will host a specialty tour of its Glen Burnie Gardens at 6 p.m. The focus of the tour, led by gardens and grounds manager Mary Stickley, will be deer and ways to deter them from gardens. The tour is free to museum members and $6 for non-members. For more information visit www.shenandoahmuseum.org or call 662-1473, ext. 235.

July 1

lecture

The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley's gardens and grounds manager, Mary Stickley, will discuss microclimates for unique plants as part of the museum's Tuesday Garden Talk series. The lecture will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the museum's reception hall and is free for museum members and $6 for nonmembers. The fee also includes admission to the Glen Burnie Gardens at the museum. For more information visit www.shenandoahmuseum.org or call 662-1473, ext. 235.

July 23

tour

The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley will host a specialty tour of its Glen Burnie Gardens at 6 p.m. The focus of the tour, led by gardens and grounds manager Mary Stickley, will be garden insects. The tour is free to museum members and $6 for non-members. For more information visit www.shenandoahmuseum.org or call 662-1473, ext. 235.

August 5

lecture

Chef Tona Bays will discuss cooking with herbs as part of the museum's Tuesday Garden Talk series. The lecture will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the museum's reception hall and is free for museum members and $6 for nonmembers. The fee also includes admission to the Glen Burnie Gardens at the museum. For more information visit www.shenandoahmuseum.org or call 662-1473, ext. 235.

August 13

tour

The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley will host a specialty tour of its Glen Burnie Gardens at 6 p.m. The focus of the tour, led by gardens and grounds manager Mary Stickley, will be on planting drought-tolerant gardens. The tour is free to museum members and $6 for non-members. For more information visit www.shenandoahmuseum.org or call 662-1473, ext. 235.

September 2

lecture

Terry Fogle, entomologist and co-owner of Fort Valley Nursery, will discuss garden insects as part of the museum's Tuesday Garden Talk series. The lecture will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the museum's reception hall and is free for museum members and $6 for nonmembers. The fee also includes admission to the Glen Burnie Gardens at the museum. For more information visit www.shenandoahmuseum.org or call 662-1473, ext. 235.

October 7

lecture

Bill Huehn and Peter Cook of the Old Time Apple Growers Association will discuss heirloom apples as part of the museum's Tuesday Garden Talk series. The lecture will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the museum's reception hall and is free for museum members and $6 for nonmembers. The fee also includes admission to the Glen Burnie Gardens at the museum. For more information visit www.shenandoahmuseum.org or call 662-1473, ext. 235.

November 4

lecture

Master gardener Carolyn Wilson will discuss house plants as part of the museum's Tuesday Garden Talk series. The lecture will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the museum's reception hall and is free for museum members and $6 for nonmembers. The fee also includes admission to the Glen Burnie Gardens at the museum. For more information visit www.shenandoahmuseum.org or call 662-1473, ext. 235.

November 15

The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley's gardens and grounds manager, Mary Stickley, will host a "For the Birds" workshop on creating holiday decorations to attract birds from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $15 for museum members and $25 for others. Pre-registration is required by Nov. 10. To register call 662-1473, ext. 22 or e-mail registration@shenandoahmuseum.org.