Virginia Cooperative Extension Office

Child wearing a hat and glasses, planting a vegetable garden

Sow what?

, , , , , ,

Child wearing a hat and glasses, planting a vegetable gardenThere’s nothing more beautiful to bring to the table than fresh produce you’ve grown yourself!  If you’re an avid home gardener, you probably started receiving seed catalogues in January.  But it’s not too late to plan a Spring or Summer flower or vegetable garden for this year.

So how do you know what to sow and when to sow it?  Most of Virginia lies in the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6 or 7, with cooler sections in the western and northwestern areas of the Commonwealth, and warmer zones in the eastern coastal areas.  The plant hardiness zones indicate the typical date of the last Spring frost – so you don’t put any seeds in the soil or transplant plants too early.  See the new 2023 Virginia Hardiness Zone map to identify your area’s USDA hardiness zone.USDA map of plant hardiness zones, to determine first and last dates for frost in your area.

As for what to plant – that’s the fun part!  You can choose your favorite fruits and vegetables, or try some new varieties.  The Virginia Cooperative Extension office in your county will have free information and resources to help you choose, with a lot of information published online.  Here’s a reference guide for recommended planting dates and amounts.  Here’s a no-paper-was-wasted catalogue from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange to start browsing!

For flowers, it’s recommended to choose native plants that will attract and serve pollinators like bees and butterflies, which you’ll need to pollinate your flowers and vegetables in order to be successful.  You can download free Native Plant Guides for your area of the state.  You can also download the Virginia Native Plant Society’s list of nurseries that sell native plants.

Whether you dig up a large area in your yard, have a small raised bed in a corner of a small yard, or plant up containers and pots on a sunny patio, planting a garden is good for you!   You’ll soak up some Vitamin D, which increases your calcium levels, benefiting your bones and immune system; it’s good movement that’s less boring than an exercise class; being outdoors provides stress relief, reducing depression and anxiety, as well as increasing happiness; and it helps you eat a healthier diet.  Involve kids of your own, neighborhood kids, or Scout groups, and all the benefits will apply to them too.

So get sowing, and make your backyard, potted plants, or community garden a place of beauty this season!

Cardinal bird

This is for the Birds!

, , , , , , ,

Cardinal birdWinter can be a tough season for the wild birds that grace our backyards and public spaces.   But we can help out our feathered friends by offering the food, water, and shelter during the colder months in Virginia.

By the time we’re finished feasting for Thanksgiving, most of the natural food supply for birds, such as insects, are dormant, and seeds and berries can be hidden by leaves or snow.  A typical suburban landscape of grass, cropped bushes, and non-native trees and plants doesn’t offer much for birds.  This is why humans can provide some much-needed nourishment!

You probably know that the Cardinal is our official state bird.  Other common sightings include the American Goldfinch, Blue Jay, Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, Common Grackle, Evening Grosbeak, House Finch, Mourning Dove, Purple Finch, Tufted Titmouse, and a variety of Sparrows.  Here’s a guide from Virginia Tech with pictures and descriptions of these birds that’s good for children or beginners.  Or you can get the Audubon Bird Guide app here to have conveniently on your phone.

There are many different kinds of bird feeders sold.  Wild Birds Unlimited is one of the experts in this area, with several stores across the state to visit, or you can order online.  They even offer baffles to install near you bird feeders to thwart those pesky (but cute) squirrels.  However, you can also scatter seeds on the ground, or make your own feeders for birds.   Here’s how to make a pine cone feeder, and here’s a short video with instructions to make shaped bird seed treats with cookie cutters!

One of the very best ways to offer food and shelter for birds during the winter is to provide them with native plants and trees in your backyard, or any public space such as a school or house of worship where you have permission to add plants to the landscape.  You don’t have to have acres of land to offer a meaningful oasis to birds, and you don’t need to tear out all the plants that you already have growing.  Just plant some native Virginia wildflower seeds, such as Black-eyed Susan, Yarrow, and Asters in with your other border plants, and the birds will find them.  If you’d like a free packet of wildflower seeds, just go to our website and take the pledge to end litter, and we’ll send you one (while supplies last)!

Winter is an excellent time to plan improvements to your backyard garden.  Your local Extension Office can answer any questions you might have, and provide you with resources.  And Virginia Tech has an excellent guide to creating inviting habitats for birds!  The publication is available in PDF and Epub formats.

So read up a little, plan a little, and do what you can for the birds this winter!