Extension Master Gardeners are volunteer educators who work within their communities to encourage and promote environmentally sound horticulture practices through sustainable landscape management, education, and training. As an educational outreach component of the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE), the Roanoke Valley Chapter of Master Gardeners brings the resources of Virginia’s land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, to the Roanoke Valley, Botetourt County, and Craig County. 

They have complied a guide on all about our native plants.  They will be coming very soon.  The Roanoke Master Gardeners expect to receive their copies, hopefully, before the end of November 2023.  We are all very excited about their efforts as there was no information  about our region of Virginia.

Here is an early release via a link to download your very own copy!  https://www.plantvirginianatives.org/plantswvanatives/plant-swva-natives-guide 

Of course, we all want our yards to look neat and tidy so go ahead and rake up the leaves.  Instead of putting the raked up pile in a trash bin try one of these solutions:

• Mow over them to mulch them up and put in your compost or simply leave them to decompose in the grass.

• Move the raked pile to the back yard or out of the way of foot traffic so that insects can nest along with turtles, frogs, toads, fireflies, or salamanders to name a few.  They provide protection from the winter temps, food, and a quick hideout.

• Leaving a pile to overwinter will add moisture to the soil and nutrients.  Generally, by spring. you will have a composted spot to plant something new.

Find out more:  www.leaveleavesalone.org