To have gardening information, classes and demonstrations happening in Fairfax and Loudoun listed free, mail to 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102 or fax to 703-917-0991 or e-mail maweber@connectionnewspapers.com
Exhuberant Garden: Dramatic Plant Combinations. Staff horticulturist Nancy Olney will lead a tour through Green Spring's luxuriant gardens; bold color combinations, contrasting textures and exciting new plants will be highlighted. Learn how to make dramatic plant combinations in your garden. 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 27. $7. Registration and prepayment required. Please call the Green Spring Horticulture Center at 703-642-5173 for more information or to register.
Concert in the Garden. The Fairfax Symphony Youth Band will entertain in the garden. 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17. Free. Registration required. Please call the Green Spring Horticulture Center at 703-642-5173 for more information or to register.
The Presidents' Gardens. Step back in time to the day of Jefferson and Madison. Shop the historic plant area at Monticello and have lunch at Michie Tavern before heading to Madison's home at Montpelier. Fee includes lunch, bus, admission and drivers tip. Registration and non-refundable pre-payment to FCPA required. Call 703-642-5173 to register. All tours depart from Green Spring Gardens. Tour buses, staffed by a GSGP tour guide horticulturist, are equipped with air-conditioning and restroom accomodations.
Green Spring Gardens Park (GSGP) serves Fairfax County residents and visitors by advancing the awareness and practice of gardening. The gardens and educational programs at Green Spring focus on practical landscaping techniques that are appropriate for the Washington metropolitan area. The park includes a horticulture center, demonstration gardens, an 18th century manor house, and a wooded stream valley with ponds. Park grounds are open from dawn to dusk. The Horticulture Center is open Monday through Saturday. The Horticulture Center Shop is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information call 703-642-5173.
Fairfax Urban Naturalists (FUN). Be a part of FUN, an ecologically sound colunteer organization, co-sponsored by GSGP and the National Wildlife Federation. As a FUN Habitat Steward you will help others to establish wildlife habitats and to discover the importance of native plants. All FUN volunteers receive 24 hours of free horticulture training. After completing the training, participants will be required to help community organizations develop backyard habitats or school yard gardens. Training dates: July 13, 14, 20, 21. For more information or to become a FUN volunteer, call Cindy Brown at 703-642-5173.
Get your questions about gardening problems answered by Master Gardeners at Neighborhood Plant Clinics held throughout the area. Bring plant and insect samples to a neighborhood clinic, and if the Master Gardeners do not have an immediate answer, they will send your samples to their diagnostic labs. You will receive a report within two or three weeks. Call 703-324-8556 for more information. Master Gardeners are on hand at the following locations:
* Burke Farmers Market, Saturdays, 9 a.m.-noon
* Chantilly Library, Wednesdays, 6:30-9 p.m.; Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
* Fairfax Farmers Market, Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-noon
* Falls Church City Farmers Market, Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-noon
* George Mason Library, Wednesdays, 6:30-9 p.m.
* Herndon Farmers Market, Thursdays, 9 a.m.-noon
* Meadowlark Gardens, Saturdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
* Mount Vernon Farmers Market, Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
* Pohick Library, Mondays, 6:30- 9 p.m.; Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Thursdays, 6:30-9 p.m.
* Reston Library, Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Thursdays, 6:30; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
* Tysons-Pimmit Library, Saturdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
* Vienna Farmers Market, Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-noon
* Virginia Cooperative Extension, Fairfax Office, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Green Spring Gardens Park, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, is offering the following gardening programs. Prepaid registration is required; call the number listed to register.
* Propagation Workshop: Multiplying Your Treasures, June 15, 10-11:30 a.m. Learn techniques including stem cuttings, plant divisions and more. You will take home a 1-year-old hydrangea and some perennial favorites. $15.
* The Art of Preserving Flowers, June 22, 10-11:30 a.m. An introductory demonstration of drying and arranging flowers. Light refreshments served. $10. 703-941-7987.
* Vegetables and Herbs for Regional Cuisine, June 22, 10-11:30 a.m. Learn how to pair favorite vegetables with herbs from the same region for tasty meals. $7. 703-642-5173.
* Botany: Why Is It Called That? June 29, 10-11:30 a.m. Discussion of the principles behind botanical names, pronunciation, references and techniques for remembering and understanding the names you encounter. $7. 703-642-5173.
* Topiaries: Living Sculptures for Indoors and Out, June 30, 1-3 p.m. Creation and cultivation are the focus of this program. A full English tea follows. $20. 703-941-7987.
The Garden Conservancy's Open Days program will return to the Northern Virginia area on June 15 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. with seven private gardens for the public to enjoy. These will be among the 453 private gardens throughout 26 states that will be open for visits.
Four of the gardens are in Arlington: the Burnet-Deutsch Garden, the garden of Linda Scott and Mary Dufour, the garden of William A. Grillo and Cozy Shack. Two gardens, Hilltop Cottage and Ridder Garden, are in McLean; and Dorothy and Art Phinney's garden is in Fairfax.
The gardens are listed in the Garden Conservancy's Open Days Directory, a 512-page book that includes driving directions and vivid descriptions of each garden Call the Garden Conservancy at 1-888-842-2442 to order the book, which may also be purchased wherever books are sold. Admission to each garden is $5; no reservations are necessary. Call 1-888-842-2442 for more information.