Community Projects in the Rockfish Valley
Pollinator Garden at
Devils backbone- Status: Resting
... is a collaboration between Devils Backbone Brewing Company and the Nelson County Master Gardeners. The garden provides an educational resource to inform visitors of the importance of pollinators and the native plants they rely upon. Enjoy the beauty of the wildflowers and butterflies, but don’t forget to look for caterpillars, moths, bees, and other insects that create the complex biodiversity needed for a healthy environment. The garden has been designated as a Monarch Waystation.
See “Events” for scheduled programs.
The Quarry Gardens
at Schuyler
The Quarry Gardens at Schuyler are a 40-acre showcase of locally native plants arrayed around six abandoned soapstone quarries (open to the public by appointment). Master Gardener volunteers help to steward the land and also lead tours for visitors who come from throughout the Commonwealth and beyond.
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Participate in workdays o Fridays from February to November. After training at the Quarry Gardens, you can be a docent, leading public tours of the garden.
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Free tours by appointment most weekends from April through November. Groups may arrange visits during the week. For more information visit www.quarrygardensatschuyler.org.
Humpback Rocks Pioneer Farm- Status: Resting
The Humpback Rocks Pioneer Farm is a free exhibit located along the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 5.8. The Master Gardeners maintain the vegetable garden situated in front of the pioneer home. Visitors can see the vegetables and herbs grown during frontier days and learn about gardening practices that were used in the olden days.
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Click to video on the right to view a 2018 timeline of activities!
Demonstration Garden at Nelson Center
Visit the beauty found at the Nelson Center Demonstration Garden. Everyone is welcome to come in and sit, picnic, ponder, or photograph the exceptional features the garden has to offer. Summer brings breathtaking flora: giant white hibiscus, translucent Texas Five Star, Hyacinth Bean blossoms with violet seedpods, and much more.
Farmer's Market
The Master Gardeners staff a table at the Nelson Farmers Market in Nellysford. We provide horticultural information and answer home gardening questions. If answers are not provided on the spot, they are researched and answered at the Horticulture Help Desk the following week. Check our events calendar for our schedule.
Horticultural Crafts- Status: Resting
Every month we coordinate horticultural crafts with seniors in Afton and Lovingston. These are fun events and a great way to meet wonderful people. Join us! For more details contact:
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434-263-7180
Spring Plant Sale
We sell quality plants and garden accessories at affordable prices. Our Annual Plant Sale was a great success! Many thanks to all who purchased our plants. Plant sales support most of our Community Projects. We look forward to seeing you at our next event later this year!
Mallory Creek Native Plant Trail
Mallory Creek is a great place to meander with family, friends or by yourself. Bring lunch and sit at the picnic tables alongside the trail. There are sign posts as you enter the trail providing information about the diversity of the native plants. Don't be surprised to see Master Gardeners tending to the trail. Feel free to ask us questions.
Master Gardener Training
Being an Extension Master Gardener provides a variety of opportunities to help build the local community through education about environmentally-sound horticulture, and to improve horticultural experiences for all Nelson County residents. Find out more to learn about this rewarding volunteer experience.
