News & Projects
Governor Kaine says to "Plant, Participate and Promote" to get involved with the commemoration of America's 400th Anniversary. Please visit this link to see the video clip: http://www.jamestown2007.org/participate-plant-promote.cfm
MEOC Celebrates Jamestown Anniversary
In 2007 Mountain Empire Older Citizens at Big Stone Gap joined public and private gardens all over Virginia to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement by planting an “America’s Anniversary Garden”. The Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs and Virginia Cooperative Extension invited gardeners everywhere in Virginia to plant beds, borders and containers in any combination of the national colors—red ,white and blue. Despite the April freeze and the extended dry weather the commemorative plantings at MEOC were remarkably successful.
For several years the beds and borders at MEOC have been a designated Southwest Virginia Master Gardener site, maintained by volunteer SWVA Master Gardeners. 2006-2007 was an especially labor intensive time.
Foremost were two large beds, visible from the road, six feet by nine feet each and fifteen inches deep.
- One was planted in the design of the English flag of 1607, the Cross of St. George, a red cross on a white field. The flowers were Darwin and Triumph tulips, planted late in 2006 and blooming perfectly in April 2007.
- The second large bed anticipated the much later Scots-Irish settlement of western Virginia. It was planted in the design of the Scottish national flag, the Cross of St. Andrew, a saltire white cross on a blue field. Its white and blue grape hyacinths bloomed splendidly and for a long time this spring.
When the tulips and grape hyacinths withered, the two flag designs were continued over the long summer by over-planting the two beds with red, white and blue salvia, lasting well into October. Here’s hoping the tulips and grape hyacinths will come back nicely next spring.
English Flag
Scottish Flag
The late Gary Tucker, friend of Dennis Horton and generous friend of MEOC, dug the beds with his backhoe and hauled truckloads of much-needed composted horse manure from Vanhook Stables in Big Stone Gap.
Many thanks for composted soil for beds also goes to Jim and Bea Cox and Jim’s sister Faith Cox for composted soil for the beds from their dairy farm at Fort Blackmore. Tammy and Winston Ely have recently provided more of that priceless commodity, composted horse manure, from their farm at Cracker’s Neck.
Other ”America’s Anniversary Garden” beds created were:
- A large raised rondel of brillant red, white and blue circles of verbena around a young dogwood tree. It bloomed all summer.
- A new raised bed at the entrance of MEOC’s front parking lot, planted with red ‘Knockout’ roses, blue mist shrub, blue cranesbill geraniums and white candytuft.
- Berms of fertile soil around the dripline of three redbud trees, planted in different patterns of red, white and lavender impatiens.
- A short border of “Big Red’ and white zinnias, with blue “Victoria” salvia. This bed was for late summer.
- A large patio container planted with red and white impatiens and blue salvia
Besides the Jamestown commemorative beds, there were other flowering successes this year which promise to be even more impressive next year.
- The long border of hybrid tea roses planted by MEOC staffers over a decade ago were nearly pronounced dead, but brought back to vigorous life and florescence after Master Gardener Bill Maxwell attended a Jackson & Perkins seminar at the Abingdon Garden Faire in May. Here he finally learned how to grow perfect pest-free and disease-free roses.
- The Betty Fleenor English rose garden also bloomed well this year and promises to flourish next year. The English roses were a gift from Master Gardener Betty Fleenor. (Not Shown)
- The long row of dwarf pink ‘Hopi’ crape myrtle was covered with long-lasting blooms with only a little watering in dry weeks. (Not Shown)
Mountain Empire Older Citizens is thankful for all the Master Gardener volunteers, the MEOC staff and all the good friends who provided the soil, the labor, the plants, the fertilizer and the knowledge to make its grounds attractive. There is still much work to be done. Visitors are always welcome to see the planted beds and borders. Nice thing to see—good “eye candy” as the artists say—are the redbud and forsythia blooming in early spring, the Virginia fringe trees in May, the roses in June, the dwarf crape myrtle border and the blue border of chaste tree, beautyberry and blue mist shrub, these two latter borders blooming in late summer.
Master Gardener William Maxwell (wfm@virginia.edu)
276-679-0935
P.O. Box 796
Norton, VA 24273
Beautification of Front Royal - download brochure (Publisher file)
PDF version of brochure
Microsoft Word version of brochure
AAG colors at the entrance to Williams and Mary Campus
Weekly Reader Contest Winners - August 2007
Contestants from Meyers Elementary school traveled from Gainesville, GA to accept their grand prize on Friday, August 10, 2007 at the Jamestown Settlement. Dr. Mark McCann presented the awards, Director of Virginia Cooperative Extension.
America's Anniverary Garden at Fredericksburg - August 2007
Williamsburg - Red, White and Blue
The whole town has turned red, white, and blue in support of AAG. Thanks to Kathy Duncan for these pictures!
Big Stone Gap
Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap planted an Anniversary Garden at the entrance to the campus to greet all visitors, students and faculty. Garden contains annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs for a lasting tribute to mark the 400th anniversary of Jamestown.
Certificate of Recognition
Celebrating America's Anniversary Garden Week - certificate of recognition signed by Governor Timothy Kaine. Please click here to view a copy of the certificate.
May 2007
Inspired by a visit from Leanne DuBois, Extension Agent for James City County/New Kent County, the Greensprings West Garden Club created a variety of small red, white and blue container gardens.
May 29, 2007
A Middle Peninsula Regional Security Center Crew worked to install an America’s Anniversary Garden at the Center with the aid of Middlesex Master Gardener Virginia Clark. The garden includes red, white and blue flowers along the approach to the center and in a bed honoring our veterans. The crew installed approximately 50 plants and 8 different species and varieties to achieve the colorful look.
May 13, 2007
Governor Kaine's inaugural America's Anniversary Garden at the Jamestown Settlement was in great form for the Jamestown Anniversary Weekend. The gardens are located at the entrance to the Anniversary Park. Special thanks to Custom Gardens, Inc. of Yorktown for maintaining this garden.
HRAREC Update
Attached are two pictures recently taken at the front of our building to show the second year of our AAG. The little native fringe tree is in full bloom, as are our Knockour roses, and behind them our blue grass is beginning to show color.
Summer 2007
July 2007
April 2007 Tidewater Community College Prepares Container Gardening Brochure
Tracy Brieger of Tidewater Community College has prepared a brochure on planting your own America's Anniversary Garden in a container (download PDF version here). This brochure is features photographs and additional plant lists for your shade or full sun containers. It is complete with tips on planting, fertilizing and maintaining your container garden.
Tidewater Community College also has planted an America's Anniversary Garden at each campus. The students designed exquisite gardens for each campus and four gardens for the City of Chesapeake. During their planting day, they presented container garden demonstrations on Saturday, April 28th at the Chesapeake Campus. Dr. David Kiracofe, TCC-Chesapeake, was on hand to share stories of botanicals during the Jamestown period. Girl Scouts prepared seed packets in the Jamestown style with an information sheet on botanicals packaged in parchment paper with a wax closure using the TCC logo. Thanks to Tracy Brieger, Dean Bowles, their students and volunteers on all four campuses for making this event a success!
Photos: Planting the America's Anniversary Garden at the TCC-Chesapeake campus.
Spring AAG gardens in front of William and Mary Alumni Hall
The location near the General Assembly building will get plenty of traffic and the plant selections for shade will create a colorful impact. Kathy Duncan was instrumental in taking the challenge out of designing the placement of plants. The best part is that it’s a maintenance free garden, the maintenance will be provided by the staff at the capitol.
America’s Anniversary Garden
A Colorful Tribute to the 400th Anniversary
Planted at the Virginia State Capital
June 4, 2007 -
Press Release -
For Immediate Release
Contact: Leanne DuBois
(757) 564-2170
To kick off the America’s Anniversary Weekend in Williamsburg marking the peak of the 18 month commemoration activities for the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, an America’s Anniversary Garden was planted on the grounds of the Virginia State Capital in Richmond. On May 9th volunteers and Anniversary Garden partnering organizations designed and planted a 1500 square foot red, white and blue garden at the northwest corner of Capital Square near the entrance to the General Assembly Building. Governor Tim Kaine, who planted the first America’ Anniversary Garden across from the Jamestown Settlement during part of his Inauguration events in January of 2006, recently signed a Certificate of Recognition celebrating America’s Anniversary Garden Week in Virginia.
Tony Griffin, the Capital Building Manager, provided the plants and technical support. Joyce Latimer, Horticulture Extension Specialist from the Virginia Tech Department of Horticulture and Leanne DuBois, Horticulture Extension Agent for James City County and New Kent County, were on hand to plant as well as other partners including Kathy Duncan, past president of the Virginia Society of Landscape Designers and Joel Koci of Arborcare representing MAC-ISA (Mid-Atlantic Chapter-International Arboriculture Society). Master Gardener volunteers from Virginia Cooperative Extension in Henrico and James City County also volunteered their time to help plant red caladiums, white and blue salvia, red and white New Guinea impatiens and blue scavolea which will provide a colorful tribute to Virginia’s proud heritage throughout the season.
Virginia Cooperative Extension has developed the America's Anniversary Garden to help individuals, communities, and groups mark America's 400th Anniversary with a signature garden planting. All across Virginia, city and town entrance corridors, public gardens, sidewalk containers, hanging baskets, residential lawns, and other forms of gardens and landscapes will display the colorful theme to commemorate this historic event. Contact your local Extension office for more information about America’s Anniversary Garden.
*Photo (left to right) Front Row: Leanne DuBois, Joyce Latimer, Kathy Duncan
Back Row: Sylvia Miller, Jo-Ann Santos (Henrico County Master Gardeners) Joel Koci and Dianna Nolan(JCC/Williamsburg Master Gardener)
Stonehouse Neighborhood
Ann Davis and Diane Nolan at the Stonehouse entrance showing the Fall/Winter anniversary garden planned with gracious assistance from Pat Rathke.
Maymont 2007
The 18th annual Maymont Flower and Garden Show, with the theme A Great Tradition, featured as its entry garden a large replica of the America's Anniversary Garden ships with their flower sails. The ships, "sailing" atop a large expanse of white and blue pansies, were a real crowd stopper as visitors turned in their tickets and proceeded into the rest of the show. The ships were created by Magic Special Events, of Richmond, VA. From behind the ships the sky periodically changed from sunrise to sunset to a sky lit with stars and the moon, a very dramatic presentation of the ships sailing across the sea from England to America.
Visitors were able to get more information about both the America's Anniversary Garden project and the 2007 AAG contest from both the Hanover and Henrico county booths that were manned by Master Gardeners who proudly promoted planting gardens with red, white, and blue features for this commemorative year. In addition AAG committee member Bonnie Appleton gave a presentation that included background information on the project and a look at many of the recommended plants for AAGs.
America’s Anniversary Garden ™ partners with Junior Master Gardener ® and Weekly Reader
The Junior Master Gardener (JMG) program has partnered with America’s Anniversary Garden (AAG) to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. To help commemorate this historical milestone, Virginia Cooperative Extension has created the America’s Anniversary Garden Competition to help individuals, communities, and groups mark America’s 400th anniversary with a signature garden planting. All signature gardens will have red, white, and blue as their color schemes and can be of any shape, size, and location. JMG has joined with America’s Anniversary Garden to create a national school garden competition which will be promoted through the Weekly Reader program. JMG, AAG, and Weekly Reader are working collaboratively to promote and implement this contest. Please visit www.jmgkids.us/gardencontest and http://www.americasanniversary.com for more resources to help your class create an award-winning America’s Anniversary Garden.
Contest entries are due by February 1, 2007 with winners announced on March 1, 2007.
Click here for entry form.
For more information on plant selection, care, and maintenance check out these links:
Plant America's Anniversary Garden
Annuals: Culture and Maintenance
Perennials: Culture, Maintenance and Propagation
Tree and Shrub Planting Guidelines
Statewide 2007 AAG Contest
By Lori Greiner
BLACKSBURG, VA., January 24, 2007 -- Will your garden bloom red, white, and blue in 2007?
Virginia Cooperative Extension is encouraging Virginians to plant red, white, and blue America’s Anniversary Gardens as part of the statewide commemoration of the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown in 1607 and enter the 2007 statewide America’s Anniversary Garden Contest.
Any type of garden including residential, neighborhood, municipal, business, school, church, hospital, park, airport, racetrack, and arboreta is eligible, as well as commercial garden-center and farmers-market displays and landscape design/installation/maintenance projects.
Inspired by a local contest developed by the Historic Triangle 2007 Beautification Committee, the statewide contest was developed to help pull all Virginia horticultural groups together during 2007.
“With a great start last year, we wanted to culminate the America’s Anniversary Garden™ efforts in this commemoration year with a project that could involve all Virginia gardeners,” said Bonnie Appleton, Virginia Cooperative Extension nursery specialist, who is leading the contest efforts. “Our industry and outreach partners have really stepped up to support the statewide contest. We are looking forward to great participation in planting red, white, and blue across the commonwealth.”
Co-sponsors of the contest include Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Virginia Society of Landscape Designers, Virginia Master Gardener Association, Virginia Flower Growers Association, Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association, Mid-Atlantic Chapter of International Society of Arboriculture, Virginia Native Plant Society, and Virginia 4-H. In addition, the Historic Triangle Jamestown 2007 Host Committee Beautification Task Force will award the Best In Contest. These sponsors will provide the awards for each category and the judges to review the entries and select the winners.
Complete contest rules, garden categories, and the entry form can be found on the America's Garden website. Contest entries must be submitted by Sept. 1, 2007. Winners will be announced during the 2007 State Fair of Virginia in late September.
For more information about the America’s Anniversary Garden program, contact your local Virginia Cooperative Extension Office.
Church Point Garden Club
The Church Point Garden Club competed with 43 other clubs to win the America's Anniversary Garden award presented by the Virginia Beach Council of Garden Clubs. The Virginia Beach Extension Office sponsored the award. This planting is located at the entrance to the Church Point neighborhood in Virginia Beach.
York County
We really "painted the County Red, White and Blue" this fall at the Tabb and York Libraries, York Hall, Administration Building, Finance Building, York/Poquoson Courthouse, Yorktown Welcome Signs, and of course the Riverwalk Landing. Joanne Chapman, York Co.
Downtown South Boston Main Street Corridor
Fall Pansies
Red, white, and blue pansies are a great way to add America's Anniversary Garden color from late fall until early spring, especially in beds or containers that were, or will be, planted in red, white, and blue annuals for spring and summer displays.
Hampton Roads AREC Pansies 2006
Norfolk Botanical Gardens - Pansies 2006
Summer 2006 - Entrance Gardens
Jamestown Rd.(Settlers Mill) in Williamsburg
Busch Gardens
Monticello
Loudoun County
Loudoun County Master Gardener Volunteers included an AAG planting in their Demonstration Garden during the 2006 growing season. The Loudoun County Master Gardener Demonstration Garden is located in Ida Lee Park, 60 Ida Lee Drive, Leesburg, and is grown and maintained organically. Master Gardener Volunteers can be found working in the Demonstration Garden on Tuesday and Thursday mornings April - October. "Lunch and Learn" educational programs are held each Tuesday at noon underneath the pergola in the Demonstration Garden, May - September. The public can visit the Demonstration Garden free year round. For more information about the Loudoun County Master Gardener Volunteer program and their Demonstration Garden, visit their website: www.loudouncountymastergardeners.org
King William's First Anniversary Garden
Despite the wet weather, 14 members of Salt & Light 4-H Club gathered on the Courthouse Green on November 7 and planted King William County's first Anniversary Garden.
The club members planted numerous bulbs around the time capsule that was buried in 2002 during the county's Tricentennial celebration. In the Spring, the red, white and blue flowers will blossom, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the establishment of the first permanent English settlement in America at Jamestown.
Virginia Cooperative Extension has developed the America's Anniversary Garden materials to help individuals, communities and groups mark America's 400th Anniversary with a signature garden planting. All across Virginia, city and town entrance corridors, public gardens, sidewalk containers, hanging baskets, residential lawns and other forms of gardens and landscapes will display the colorful theme in 2006 and 2007.
Every Virginian can have an anniversary garden. Some will be large and some as small as potted plants on a balcony.
America’s Anniversary Garden at The State Arboretum of Virginia
The State Arboretum of Virginia at the University of Virginia’s Blandy Experimental Farm is located in the northern Shenandoah Valley. We are in Boyce, which is 10 miles east of Winchester on Route 50. This is a 170-acre arboretum that has over 8,000 specimen trees and shrubs. There are also several ornamental gardens, an herb garden and a native plant trail that is maintained by one staff member and numerous volunteers. We are open daily from dawn to dusk and admission is free. Visit our website at www.virginia.edu/blandy for upcoming events and programs. Annual plant sales are held Mother’s Day weekend and Columbus Day weekend.
To commemorate America’s 400th Anniversary, we planted 2 areas in red, white and blue. The first area is the parterre garden that is located in our herb garden. We planted Madagascar Periwinkle, (Catharanthus roseus ‘Pacifica Dark Red’ and ‘Pacifica White’) to represent the red and white. A ceramic blue planter in the center, containing a Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis), represented the blue. The existing Boxwood (Buxus sinica var. insularis ‘Justin Brouwers’) forms the basis for the parterre.
The second area planted with the red, white and blue theme, was at the information pavilion located at the visitor parking lot. The red was represented by using Petunia (Petunia x hybrida ‘Easy Wave Red’) and Lantana (Lantana x ‘Patriot Cherry’). Summer Snapdragon (Angelonia angustifolia ‘Serena White’) and Petunia (Petunia x hybrida ‘Easy Wave White’) were used to represent white. Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea ‘Victoria Blue’) represented blue. There are a few existing plants in the bed that lent themselves nicely to the theme: Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina “Helene Von Stein’ or ‘Big Ears’, Summer Phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘David’ and Oak Leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia).
Education is one mission of our facility, therefore; all plants were labeled. Additionally, we created a sign for the visitor parking lot area that told about America’s 400th Anniversary. We also had copies of the Cooperative Extensions list of suggested plants available in a brochure box. We created a brochure that was available at our Native Plant Trail with the list of suggested native plants that feature red, white or blue.
Fun with Red, White, and Blue at the State Fair of Virginia Tech
On September 28, 2006, America’s Anniversary Garden™ (AAG) committee members Joyce Latimer (extension floriculture specialist), David Close (state Master Gardener coordinator), and Bonnie Appleton (extension nursery/landscape specialist) had the pleasure of judging the school landscape competition at the State Fair of Virginia. Six schools entered the contest whose theme was Fun with Red, White, and Blue to encourage the landscape designs and plant selection to reflect our AAG commemorative efforts towards Jamestown 2007.
The schools did a marvelous job of interpreting this theme in some very different and creative ways. Best in Show went to the Richmond Career Center (teacher Harris Wheeler) for their Teaching the Grandchildren landscape. Central to their design was a map of the Commonwealth of Virginia, with various historically or scenically significant areas highlighted. The students did a wonderful job incorporating many native plants with red, white, and/or blue features into the design, and included several special touches such as a cardinal, the state bird of Virginia, and the state flag.
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The three schools winning Awards of Merit all had a different spin on the theme. Chesterfield Tech Center’s (teacher Terry Lautzenheiser) Red, White, and Blue Porch was a white porch that, along with the surrounding garden, was populated with plants and decorative items in red, white, and blue. |
Richmond’s Hermitage Tech Center’s (teacher Caroline Frauenfelder) Taste of 1607 was a garden designed to reflect how original Jamestown gardens might have looked, and the plants that had grown in them. |
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State Fair horticulturist Gwynn Hubbard did a super job continuing the AAG color theme around the contest landscape area with containers and beds full of red, white, and blue flowers. Inside the adjoining building, local Master Gardeners had the AAG extension publications available for the public to help encourage everyone to plant a commemorative garden.
City of Danville AAG: The City of Danville Public Works Department planted it's first AAG in May of 2006 at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Arnett Boulevard. An existing Nellie Steven's Holly and Dwarf Yaupon Hollies serve as the backdrop for annual color each year. This year, 'President' Cannas ( RED), Victoria Blue Salvia, and Dusty Miller (WHITE) delivered the theme and set the stage for the commemoration planting. Pansies will follow suit this fall and all annual beds will receive the patriotic planting in May of 2007. The City Beautiful Committee also joined in the efforts by providing hanging baskets and planters to our downtown area, each planted with Red Petunias, White Nierembergia, and Setcresea.
June 2006
James City County, Virginia – Virginia Cooperative Extension teamed up with James City County (JCC) Human Resources Department in an America’s Anniversary Garden (AAG) container planting program. Over 75 JCC employees came to the Government Complex during lunch hours to create their own AAG containers. A wide variety of both sun and shade plants featuring the red, white and blue color theme along with potting soil was provided by Miller’s Greenhouse, a local garden center located in Toano. AAG logo pot flags were donated by Sign-A-Rama. The event was funded by the James City County.
Powatan County: An anniversary garden was planted in Powhatan County by members of the Goochland Powhatan Master Gardeners and local 4-H members. Flowering plants were planted in two anniversary garden plots by members and leaders of the Crazy for Critters 4-H Club and Powhatan Cloverbuds. Master Gardeners purchased the plants and supervised the youth. They designed each plot to resemble a flag using red, white and blue flowers. The anniversary gardens are part of an historical garden Master Gardeners and historical society members created jointly.
May 2006
Portsmouth: Meg Pittenger, Parks Manager for the City of Portsmouth, has used combinations of red and white petunias, white vinca, and red and blue salvias to plant America's Anniversary Garden containers in prominent locations in the city of Portsmouth. Some decorate the landscape around the nTelos Pavilion at Harbor Center on Crawford Street, site of big name concerts, festivals, and events. Others have been used at the Water Stage at North Landing inlet, also on Crawford Street, an area formerly known as Portside. This area is used by the city of Portsmouth to stage concerts and other events that help to bring people to the Old Towne portion of Portsmouth.
Manassas: Manassas city horticulturist Myron Carlson had 60 America's Anniversary Garden hanging baskets made for the Old Town area of his city. The baskets were planted by Bill Miller of Piedmont Growers, a wholesale greenhouse business in Bealeton, Virginia. Since blue is a hard color to find, especially in petunias, Bill experimented with a couple of cultivars until he chose Blue Wave. Blue Wave is part of the well-know Wave series of petunias, equally well used as a ground cover and in hanging baskets. It's velvety, dusky blue flowers cover the plants all season, need no pinching or pruning, and though they only grow 4-7 inches tall, these trailing plants can spread 3-4 feet.
Wave petunias (including the reds and whites) flower all summer until frost. They thrive in full sun or light shade and will even tolerate poor soil. Their trumpet-shaped flowers even attract hummingbirds.
Shenandoah: The America’s Anniversary Garden at Virginia Tech’s Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center (SVAREC), Steeles Tavern, was planned by Jane Comstock, Joe Ellen Bunton, and Marnie Caldwell. Jane and Joe Ellen are Rockbridge County Master Gardeners. SVAREC employees Marnie Caldwell, Kristen Camp, and Stacy Hubbard joined them to plant the garden.
Perennials dominate this America’s Anniversary Garden in order to keep the plants returning for many years. Plants used for white flowers were daises (four cultivars of different heights), veronica (speedwell), salvia, and flax. For red flowers, lobelia (the native cardinal flower), carnation, achillea (common yarrow), dianthus (sweet william), and geum were selected. For the most challenging color, blue, geraniums, scabiosa, salvia, a cultivar of the ground cover liriope with blue flowers, and the small blue-flowered shrub caryopteris were planted.
For this garden even foliage color was considered, with the liriope doing double duty by using a white variegated cultivar. In addition, artemisia was used for its silver white foliage, and penstemon (with small white flowers) for its dark red leaves. They plan to add Russian sage for its silvery white foliage and blue flowers, and a winterberry shrub for the beautiful red berries that cover this deciduous hollies branches from late fall until early spring.
Suffolk: The America’s Anniversary Garden™ (AAG) at Virginia Tech’s Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center (TAREC) in Suffolk was designed by extension agent and commercial vegetable specialist Janet Spencer. Their garden is a modification of the large corridor garden design in VCE extension publication 426-211 – America’s Anniversary Garden: A Statewide Corridor and Entrance Enhancement Program.
Janet selected Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’ as the focal tree for the garden. This cultivar of the native serviceberry is popular due to its early spring white flowers, abundant reddish-purple, and red fall color, truly a plant with multi-season AAG color. Additional color from woody plants is provided by the evergreen blue leaves of Blue Rug juniper, the late fall to early spring berries of Winter Red deciduous holly, and the summer blue flowers of Nikko Blue hydrangea. These plants will form a permanent woody background for this garden for many years to come.
Janet then selected a mixture of annuals and perennials for the rest of the TAREC America’s Anniversary Garden™. Red is provided by the flowers on Butterfly Red pentas, daylily Pardon Me, bee balm (monarda) Jacob Kline, and red petunias. White comes from the flowers of Angel Mist White angelonia, Snowcap shasta daisy, and white petunias. And blue, the hardest flower color to find, comes from Evolution salvia.
Janet designed an AAG plant label that is being used by other ARECs and AAGs across Virginia. The label features the three flower-sailed ships as they arrive on the green shores of Virginia from England.
Several Red, White, and Blue America’s Anniversary Gardens™ in Virginia Beach
At Virginia Tech’s Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HRAREC) in Virginia Beach, the Center’s entry sign, in its “Hokie stone” planter lined with blue fescue, is fronted by waves of red pentas and petunias (‘Easy Wave Red’), white verbena (‘Tapien Pure White’) and sandwort (arenaria), and blue lithodora (‘Grace Ward’) and salvia (‘Blue Hill’).
At the entry to the building is a fringe tree (white flowers, blue fruit) surrounded by rose mallow (‘Disco Belle White’ with a red center), blue love grass, red Knockout roses, and three red daylily cultivars (‘Gene Foster’, ‘Mallard’, and ‘Scarlet Orbit’) designed to stagger bloom from early to late summer. These daylilies were specifically selected by Rikki and Rich Sterrett, owners of Sterrett Gardens, Craddocksville, Virginia. Rikki is the 4-H youth development extension agent for Northampton County.
In a third area at HRAREC, ‘New Look’ celosia (red leaves and flowers) has been used to fashion the letters V and T, surrounded by a “sea” of ‘Easy Wave White’ petunias, backed by ‘Imperial Blue’ plumbago. Many of the plants used in these AAGs are in addition to plants listed in the two AAG extension publications (Plant America’s Anniversary Garden - http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-210/426-210.html and America’s Anniversary Garden: A Statewide Corridor and Entrance Enhancement Program - http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-211/426-211.html) to further expand the pallet of red, white, and blue plant choices that can be used in AAGs.
HRAREC VT done in red celosia, with white petunia between and blue plumbago as background; Entry garden to the HRAREC.
America’s Anniversary Garden™ at the Virginia Beach Veterans Memorial Park
A very fitting place to plant a red, white, and blue garden was the Veterans Memorial Park in Virginia Beach. This park is located across the street from Virginia Beach’s new convention center, where in March the Tidewater Builders Association sponsored an America’s Anniversary Garden at their annual Home and Garden Show, making plans to then move the display plants to the park.
Virginia Beach landscape services city employees were joined by three Virginia Beach Master Gardeners (Paul Campbell, Liz Maurer – who designed the gardens featured in the America’s Anniversary Garden™ extension publications, and painted the beautiful water colors used in them – and Ed Hendricks) for the plant installation. Red, white, and blue petunias formed the bulk of the planting, but was supplemented by Red Knock Out roses, white statice, and blue salvia.
Flowers Amidst the Field Crops
Though it’s Virginia Tech’s Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) for breeding programs in soybeans, wheat, barley, and oats, the Eastern Virginia AREC is also sporting some America’s Anniversary Gardens (AAG). Located in Warsaw on the Northern Neck, the staff installed AAGs around both their main sign in its Hokie stone planter, and their office and work buildings.
America’s Anniversary Gardens featured at many Virginia Tech Research and Extension Centers
Virginia Cooperative Extension made funding available to all 13 of Virginia Tech’s Agricultural Research and Extension Centers (AREC) for planting America’s Anniversary Gardens™. At the Northern Piedmont AREC in Orange, and center dedicated to field crop and soils research and extension programs, an America’s Anniversary Garden™ surrounds their entry sign.
Behind their sign are redtwig dogwoods that sport white flowers in the spring, blue fruit in the fall, and red twigs in the winter, a true red, white, and blue Virginia native plant. In front of their sign, to coordinate with the colors of the English ships’ flower sails, are red and white petunias and blue ageratum. The AAG sign was provided to all of the ARECs to help publicize this project and to unify the gardens, each of which has a different design and different plants, but all of which promote the AAG red, white, and blue colors.
York County Adds AAG Gardens to Beautify Gateway Signs
May 25, 2006
As part of York County's efforts for corridor beautification, five gateway signs are scheduled for repair or replacement along with new landscaping. One of the signs that was in need of repair and a completely new landscaping was the sign that York County shares with the City of Hampton at the county/city boundary on SR 134. Not only did the City of Hampton agree to removing the old landscaping but they offered to share the cost and the efforts to install the new America's Anniversary Garden™ landscaping. The AAG landscape included a Fringe Tree and red, white, and blue annuals. Joann Chapman, the York County Landscape planner said; “It was a completely shared project between the two municipalities and an opportunity for beautification and a show of support for the upcoming America’s Anniversary commemoration.”
For the America's Anniversary Garden, the two trees are Yorktown Snowflower trees, and the red, white and blue is begonias and salvia.
Rhea Valley 4-H Cloverbuds Plant an America’s Anniversary Garden in Washington County
May 23, 2006
Meadowview, VA. On Tuesday, May 23 Second Graders from the Rhea Valley 4-H Cloverbuds teamed up with Washington County Extension Master Gardeners Patte Redmond and Michelle Engebretsen to kick off the celebration of Jamestown’s 400th Anniversary. This is the first joint 4-H and Master Gardener Anniversary Garden planted in Washington County. 4-Hers anxiously awaited their turns to plant flowers that they could enjoy for years. Mrs. Anderson, Rhea Valley’s Principal, was delighted with her new garden and plans on this being an annual affair.
For more information on how you can join the celebration with others across the state please visit www.ext.vt.edu/americasgarden or contact the Washington County Extension Office at 276-676-6309.
Special Thanks Goes to: Rhea Valley Elementary School 4-H Cloverbuds and Parents; Mrs. Anderson, Principal of Rhea Valley; Mr. Roberts, Custodian of Rhea Valley; and Master Gardeners Patte Redmond and Michelle Engebretsen.
Rhea Valley Anniversary Garden: (from top left, clockwise) Master Gardeners with 4-H Cloverbuds; The Finished Garden; Rhea Valley 4-H Cloverbuds anxiously waiting to start “digging in.”
York County Plants AAG Containers for Beautification
May 13, 2006
York County, VA. The Community Beautification Container Planting Project was a wonderful joint effort of Master Gardeners, Junior Master Gardeners, 4-H Club and York County Staff. With the help of Evelyn Parker, Clare Britcher, (and Joel Bunn and Jim Orband), we were able to organize a great educational experience for the Junior Master Gardeners and 4-H participants. The America's Anniversary Garden theme provided a great opportunity for the children to learn good planting techniques and plant care, while at the same time an opportunity for all participants to help with the preparations for the upcoming area commemorations of Yorktown's 225th Anniversary and America's 400th Anniversary. Jim Orband the Virginia Cooperative Extension Agent for York County did a wonderful job tying it all together. The containers will be placed around Riverwalk Landing, York Hall and the York/Poquoson Courthouse in Yorktown, as well as the two county libraries to help beautify the community as well as spread the word about the America's Anniversary Garden™ project. The containers at York Hall and the two libraries will have America's Anniversary Garden tags in them and the America's Anniversary Garden brochures will be made available to the public in those three locations.
What could be better than a spring day planting easy America's Anniversary Garden™ containers?
The Junior Master Gardeners were very proud of their America's Anniversary Garden™ container creations.
The First Native Plant America’s Anniversary Garden Planted at York River State Park
May 10, 2006
Yorktown, VA. The planting of the first public native plant America’s Anniversary Garden™ occurred on a beautiful day at a garden spot that overlooks the York River. The planting event lasted only two hours with the assistance of 15 volunteers which included Thomas Cervenak, who is the State Park Services and Marketing Manager with the Department of Conservation and Recreation in Richmond. Volunteers included members of the local Native Plant Society, Master Gardeners and York River State Park friends and employees.The America's Anniversary Garden™ (AAG) is a statewide theme garden featuring a red, white and blue color scheme to commemorated the 400th Anniversary of Jamestown. The garden was designed by Denise Greene of Sassafras Farm who donated her time and talents to the inaugural garden. Dr. Bonnie Appleton, the horticulture Extension specialist and one of the originators of the America’s Anniversary Garden™, also assisted with the planting to help kick off native AAG gardens throughout the state at Virginia’s State Parks. A plant list for the May 10 planting can be found here in Excel format.
The first public America’s Anniversary Garden™ consisting of all native plants was planted in a beautiful spot overlooking the York River.
Planting volunteers included members of the local Native Plant Society, Master Gardeners and York River State Park friends and employees.
Bonnie Appleton (left) and Leanne DuBois of Virginia Cooperative Extension, two of the originators of the America’s Anniversary Garden project, enjoy the finished product.
University Commemorates Nation's 400th Anniversary with Patriotic Garden - By Lori Greiner
Symbolic first planting
BLACKSBURG, VA., May 12, 2006 -- Virginia Tech joins the commemoration of the nation’s 400th anniversary with an America’s Anniversary Garden™. Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger and Sharron Quisenberry, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, put the finishing touches on a patriotic color-themed garden located in the front of Burruss Hall, the main administration building on campus.
“Virginia Tech is proud to join the commemoration of the first English settlement in the commonwealth 400 years ago and to be part of the Jamestown 2007 events with an America’s Anniversary Garden™ on campus,” said Steger. “For many years to come, it will be a sign of how we honor the past as we celebrate and invent the future.”
Virginia Cooperative Extension and faculty in the Department of Horticulture developed the America’s Anniversary Garden™ project to help garden enthusiasts, communities, and groups mark America's 400th anniversary with signature garden plantings.
“The America’s Anniversary Garden™ program gives us an opportunity to attract new gardeners by teaching gardening skills and showing them how to use community gardening to promote local tourism. These red, white, and blue gardens will serve as a welcome to visitors to Virginia,” said Quisenberry. “The increased interest in gardening is expected to be a boost to Virginia’s green industry.”
According to David Close, state VCE-Master Gardener coordinator, more than 70 greenhouse and nursery plant producers, as well as landscapers, have already made a commitment to support the effort by providing the appropriate plant materials and by distributing educational and marketing materials for America’'s Anniversary Garden™ projects throughout the state.
As part of the America’s Anniversary Garden™ project, Virginia Cooperative Extension has developed publications detailing how to plant landscapes in public spaces, such as roadside corridors and around municipal buildings, as well as around homes and businesses. Plans for a container garden are also included.
The Burruss Hall garden features a mix of red, white, and blue annuals, perennials, and shrubs, including Amelanchier (Serviceberry), Itea virginica (Virginia Sweetspire), petunias, Phlox paniculata ‘David’ (Garden Phlox), Veronica ‘Sunny Border Blue’ (Speedwell), Hemerocallis x ‘Frankly Scarlet’ (Daylilly), Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Becky’ (Shasta Daisy), Salvia farinacea ‘Victoria,’ Bacopa ‘Snowstorm,’ Verbena canadensis ‘Taylor Town,’ Verbena x ‘Lanai Blue,’ and Dusty Miller.
Visit the America’s Anniversary Garden™ website to learn more about the project and publications.
Happiness is 4-H: Appomattox Middle School Creates Container Gardens
May 9, 2006
Appomattox, VA. Many of you may have seen the news coverage of the launching of the 17th century replica ship the Godspeed from Jamestown on her 80 day goodwill tour commemorating the 1607 founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.
In 2007, Virginia will mark the 400th anniversary of Jamestown. The 18-month-long commemoration begins in this month and Virginia Cooperative Extension has developed the America’s Anniversary Garden to help individuals, communities, and groups mark America’s 400th Anniversary with a signature garden planting. The signature gardens will have red, white, and blue color schemes, which will showcase the historic commemoration of statewide unity, thus creating a lasting impact of the commemoration for years to come.
Appomattox Middle School participated in this event by creating two container gardens. Students in Mr. Hobbs’ agricultural class learned about the commemoration, and then about annuals, perennials, how to properly plant the flowers, and the importance of different branches of agriculture to our everyday lives. After the classroom lesson, the students then went outside to plant the anniversary garden in the containers at the front of the school. In keeping with the red, white, and blue theme, the students planted some Victoria Blue Sage, red Geraniums, white Dianthus, and some Dusty Miller for their silver/white foliage. These container gardens add beauty and color to the entrance of Appomattox Middle School for all to enjoy.
Individuals and communities are encouraged to contact their local Virginia Cooperative Extension office for assistance with installing their own anniversary garden. Visit www.ext.vt.edu/americasgarden for sample plants and landscape designs.
By Bonnie B. Tillotson, Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development
The container gardens created by the students in Mr. Hobbs’ agricultural class add beauty and color to the entrance of Appomattox Middle School.
Arbor Day at the Governor's Mansion
April 28, 2006
Governor Tim Kaine issued a proclamation designating Friday, April 28, 2006 as Virginia Arbor Day to coincide with the National Arbor Day. In honor of this day, The Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association (VNLA), representing the Virginia Green Industry Council (VGIC), donated and planted a 'Cherokee Princess' Dogwood on the grounds of the Governor’s Mansion in Richmond. Candy Lindenzweig, VNLA Public Relations Chair, was on hand to present and plant the tree, along with other representatives. The tree was provided by Lancaster Farms. Bonnie Appleton of the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center also was there with a presentation and information about America’s Anniversary Garden™. She announced plans for related upcoming events.
Caption: Bonnie Appleton (far right), Virginia Cooperative Extension, capped off the tree planting event with an update on the America's Anniversary Garden™ project.
Isle of Wight 4-H Junior Master Gardeners Beautify Their Community
April 25, 2006
Smithfield, VA. The local 4-H Junior Master Gardener planted an America’s Anniversary GardenTM to beautify the entrance sign at the Jersey Park Apartment Complex in Smithfield. Melanie Goerger, VCE 4-H Extension agent for Isle of Wight County, says, “The complex is an at-risk community that we are working in to bring 4-H programs that include Junior Master Gardener to teach them respect for the community as they beautify it.” Goerger is assisted in many of her activities like this by volunteers from the Western Tidewater Master Gardeners.
4-H members planting an America’s Anniversary Garden at the entrance sign of the Jersey Park Apartment Complex in Smithfield.
The 4-H Jersey Park Club members also planted an America’s Anniversary Garden container garden to beautify the apartment where their weekly programs are conducted.
York County Plants its own America's Anniversary Garden
April 2006
Yorktown, VA. The Historic Triangle Jamestown 2007 Host Committee announced that York County has planted an America's Anniversary Garden in front of their new welcome sign in historic Yorktown Village.
Download Historic Triangle Jamestown 2007 Host Committee Activities Update - PDF
Amelia County Master Gardeners Plant AAG Bench Planter
April 17, 2006
Amelia Court House, VA. On April 17, 2006, Amelia County’s Master Gardeners planted an America’s Anniversary Garden™ in a bench planter located outside of the County Administrator’s Building. Master Gardeners involved included Alan Bishop, Bonnie Hinrichs, Don Hinrichs, and Phyllis Warren.
Spring gardens flower red, white and blue for America's Anniversary Garden
April 17, 2006
Va. Beach. Part of the perennial display gardens at Virginia Tech's Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Virginia Beach, are blooming with a spring version of the America's Anniversary Garden signature red, white, and blue colors. Last fall Virginia Beach Master Gardeners, headed by Betty Villars, planted red tulip and white daffodil bulbs, and blue pansies. The pansies gave immediate color, blooming throughout the fall and winter, and were joined this spring by the bulbs. Look for more information about planting spring bulbs in your garden this fall in the upcoming extension publication titled America's Anniversary Garden: Bulbs for a Red, White, and Blue Spring Garden.
Raised bulb berm flowers red, white and blue for Spring
April 14, 2006
Va. Beach. At the September 2004 annual field day of Virginia Tech's Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Brent Heath, owner of Brent and Becky's Bulbs of Gloucester, VA, showed how a raise bulb berm is constructed. These berms can create landscape focal points, but also are a way to deal with heavy clay soil and rodents that like to eat bulbs. Two years later (April 2006), with red tulips, white daffodils, and blue grape hyacinths and pansies added, this spring blooming bulb berm sports the colors of the America's Anniversary Garden project. Watch for details on building your own spring flowering bulb berm in the upcoming extension publication titled America's Anniversary Garden: Bulbs for a Red, White, and Blue Spring Garden.
America's Anniversary Garden green industry partners meet at Great Big Greenhouse
March 29, 2006
Richmond VA. The green industry partners of the America's Anniversary Garden project met at the Great Big Greenhouse in Richmond to discuss additional outreach activities to enhance the involvement of retail garden centers, greenhouses and nurseries in the commemoration project. Representatives of the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association, Virginia Flower Growers Association, Mid-Atlantic Chapter, International Society of Arboriculture, Virginia Green Industry Council, Virginia Society of Landscape Designers, Scenic Virginia, and the Jamestown 400th Commemoration Commission, met for lunch, an update from the garden committee and an open discussion on promotion of the project. While visiting the Great Big Greenhouse we toured their America's Anniversary Garden display. Over 60 retailers are currently listed as participants in the America's Anniversary Garden project. See the list at http://www.ext.vt.edu/americasgarden/retailers/index.html. If you would like to be a licensed retailer, contact Bonnie Appleton, bapple@vt.edu, 757-363-3906, or contact your local Extension office for a copy of the America's Anniversary Garden license agreement.
America's Anniversary Garden celebrates anniversary with floral flair a home and garden show
March 26, 2006
Celebrate the 
400th anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown by English colonists by creating an America's Anniversary Garden of red, white and blue.
Tidewater Builders Association has teamed up with Virginia Cooperative Extension and Dreamscape Designers of Virginia Beach to display and America's Anniversary Garden.
On display for the entire 2006 Mid-Atlantic Home & Garden Show, the signature America's Anniversary Garden is designed to encourage others to create red, white and blue displays all across Virginia cities and counties -- in public gardens, sidewalk containers, hanging baskets, residential lawns and other landscapes throughout 2006 and 2007.
The America's Anniversary Garden featured at the Mid-Atlantic Home & Garden Show won't disappear once the event is over. Plans are under way to donate this fitting floral tribute to the Tidewater Veterans Memorial for public display.
America's Anniversary Garden presented at the 2006 Maymont Flower & Garden Show
February 12, 2006
Local Master Gardener associations and the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs presented the America's Anniversary Garden to the greater Richmond gardening public at the 17th annual Maymont Flower & Garden Show, February 9-12, 2006 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
Photo 1. The Hanover Master Gardener Association presented basic gardening information along with promotional material for the America's Anniversary Garden. Special thanks to Stranges Greenhouse for supplying the plant materials.
Photo 2. The Henrico County VCE-Master Gardeners joined the Maymont Flower Show theme of a table for two with emphasis on using the America's Anniversary Garden theme around the patio. Join us with red, white and blue features to commemorate America's 400th Anniversary.
Photo 3. The Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs display featured specific suggested plants for the America's Anniversary Garden. This booth received a third place ribbon in the garden club's booth competition.
Governor-elect Tim Kaine assisted in planting the first official America's Anniversary Garden at Jamestown
January 12, 2006
With nearly 200 supporters and other gardeners present, Governor-elect Tim Kaine kicked off the 2006 events for the America's 400th Anniversary commemoration by planting the 
first America's Anniversary Garden in the commonwealth. The inaugural garden is a 300 by 65 foot area along the entrance to the Jamestown settlement. The garden, designed by Peggy Krapf, Master Gardener and owner of Heart's Ease Landscape Design in James City County, consists of plants with red, white or blue features.
The garden was planted by local Master Gardeners, volunteers from several local nursery, garden center and landscape companies, and representatives from the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, including Dean Sharron Quissenberry. The event was planned and organized by the Williamsburg Land Conservancy. Tim Kaine praised the volunteer participation and affirmed his commitment to volunteerism statewide.
Plants for the garden were donated by local garden centers and nurseries, and other materials and services were also donated by local businesses.
More info on the Governor's planting...
Virginia's gardeners encouraged to plant patriotically-colored gardens for 400th anniversary
BLACKSBURG, VA., November 28, 2005 -- Patriotically colored red, white, and blue flowers will bloom across Commonwealth as Virginia gardeners celebrate the nation's 400th anniversary by displaying colorfully-themed gardens and landscapes in an America's Anniversary Garden project. Click to read more
Junior Master Gardeners Plant Patriotic Garden at York Learning Center
July 2, 2005
As a prelude to the introduction of the America's Anniversary Garden, Junior Master Gardener children planted a red, white and blue garden in The York County Learning Center and Arboretum.