Media Kit
Gardening and Lawn Care

Whether seasoned horticulturists who want to plant patriotic red, white, and blue gardens for the American’s Anniversary Garden Contest or first-time homeowners searching for summer lawn-care advice, gardeners at all levels of experience want the best advice to improve their landscapes. This media kit features Virginia Cooperative Extension’s latest news articles, experts, past news releases, and podcasts about a variety of gardening topics. At the bottom, you will find additional resources, including links to Extension’s science-based publications and horticulture experts in your area.

Latest News
Turf specialist provides tips for summer lawn care (June 2007)
For most homeowners, mowing the lawn is a necessary chore. It is the most frequent landscape maintenance activity, and if done incorrectly, the area where homeowners make the most frequent mistakes. Mike Goatley, turf specialist for Virginia Cooperative Extension and associate professor of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, offers simple tips for homeowners to manage their lawns this summer.

Demonstration garden educates about benefits of buffer zones (June 2007)
Virginia Tech and the City of Virginia Beach are working together to educate residents on the importance of buffer zones with the Buffer Educational Garden at the Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC). Susan French, Virginia Cooperative Extension horticulture agent in Virginia Beach, and Laurie Fox, horticulture associate at the Hampton Roads AREC, initiated the project.

Experts
Bonnie Appleton, nursery and landscape management Extension specialist and professor of horticulture at Virginia Tech, (757) 363-3906, bapple@vt.edu

Eric Day, manager of the Insect Identification Lab in Virginia Tech’s Department of Entomology, (540) 231-4899, idlab@vt.edu

Mike Goatley, turf Extension specialist and professor of crop and soil environmental sciences at Virginia Tech, (540) 231-2951, goatley@vt.edu

News Articles
BayScape Gardens protect soil and water resources (June 2007)
BayScaping, a method for landscaping, is applicable not only in the areas around the Chesapeake Bay, but in most of the state, according to Virginia Cooperative Extension horticulturist Laurie Fox.

Master Gardener College celebrates 20th anniversary (June 2007)
About 300 Virginians will take another step in their Master Gardener education by participating in this year’s Master Gardener College at Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus on June 19-24. This is the 20th anniversary of the program.

2007 statewide America’s Anniversary Garden Contest (May 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.

Riding Mower Safety: It Starts Before Mower Does (August 2001)
Professional landscaper or weekend gardener, safety is your first job when it comes to riding mowers. Those with years of mowing experience sometimes overlook safety precautions. “Don't be one of them,” says Bobby Grisso, Virginia Cooperative Extension safety engineer. “The results can be dangerous.”

Publications
Extension has home gardening publications about insects and pesticides, landscape maintenance, plant diseases, and much more. There, you can also find the latest pest management guide.

Magazine Articles
Urban Agriculture: Protecting the Environment One Lawn at a Time (Solutions, June 2007)
Lawns in the Richmond area are getting smarter – with the SMART lawns program offered by Virginia Cooperative Extension’s local Master Gardeners. What is a SMART lawn? According to Karen Carter, Extension agriculture and natural resources agent in Henrico County, it’s a lawn that is beautiful, healthy, adds value to the home, and achieves those goals without putting an undue strain on the environment or the homeowner’s time and money.

Gardening Program Helps Grown Green Industry (Solutions, June 2007)
Red, white, and blue gardens are popping up all over Virginia. All those red, white, and blue blooms are part of the America’s Anniversary Garden™ project, which was developed by Virginia Cooperative Extension as a way many citizens could participate in the celebration of America’s 400th anniversary.

Multimedia
Statewide garden contest (March 2007)
Radio news feature with Bonnie Appleton, professor of horticulture

Patriotic plantings to compete (March 2007)
Radio news feature with Bonnie Appleton, professor of horticulture

A garden competition for all Virginians (March 2007)
Radio news feature with Bonnie Appleton, professor of horticulture

Virginia’s feeling patriotic (March 2007)
Radio news feature with Bonnie Appleton, professor of horticulture

Special awards for patriotic gardens (March 2007)
Radio news feature with Bonnie Appleton, professor of horticulture

The significance of America’s Anniversary Garden (June 2006)
Radio news feature with David Close, Master Gardener coordinator

The beginning of a celebration (June 2006)
Radio news feature with David Close, Master Gardener coordinator

Patriotic plantings (June 2006)
Radio news feature with David Close, Master Gardener coordinator

All video and audio resources are courtesy of University Relations Office of Visual and Broadcast Communications.

Additional Resources
The Turf and Garden Tips website has numerous podcasts and additional research-based information from Extension about gardens, lawns, and ornamentals. The site is a collaborative project of Extension turf and horticulture specialists as well as Agriculture, Human and Natural Resources Information Technology.

In recognition of the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World, gardening enthusiasts throughout Virginia will be planting red, white, and blue signature gardens in their communities. Visit the American’s Anniversary GardenÔ website for more details and a chance to win the statewide contest.

The Virginia Master Gardener Program connects Extension volunteers with their local communities to encourage and promote environmentally sound horticulture practices through sustainable landscape management education and training.

Many counties and cities have agriculture and natural resources agents with resources on gardening and lawn care. Contact your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office for more information about a program in your area.

Extension also has a directory of media contacts on all of the topics it covers. If you need help locating a source or looking for additional information, contact Michael Sutphin at (540) 231-6975 or Lori Greiner at (540) 231-5863.