The Virginia Beach Master Gardeners will present the 10th Annual Community Gardening Festival on Saturday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center. The center is located at 1444 Diamond Springs Road in Virginia Beach.

Everyone is welcome to attend this FREE event. Experts will speak on sustainable landscaping practices; turf grasses for Hampton Roads; Camellias as a year round beauty; harvesting, drying and storing herbs and more.

The gardening festival features:

• gardening speakers
• demonstrations on composting and proper mulching
• tours of the arboretum and various display gardens
• a large plant sale
• plant clinic and tree stewards
• educational displays
• silent auction
• bake sale

Local nature and garden societies including the Audubon Society, Butterfly Society, Herb Society, Iris Society, Native Plant Society and the Orchid Society will be participating with informative exhibits and plant sales. They will be joined by the Virginia Horticulture Foundation, Council of Garden Clubs of Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach Beautification Commission, Back Bay Restoration Foundation and Lynnhaven River NOW.

Virginia Beach Master Gardeners plant and maintain three and a half acres of arboretum and display gardens at the Research and Extension Center. Their mission is to educate the community by presenting programs on all aspects of horticulture including turf, landscape, vegetables, trees and shrubs and pest management in conjunction with Virginia Cooperative Extension.

For more information, call the Virginia Beach Office of the Virginia Cooperative Extension at (757) 385-4769 or visit the Virginia Beach Master Gardener Web site, www.vbmg.org.

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