WHAT TYPE OF GARDENER ARE YOU?

Discover regional options to learn more and dig in

Gardeners, like plants, come in all shapes and sizes. Some individuals learn from reading books, blogs and manuals. All those vivid descriptions and bright pictures generate ideas for their gardens. Others watch YouTube, Instagram and television shows that feature gorgeous gardens where the workload feels easy. As they observe from a distance, they learn the experts’ approach to landscaping. It’s relaxing viewing and an instant garden transformation appears. Colorful media, whether in print or on the screen, spurs ideas. There are some who sign up for hands-on classes and workshops where gardeners learn by doing. This helps them understand and remember information, which improves their confidence and motivation. Which one are you? Perhaps, you might be a combination of the following.

Photo: James River Media

The explorers
There are those who spend hours poring over garden books and seed catalogs. Their long winter days are filled with making lists and sketching articulate drawings for new beds and choosing plants to fit in them. These researchers take great care making detailed plans for spring, summer and fall plantings. They may prefer flowers to bloom in each season or desire a certain style of landscaping like ecoscaping for healthy native lawns. These self-taught gardeners are good to know as they often enjoy loaning their garden books and talking to their neighbors who walk by and admire their flora. Getting time with them is where new gardeners glean ideas for good seed catalog companies, and many of them know the The Old Farmer’s Alamac predictions and how they may impact your garden for the upcoming seasons.

The gatherers
Some gardeners are inspired by learning alongside others. These horticulturists often attend programs with speakers who concentrate on a specific topic for each meeting. Garden Clubs are ideal for their style where every gathering offers a presenter who teaches about the flora and fauna in their communities. Many local garden clubs are members of state-wide and nation-wide organizations, and while some have strict structures, other garden groups like Wild Ones or Tree Stewards, have open membership where anyone can join by paying an annual membership fee.

Photos: Amanda Smithson

Some local garden clubs are members of the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs. Their mission provides youth and adult education resources and opportunities for members to promote a love of gardening, floral design and civic and environmental responsibility. Other local garden clubs belong to a different organization, The Garden Club of Virginia. Those clubs come together each spring to host the largest garden tour in America — Historic Garden Week — which is held the last week of April each year and funds the restoration of historic gardens all over the state of Virginia. Both of these groups divide Virginia into six regions so their member clubs can meet as a geographical group a few times a year to exchange information and ideas on gardening.

Some garden clubs are chapters of national organizations like the Wild Ones. They state their mission as an environmental charge. Our Roanoke Chapter of Wild Ones says on their website: “We promote the use of plants native to Southwest Virginia in the Ridge and Valley, Piedmont Foothills and Blue Ridge ecoregions.” Joining your local chapter is an easy online application and annual fee. Each meeting offers business reports then moves to hands-on learning often after a speaker lectures on a subject such as starting native plants from seeds. Roanoke, Richmond, Norfolk and Virginia Beach have chapters, and Lynchburg started a seedling chapter this fall.

Sharon Burnham started the Roanoke Wild Ones Chapter in 2023 as a seedling chapter. “I started the Roanoke Region Chapter of Wild Ones because I thought people had a hunger to learn more about native plants in their gardens,” Burnham says. “I spent a year talking about a possible chapter with the many wonderful organizations that teach about gardening and plants and our wildflowers. All of them were supportive of a group that focused on the question: ‘What native plant should I grow, and how do I do it?’”

Burnham currently serves as the president of Wild Ones Roanoke Chapter and leads by example. The past two summers, she held a meeting in her garden so members can learn as they explore her grounds. It is an impressive group that teaches everyone, and attendees learn something new at each meeting. Burnham says, “We have over 90 members in under two years, so I hope we are satisfying that hunger.”

Right Photo Courtesy of Sharon Burnham

Upper Left and Bottom Photos Courtesy of Bette Bibee

Tree Stewards is another active group. They are an all-volunteer group who work with Roanoke’s Parks and Recreation Urban Forestry division. These men and women want to protect the tree canopy and ecosystems by planting trees. Trained by Roanoke’s Urban Forestry employees, the Tree Stewards help plant, prune and water young trees on city-owned property. Our parks, medians and “tree streets” (those strips of grass and trees that fit between the sidewalk and city streets) look so much better thanks to the countless hours of hard work that the Tree Stewards donate to our community. The city couldn’t do it without them. Each year, the city offers a 26-hour training program that is conducted during nine Monday night classes.

The teachers
Our final group of gardeners want to learn as much as possible about gardening in a formal education setting and then use their knowledge to teach others. Master Gardener programs meet their needs. Those who study to become Master Gardeners are volunteer educators who provide research-based gardening information to the public through seminars and lectures. Master Gardeners keep up with the latest information on pests, disease and recent sciencebacked plant knowledge. These stalwart teachers make a meaningful difference in their communities.

“I wanted to learn more of the science behind gardening,” says Mavis Dempsey, a local Master Gardener. “[I wanted] to learn more about flowers and what to put into our garden. We had just moved into a new home, and I wanted to find out what to put in the landscape.” Master Gardening certification offers just that in a structured course. These classes train individuals in the science and the art of gardening. Students learn in classes and through self-study, then pass a test to be certified as a Master Gardener. Photo: Amanda Smithson

One piece of certification is giving back. Once the student becomes the master, they volunteer each month to educate their community on gardening and horticulture. It is a volunteer job where you continually learn as you research issues other gardeners encounter, give lectures on pest management and help train new Master Gardeners. “Helping the public answer their questions about gardens, insects and pruning makes them happy,” Dempsey says. “I like working with people, and it makes me feel good to teach them about their plants.” 

Choices abound for learning about gardening. Investigate some of these options, talk to friends and neighbors who garden, then take a walk on the wild side and try out one of these great garden organizations. Or, perhaps, head to your local bookstore or library and dive deep into reading. After all, there are many types of gardeners, and learning comes in many styles. It can be an adventure finding out which one is yours! ✦