SAVE THE DATE - Spring to Green - Feb 6, 2027 - Olde Dominion Ag Complex, Chatham, VA
Danville Master Gardeners Gardening Resources & Master Gardener Training
Here you will find information about our favorite passion - gardening!
Welcome to the Danville Master Gardener Association
Who We Are
Whether you're planting your very first tomato, creating a pollinator garden, improving your landscape, or simply looking for reliable gardening advice, you've come to the right place.
The Danville Master Gardener Association (DMGA) is a volunteer organization working in partnership with Virginia Cooperative Extension to educate and inspire our community through research-based horticultural information. Our volunteers are enthusiastic, eager to learn, and passionate about educating and helping others. You'll find Master Gardener volunteers at local events, answering gardening questions, and sharing their knowledge throughout the community.
Volunteers help local residents make informed gardening decisions that support healthy plants and thriving landscapes through environmentally responsible practices. We believe gardening should be enjoyable, rewarding, and accessible to everyone, from beginners to experienced gardeners.
To learn more about Master Gardeners, how to become one, and the projects we work on in the community, please contact us or come to one of our monthly meetings or other events. Check out our calendar and feel free to join us when a topic interests you.
Visit us often and watch us grow!
Happy Gardening,
Danville Master Gardener Association
"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."
Audrey Hepburn
Grow with Us!
Whether you're new to gardening or growing your green thumb, there's a way to learn, connect, and make a difference. DMGA meets monthly and offers educational programs that are open to the public. We also host community events throughout the year. There are a variety of opportunities to learn or get involved.
Plant of the Month
Serviceberry (Amelanchier)
Serviceberry (Amelanchier) is one of the best native shrubs or small trees you can add to a Southside Virginia garden, and it earns its keep in several ways.
Early food for pollinators. Serviceberry blooms in early spring, often before many other plants have flowered. Those white blossoms give bees and other native pollinators one of the first food sources of the season, right when they need it most.
Food for wildlife (and people). By early summer, the flowers turn into small, sweet berries. Songbirds like robins, cedar waxwings, and cardinals rely on this fruit, and the berries are edible for humans too—many people use them in pies, jams, or eaten fresh off the branch. It's not uncommon to see a flock of cedar waxwings gorging on the berries in late spring.
Host plant for butterflies and moths. Serviceberry leaves feed the caterpillars of more than 100 native butterfly and moth species, which supports the broader food web, since birds depend heavily on caterpillars to feed their young.
Four-season interest. Beyond spring flowers and summer fruit, serviceberry offers orange-to-red fall foliage and smooth, attractive bark that stands out in winter. This makes it an excellent alternative to the both crepe myrtle and the invasive burning bush in home landscaping.
Low maintenance and locally adapted. Because it's native to the mid-Atlantic region, serviceberry is well-suited to Southside Virginia's soil and climate. It tolerates a range of light conditions, doesn't need fertilizer or pesticides once established, and is naturally resistant to many pests and diseases that trouble non-native ornamentals.
Compact size for home landscapes. Most serviceberry species stay small to medium-sized (roughly 15–25 feet), making them a good fit for yards where a full-sized shade tree won't fit, including spots near power lines or close to a house.
Planting serviceberry is a simple way to support local pollinators, birds, and butterflies while adding a low-maintenance, good-looking plant to the landscape.
-Contributed by Brandy Hanners-Marlow
Recommended Quick Links
Virginia Cooperative Extension
Virginia Cooperative Extension provides resources and educational outreach to the Commonwealth of Virginia's more than seven million residents in the areas of agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, community viability, and 4-H youth development.
Virginia Cooperative Extension's credible experts and educators share university knowledge, information, and tools you can use every day to improve your life.
Native Plant Database
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center maintains a comprehensive database of the native plants of North America and is searchable by common name or scientific name.
VCE Master Gardener YouTube Channel
VCE Master Gardener YouTube Channel
As an educational outreach component of Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Master Gardener program brings the resources of Virginia’s land-grant universities – Virginia Tech and Virginia State University – to the people of Virginia. The YouTube channel is intended to continue this promotion of educational resources, as well as provide insights into Master Gardener events at both the state and local levels.
More local gardening information
Master Gardener approved gardening resources for local gardeners. Here you will find additional information about a variety of gardening topics, including:
- USDA Hardiness Zone Maps
- Native plants
- Landscape plants
- Pollinator gardens
- Vegetable gardening
- Integrated pest management
- Houseplants
- Local nursery resources
- Seed catalogs
- and much more.
Master Gardener Volunteers In Action
Our Partners
Links to Our Partners
