Henrico County Master Gardeners will present the Pollinator Plant Festival on Saturday, Sept. 22 to highlight the importance of birds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators and to explain the plants that will attract them to a garden.
The festival will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at Short Pump Park, 3329 Pump Road. Henrico Master Gardeners will answer questions and lead tours of the park’s Pollinator Garden, which they maintain.
Beth Farmer, owner of GardenGate Landscape & Design, will give a presentation on plants for pollinators at 2 p.m. and will have plants available for sale. The presentation is free to attend, but registration is requested. To register, call the Henrico County office of Virginia Cooperative Extension at (804) 501-5160.
Master Gardeners also will be selling plants for fall planting, gently used garden equipment and garden-themed items. Proceeds from the Master Gardener sales will support ongoing maintenance and expanded programming at the Pollinator Garden.
Junior Master Gardeners will be selling garden gloves to support their programs. The scholarship committee will be selling its month-by-month garden guide.
“Fall is the perfect time to plant perennials, shrubs and trees,” said Linda McBride, chair of the Master Gardeners Pollinator Garden Committee. “They acclimate to their surroundings while their roots grow all winter, so next spring they will be ready to beautify your yard with flowers, birds and pollinators.”
Short Pump Park’s Pollinator Garden is located by the dog park and behind the children’s water spray area. The garden attracts butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, songbirds, bees and other pollinators, and serves as a living educational resource for children and adults. Henrico’s Master Gardeners are volunteers who act on behalf of Henrico Extension as community educators. They receive training in environmental horticulture through programming with Virginia Cooperative Extension. For information on becoming a Master Gardener, go to henrico.us/extension, call (804) 501-5160 or attend the Pollinator Plant Festival.
