January hasn’t even left us, and Gloucester Master Gardeners are already planning for our big Annual Plant Extravaganza coming up in September. Master Gardeners begin early each year raising plants for the sale. Some we raise from seed; others we grow from cuttings or divisions of plants growing in our own or friends’ gardens. We even purchase plugs or small plants to nurture for months until the big sale.

In recent years, native perennials and shrubs have increased in popularity, not just on the Middle Peninsula, but all over Virginia and in many other states. Last year, we offered for sale numerous species of native perennials. In 2024, we plan to provide several species of native shrubs, including northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin), southern arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum), and red twig or red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), among others.

Many native shrubs bear beautiful, fragrant flowers that attract bees, butterflies, songbirds, and hummingbirds. Birds, small mammals, and ...