Charles County Master Gardeners, University of Maryland Extension

09/16/2026

09/16/2026

Great resource

NEW! It's here...the Maryland Native Plant Guide for the Piedmont Region!

Produced through a partnership between University of Maryland Extension, the Maryland Native Plant Society, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the Maryland Department of Agriculture, this 180-page downloadable PDF booklet includes:

- educational articles to support gardening success
- photos and descriptions of over 300 featured plants
- plant lists for specific site conditions
- aquatic plant recommendations suitable for ponds
- advice on managing invasive species
- planting approaches in the face of climate change
- an index of plants native to the Maryland Piedmont
- planting strategies from nature writer Nancy Lawson
- tips for dealing with deer (includes deer-resistant plants)

Hard copies will be available for purchase ($10 cost recovery, plus shipping and handling if applicable) at the Maryland Native Plant Society's online store, select Master Gardener events, and participating retailers starting November 2025. Guides for the Coastal Plain and Mountain regions are planned for 2026 and 2027, respectively. We hope this guide will inform, inspire, and move you to plant native!

MNPS store: https://mdflora.org/online-store
PDF download (28.1MB; free; login not required): https://umd.app.box.com/s/wor658gif8nm79jd7gc0i8m89fbpvojz


Maryland Department of Agriculture
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Maryland Native Plant Society

09/16/2026

🌿 A creative way to build a brush pile! 🌿

One of our Bay-Wise teams spotted this great idea during a yard visit in Glen Burnie.

We love recommending brush piles because they provide valuable habitat for wildlife. But not everyone has a tucked-away spot for one—and traditional brush piles can look a little messy.

This homeowner came up with a clever solution! Her property backs up to a creek. The fenced portion of her yard was beautifully neat, while the area between the fence and the creek had several traditional brush piles. But look what she created in the “neat” part of her yard!

She pounded stakes into the ground to form a large rectangle, then used skinny fallen branches to weave a wattle fence along the sides. Larger branches and other yard waste are piled neatly inside.

The result is compact, tidy, and visually interesting—and, best of all, provides valuable habitat for wildlife. 🐦🐿️🦋

This is a great example of Bay-Wise Habit 1: Recycle organic yard and kitchen waste on-site. ♻️🌱

Want to learn more about the Bay-Wise habits or request an Anne Arundel County Bay-Wise yard visit? Find out more here: https://go.umd.edu/aaume-baywise

09/14/2026

09/14/2026

For today's Master Gardener Monday we're celebrating Rachel Rhodes, Senior Agent Associate in Queen Anne's County for winning the Distinguished Coordinator Award at the National Extension Master Gardener Coordinator Conference! This award recognizes outstanding contributions to an EMG program for an individual who has served 10 or more years in an Extension Master Gardener coordinator position.

Through her collaborative leadership style, dedication to volunteer development, and ability to build meaningful partnerships, Rachel has significantly expanded the reach and impact of the Queen Anne’s County Master Gardener Program and coordinated the improvement of her community through hundreds of native plants provided to homeowners, the education of hundreds of residents on sustainable gardening practices, and over 900 pounds of produce donated to local food banks. We're very proud to have her as part of the Extension family!

Queen Anne's County Master Gardeners of UME

09/14/2026

Come see the Charles County Master Gardeners in the education building # 18 to ask about fall gardening and landscaping questions and preparations. 

Established in 1924, The Charles County Fair, occupying over 35 acres south of La Plata, Maryland, celebrates and highlights Charles County’s rich agricultural history. Exhibits as varied as livestock, field corn, arts and crafts, quilts, flowers and 4-H demonstrations and shows are shown in our G...

09/14/2026

09/14/2026

Many pollinators are beginning their migration. Turn lights off at night.

🍂 Millions of dragonflies are on the move! 🐉

Each fall, enormous numbers of dragonflies migrate south across North America—some traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles toward Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Species like the Common Green Darner, Black Saddlebags, and Wandering Glider are among the long-distance travelers making this remarkable seasonal journey. And unlike monarch butterflies, dragonfly migration often happens almost unnoticed overhead.

Have you spotted large numbers of dragonflies where you live lately? 👀

🔗 Learn more about the Great Dragonfly Migration — link in comments.

09/10/2026