Small fruits, such as blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries, are great choices for new gardeners who are getting started with food gardening. Check out our updated fruit pages with new recommended cultivars!

Planting for Season-Long Bloom

Thinking about adding some new plants to your green space? Consider the bloom periods of the different plant species in your space to ensure you have something in your landscape blooming from early spring through fall. This increases the climate resiliency of our gardens by providing a continuous supply of nectar for our beneficial insects. This is important because emergence times for plants and insects are shifting with the changing climate.

A general guideline is to aim for at least three different plant species for each of the three main blooming seasons: spring, summer, and fall. Plant selection matters, and your choice can make a difference in supporting our beneficial insects and local biodiversity.

Pruning Hydrangeas

Need to know when and how to prune a hydrangea shrub? Check out our revised guide to pruning hydrangeas.

Cherry Laurel: ID Problems What's bugging your cherry laurel? We have a new page on managing the most common problems of this popular landscape shrub.

We have a new interactive Google Map to help you easily locate the "Ask a Master Gardener" Plant Clinics and Demonstration Gardens in your area!

Ask a Master Gardener Plant Clinics

Plant clinics are staffed by University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener Volunteers and are held at locations such as libraries and farmers' markets. Bring plant samples or photos of plants and ask your gardening questions! Get advice on pruning, plant selection, pest management, and lots more!

Demonstration Gardens

Master Gardeners use demonstration gardens for hands-on teaching and self-guided tours to showcase sustainable gardening practices in Maryland. The plants featured in these gardens vary from herbaceous annuals and perennials to shrubs and trees to fruits and vegetables. Some focus on themes such as container or pollinator gardening. 

Maryland residents will have to take a road trip to experience the coinciding emergences of two broods of periodical cicadas that are making news headlines this year. The only exception is one of the broods, Brood XIX, which is predicted to emerge in late April or May in a small local area in southern St. Mary's County. 

You will see the usual annual dog-day cicadas this summer starting around June. The next "big event" for a large synchronized emergence of the 17-year Brood X periodical cicadas in Maryland will come in 2038!

Follow our blog to learn about pollinator conservation, growing native plants and food, and how to solve plant pest and disease problems.

Backyard Poultry

Are you interested in raising chickens for home food production? Do you already have a small flock? Check out the University of Maryland Extension's Backyard Poultry Program for free classes and information on how to keep a poultry flock healthy and reduce the risk of H5N1 avian flu.

Wells, Septic Sytems & Water Quality

Do you need guidance on testing or filtering your water, maintaining a septic system, or managing a pond? Are you concerned about microplastics in water? Check out free webinars and other resources from Extension, including the new "Water Wellness" podcast.

Wild Hope Maryland Public Television Screening and Discussion

Tuesday, April 23 | 4:00 p.m. | College Park, MD

Maryland Public Television, College Park Scholars, The University of Maryland Arboretum and Botanical Garden, and The Indigenous Futures Lab invite you to participate in a discussion of how the rights of natural systems can be taken into account as we manage land.

Maryland Day

Saturday, April 27 | 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | College Park, MD

The Home and Garden Information Center and the Master Gardener Program will be at the Terp Town Center (on McKeldin Mall). Stop by with your plant questions, learn about tree care, beneficial insects, growing food, and try your hand at a game of flower pong!

Sustainable Solutions: Landscaping for Resilience Around Septic Systems & Flood-Prone Areas

May 10 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Online

Join us for an insightful webinar on integrating conservation landscaping practices to promote environmental sustainability and resilience in areas surrounding septic systems and flood-prone zones. Discover practical strategies and innovative approaches to design and maintain landscapes that mitigate risks associated with flooding while supporting the health and functionality of septic systems.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact Stephanie Pully at pully@umd.edu or 410-531-1754 by April 26th.

The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to any person and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression.

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