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Master Gardeners Perennials Demo at the Farmers Market - August 10th

Perennials the focus of Second Saturday at the Halifax Farmers Market

            It’s the middle of summer and plants are looking a bit weary.  However, for early blooming plants, now is a good time to divide the plant to make more plants to share.  Join the Southside Virginia Master Gardeners on Saturday, August 10 from 8 to 11 am, at the Halifax Farmer’s Market for a perennial display.  At 9:30 a special demo will be held showing how to divide an iris that has overgrown its space.  The Master Gardeners will be dividing the Florentine Iris, Iris florentina.

            This is an iris with quite a past.  It was used by ancient Egyptians and Greeks to make orris root.  The rhizome of the Florentine Iris was dried for two years and then ground to make the orris root which was then used as a fixative for potpourri and in the production of perfume.  Florence, Italy became the center of commercial cultivation of orris root and it still produces orris root to this day.

            The Halifax Farmer’s Market will also be celebrating Virginia Farmer’s Market week on Saturday August 10^th.  At 9 a.m. a cooking demonstration will be held by the Virginia Cooperative Extension/Family Nutrition Program. The Staunton River Battlefield State Park will have a display on “Skin and Bones” from 9 to noon.  Between 10 and 11:30 there will be a silent auction of hand painted picnic tables as a fundraiser for the Halifax County Public Library System.  The Library will have pencils, stickers and wristbands for kids from 9 to noon.  If you get hungry there is a fish fry and a bake sale with profits supporting the Market.  There will be free recipes and coloring pages for everyone.  Fun for everybody so stop by!

            For information about the Master Gardener program, please call the Halifax Extension Office at 434-476-2147, visit the website at www.ssmga.org or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Visit the market for the freshest and best local products and support local growers, our friends and neighbors.

Caption for picture: Visit the Halifax Farmers Market on August 10 where the Southside Master Gardeners will have a perennial display from 8 to 11 with a special demo at 9:30 where lucky attendees can take home a rhizome of the Florentine Iris.  For more info call 434-476-2147 or visit their website at www.ssmga.org

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