Spring To Green Conference – Presented by the Danville Extension Master Gardeners

Get ready to immerse yourself in an education-filled day with 3 interesting speakers… shop a variety of vendors in our ‘Vendor Market’… and have the opportunity to connect with fellow gardening enthusiasts. Join us for a celebration of all things green and blooming as we kick off the Spring season in style. Check in starts at 8 and opening remarks will be at 9. See you there!

A few things to remember:

• SWAG BAG will be given to each paid participant at registration
• MORNING SNACKS & LUNCH will be provided
• BRING A JACKET as this large space gets too cool for some
• PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN CUP as we are trying to ‘Be Green‘ and cut down on our carbon footprint by reducing disposable cups, etc. (If you bring your own cup, you will receive an additional door prize ticket!!!)

SPEAKERS

Peggy Singlemann

Peggy Singlemann is well known as the host and co-producer of ” Virginia Home Grown” on VPM/PBS. Involved with Virginia’s only local gardening show since its inception in 2001, Peggy stepped into the host position in 2016. The show has received 13 Telly Awards and is broadcast live throughout Virginia and nationally via Facebook, YouTube and Roku.

Peggy is a horticulture consultant, garden coach and speaker through her business, RVA Gardener LLC. Singlemann has been published in numerous periodicals and contributed to 2 publications, and she has spoken at national conferences and local engagements. As a member of several professional organizations Peggy holds many certificates and has served on numerous boards such as the Southern Garden History Society and Cornerstone Community Farm. An ISA certified arborist, VNLA certified horticulturist, VSLD certified landscape designer, and Sustainable Landscape Designer, Peggy was the 2016 Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association ‘s Professional of the Year recipient. In 2022, Peggy was recognized by The Virginia Assembly with a commendation for her accomplishments at Maymont. In March 2025, Peggy was featured in Virginia Living Magazine.

Peggy, and her husband Doug, moved to Virginia in 1983; within a year she accepted the position of Horticulturist at Maymont, culminating her 38-year career at Maymont as Director of Horticulture. Peggy researched, restored, designed, and tended the gardens, grounds, arboretum and the programs surrounding them over Maymont’s 100 acres until her retirement in 2022.

Peggy enjoys the outdoors; she spends time identifying native flora and bird watching along with hiking and kayaking with her family. She is active in her community and of course, enjoys gardening at home.

Elizabeth Tomlin

Elizabeth did her BSc at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, with a specialization in Ecology and Evolution. She has a master’s degree in Entomology from the University of Guelph where she studied Resistance Mechanisms of Sitka Spruce to the White Pine Weevil. She focused on the relationships between the host plant chemistry and the insects with the goal of contributing to integrated pest management strategies for this serious forest pest. Elizabeth has been gardening her whole life and strives to apply principles of permaculture and sustainability to her small homestead. She raises chickens, ducks and guineafowls, and is also a beekeeper. She has been a Master Gardener since 2021 and values the camaraderie and lifelong learning associated with the Master Gardeners.

Jessica Driver

Jessica is a biologist, naturalist, and environmental educator with a passion for pollinators, wildlife conservation, and creative sustainability. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in biology, and has worked for the Virginia Department of Agricultural and Consumer Sciences as an Agricultural Inspector for almost 15 years. She inspects nursery stock, apiaries, ginseng and scouts for invasive insect species. Jessica has been keeping honeybees for 10 years, is an Apprentice Beekeeper and is working towards Advanced Beekeeper from the University of Florida. In addition to her professional work, she partners with the Dan River Basin Association, Master Naturalists, Master Gardeners, and The Box Turtle Sanctuary of Central Virginia to lead community programs on topics ranging from pollinators to invasive species management. Her outreach includes public talks, workshops, and hands-on conservation projects that connect science with everyday life. Jessica enjoys caring for her small menagerie of pets-from reptiles, insects to cats and dogs, and hopefully goats very soon!

REGISTER