VCE Loudoun Master Gardeners Lectures are held online and in person at the Rust Library in Leesburg. Most lectures will be on the first Thursday of the month starting at 7PM. 

Enjoy recordings of our past lectures: VCE Loudoun YouTube

Rain Gardens

Rain Gardens are a landscape tool to improve water quality. The rain garden intercepts stormwater runoff that could contain pollutants from roofs, driveways, sidewalks, etc. The rain garden slows the velocity of the runoff, allowing it to be absorbed into the landscape and providing water to the plant roots. The plants also filter the remaining water that then may continue as runoff. Learn where and how to build a rain garden and the specific steps needed to be successful.

Sandy Smallwood has been a VCE Loudoun Master Gardener since 2021. She is a member of their Healthy Virginia Lawns team, a co-lead for their Speakers Bureau, and enjoys interacting with the community during Saturday morning Garden Clinics. In 2024, Sandy completed her advanced Water Steward training. As part of her final project, she is educating the community on environmental best practices and effects on the Chesapeake Bay/Potomac River watershed.

Photo credit: Virginia Department of Forestry

Event URL: tinyurl.com/mrxmftxu
Password: LCPL