Sandy Willcox was recognized for her outstanding service with the Heart of Virginia Master Gardeners at the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Joint Employee Development training held Nov. 17 at the Prince Edward County Agriculture and Natural Resources building on Dominion Drive in Farmville. 

The award was presented by Kilby Majette, assistant state conservationist for Field Operations, Farmville Area. The Heart of Virginia Master Gardeners is an association of specially trained volunteer educators through Virginia Cooperative Extension who provide sound gardening information to the community.

Willcox joined the Virginia Master Gardeners Association in 2009 and since then she has logged 255 volunteer hours and 120 advanced training hours serving on several committees and participating in the many outreach activities hosted by the Association.  She serves on the plant committee, the program committee, serves as time keeper and is currently the chairperson for the Bayscaping committee.

As chairperson of the Bayscaping committee, Willcox worked diligently this fall to revitalize the Bayscape Demonstration Garden located at the Prince Edward Agricultural and Natural Resources Building in Farmville.  Willcox researched native plants to the area, established new varieties into the garden, purchased labels for the plants, constructed plant label holders, and developed a monthly maintenance schedule for the volunteers. 

The Bayscape Demonstration Garden is an opportunity to provide visitors to the building with an understanding of the benefits of native plants in the landscape. 

“I’m very excited that projects that the Heart of Virginia Master Gardeners are doing are being recognized by others,”  Master Gardener Association President Liz Dunn said. “Sandy is bringing a new enthusiasm to the Bayscape Project and, along with her committee, has made the garden an excellent teaching tool.”