Fall Fred Fair is back—and you won’t want to miss it! Join us at Fred Heutte Garden on Saturday, October 10, from 10 AM–3 PM for a beautiful fall day filled with plants, community, and fun for the whole family. Shop our fall plant sale featuring gorgeous pansies, snapdragons, perennials, fruiting plants, and more—all at amazing prices and ready to give your garden a spectacular autumn boost. Meet local plant societies and gardening experts, discover the terrific work being done by area nonprofits, and spend the day exploring one of Norfolk’s most beautiful hidden gems. And bring the kids! Our Kid Zone will be packed with giant bubbles, a huge play parachute, crafts, garden-inspired activities, and plenty of room to have fun. Whether you’re a serious gardener, a bargain-hunting plant lover, looking for a great family outing, or simply want to enjoy a fall day surrounded by flowers and friends, Fall Fred Fair has something for everyone. Come for the plants, stay for the fun, and celebrate fall with us at Fred Heutte Garden!

Become a Member of Fred Heutte Garden and help keep Norfolk's urban garden thriving. Your membership supports free Fred Talks, free children's programs, free educational workshops, volunteer initiatives, and the care of this beautiful public garden. As a member, you'll also receive reciprocal admission and benefits at more than 400 public gardens nationwide through the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admissions Program—making your membership an investment in both your local community and gardens across the country.

Team Fred meets every Saturday morning to volunteer at the gardens we all love. Join us at 9:00 AM and stay for an hour—or stay the whole morning. Every bit of help matters. No tools? No problem. We provide everything you need, including gloves. Throughout the winter months, our work continues. Volunteers may help with garden maintenance and winter prep, as well as light indoor projects. Fred Heutte Garden is 100% volunteer-maintained, and we can’t do this work without you. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or brand new, there’s a role for every skil level.

Flutter into Fred Heutte Garden for a very special October Once Upon a Garden! We’ll gather in the garden to read two wonderful children’s books about butterflies, learning a little about these beautiful and important garden visitors along the way.

After story time, we’ll get creative! Children will make their own colorful butterflies to take home, inspired by the butterflies that bring our gardens to life.

This program is designed especially for preschoolers and early elementary-age children. One adult must accompany every three children.

Once Upon a Garden is free, but registration is required and space is limited. Because we expect a waiting list, registered participants must arrive by 10:15 AM. After 10:15, unclaimed spots will be offered to children on the waiting list.

Come read, create, explore, and celebrate butterflies with us at Fred Heutte Garden!

Fred Talk: Heart Health with Vickie Shufer

Sunday, November 1 | 1 PM | Fred Heutte Garden
$20 per person | Registration required

The heart is the workhorse of the body and the powerhouse of the circulatory system. Join herbalist, naturalist, and forager Vickie Shufer of Wild Woods Farm for a fascinating and hands-on Fred Talk exploring herbs traditionally used to support heart health and overall well-being.

Vickie will introduce participants to a variety of plants and herbs, discuss their traditional uses, and share practical ways to incorporate herbal teas into everyday life. Then we’ll put that knowledge to work as participants prepare heart-healthy herbal teas to take home and enjoy.

Vickie brings decades of experience studying and teaching about edible and medicinal plants. She holds a Master of Science in Therapeutic Herbalism from the Maryland University of Integrative Health and is the owner of Wild Woods Farm, a certified native nursery specializing in native and medicinal plants. She is also the author of The Forager’s Handbook, The Everything Guide to Foraging, and her newest book, The Forager’s Garden: Cultivating Wild Plants for Food & Medicine.

Come spend an afternoon at Fred Heutte Garden learning from one of our region’s most knowledgeable herbalists—and leave with new knowledge and your own herbal tea preparations.

Fee: $20
Advance registration is required.

Join us for a wonderful November morning outdoors at Fred Heutte Garden! We’ll read two great books together, explore the garden, and get creative making our own tabletop turkeys from pinecones and colorful feathers—perfect to take home for Thanksgiving.

Once Upon a Garden is designed especially for preschool and early elementary-age children. The program is completely free, but registration is required. Please plan for one adult for every three children attending.

Because our programs often have a waiting list, registered families must arrive by 10:15 AM. After 10:15, unclaimed spaces will be offered to children on the waiting list.

Come read, explore, create, and enjoy a beautiful fall morning in the garden. We can’t wait to see you!

Composting doesn’t have to be complicated, messy, or mysterious. Join us at Fred Heutte Garden for a free Fred Talk with Cameron Kania, founder and owner of Tidewater Compost, and learn how food scraps and other organic materials can be transformed into something every garden needs: rich, healthy soil.

Cameron will take the mystery out of composting, explaining what composting actually is, what can and can’t go into compost, how the process works, and how compost improves soil and supports healthier gardens. Whether you’re interested in starting a compost pile at home, wondering what to do if you don’t have the space for one, or simply want to understand why keeping food waste out of the landfill matters, this is a great place to start.

A Virginia Beach native and longtime home gardener, Cameron Kania founded Tidewater Compost in 2022 after his interest in gardening, soil building, and sustainability led him to look more closely at composting options in Hampton Roads. With a professional background in financial analysis, Cameron took an unconventional path into the composting world, turning a personal passion into the region’s first residential and commercial food-waste recycling and composting company.

And there’s a special connection to the Fred: Fred Heutte Garden is a Tidewater Compost drop-off location, making it easier for our community to keep food scraps out of the waste stream and put them back to work building healthy soil.

Come with your questions! This practical, approachable Fred Talk is for experienced gardeners, composting beginners, and anyone who has ever looked at a banana peel and wondered, “Couldn’t I be doing something better with this?”

The talk is free, but registration is required.