Guest Article for the Tallahassee Democrat
May 8, 2015 Release for Tallahassee Democrat
By Taylor Vandiver Vandiver
The UF/IFAS Leon County Extension Office cordially invites you to join us as we celebrate spring with our annual Open House! In Florida, the Extension service has helped millions by tapping the latest information from the research engines of the University of Florida and Florida A&M University and converting it into practical knowledge we use every day. Extension has made a tremendous impact not only in Florida, but worldwide. Our office is located at 615 Paul Russell Road, about a quarter mile east of the fair grounds. The event will be held Saturday, May 9, 2015 from 9:00 AM till 1:00 PM and it is FREE to the public!
At the event you will find guided tours that meander through all six of our demonstration gardens covering about one acre. We will also be showcasing our net-zero facility and sustainability efforts. All extension office departments will be represented at the event: Families & Consumer Sciences, 4H & Youth development, Urban Forestry/Trees, Ag/Natural Resources, Horticulture and the Master Gardener Program, will have educational booths and seminars throughout the event. Booths will cover topics such as: Vegetable Gardening (on site), Wildlife, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Butterflies, Sustainability, Invasive Plants, Florida Yards and Neighborhoods, Soils, Forestry, and much more. Our booths will be promoting the 9 principles of Florida Friendly Landscaping as determined by the University of Florida IFAS program. We will be hosting a plant sale on site; the plants, donated by Leon County Master Gardeners, will be on sale at unbeatable prices! Proceeds from these sales help pay to send our Leon County Master Gardener Plant ID Team to the state competition. The Leon County Master Gardener team has won 1st place for many years in a row!
Self-guided tours will allow you to stroll through the gardens at your leisure and will provide an opportunity for you to talk to Bed Hosts stationed in each of the six demonstration gardens. You can visit the Master Gardener Booth to ask any horticulture related questions. Free snacks, refreshments, and musical entertainment will also be available. New features we have this year include educational seminars given by experts from the Extension Office. Topics to be discussed: cooking demonstrations/nutrition, sustainable yard practices, sustainable energy and much more! Also, this year we will have a demonstration showing you how to build your own greenhouse on a budget! There will be activities for kids and adults. This event is open to all who wish to attend. Parking may be limited so carpool if possible! The Open House is an exciting educational tradition at the Extension Office and we hope to see you there!
Taylor Vandiver is the UF/IFASLeon County Horticulture Agent. For gardening questions, email us at Ask-A-Mastergardener@leoncountyfl.gov