While it’s people who make a community, the surrounding landscape, including plants and animals, helps hold us together.
In North Florida, we found our home as rolling hills with fragrant southern magnolias and the sprawling boughs of moss-covered oaks.
Those who pay close attention to the plants growing around us will find that there are many plant names to learn in our area as we live in a biodiversity hotspot. While this makes learning all the plant names more difficult, it also underlines the uniqueness of the region in which we live.
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In addition to the numerous native plant species that grow in our region, we also have many options in the field of ornamental plants thanks to our temperate climate.
All of this diversity leads to many options for a homeowner, and this is where Master Gardener Volunteers (MGVs) shine with your local extension office as a trusted resource to help you select and care for landscape plants that are best suited to our area.
Local MGVs can help you choose plants that connect with the community, but also allow you to bring your personal style to the landscape.
Master Gardener Volunteers share a sense of place and expertise
In Leon County, MGVs help citizens make their place a home by providing science-based advice on all aspects of gardening. In addition to providing recommendations, many MGVs also write informative articles for the newspaper, make informative presentations and tend the demonstration gardens around our Leon County Extension Office at 615 Paul Russell Road.
In addition to research-based educational content, Leon County MGVs help cultivate a sense of belonging in our community by encouraging the planting of native species, sharing that particular vegetable that thrives in our area, or by promoting the importance of controlling invasive plants point out .
By sharing this information with friends and family, MGVs tap into the natural love and curiosity for the outdoors and gardening that reaches all demographics of our diverse community. Interesting plants in a community can spark conversation and bring us together while adding beauty to the landscape.
If you’re interested in promoting community by speaking plants, then you might be a good candidate for our next MGV training program. We accept applications that are available on our website until the end of June and start the 13-week training in September.
Return of open house and plant sale
As a result of the pandemic, it has been two years since we were able to host our flagship event, the Leon County Extension Open House and Plant Sale.
The Leon MGVs look forward to finally sharing their expertise with the community again on May 7th from 9am-12pm at the Leon County Extension Office (615 Paul Russell Road).
They propagate plants – in some cases for as long as two years – to share with their fellow citizens.
You will find a wide variety of plants including native trees, shade loving ferns, pollinating plants and a variety of fruits and vegetables. The roselle and native milkweed are dying quickly, so get there early!
We will also have many of our community partners sharing what they are doing to make our community a more beautiful and resilient place to live, work and play.
For example, the Apalachee Beekeepers Association will speak about bees and offer local honey for sale, and the City of Tallahassee’s TAPP program and Leon County’s Office of Resource Stewardship will help citizens take sustainable actions to protect our local environment.
Selling bouquets of flowers for Mother’s Day
The UF/IFAS Extension Bookstore comes all the way from Gainesville to offer an amazing inventory of Florida-specific gardening and wildlife books.
Proceeds from plant sales fund our horticultural program including the low cost/free workshops we offer year round, school garden support and our expansive demonstration garden.
During the Open House and Plant Sale, be sure to check out the 4-H Silent Auction and Mother’s Day Bouquet Sale, both of which fund our 4-H youth clubs and camps.
Plants can help connect community members, and gardening is a great way to get some fresh air and exercise. Please visit your local Leon County Extension Office on May 7th and learn how we can help you connect to this fabulous place we call home!
Mark Tancig is the commercial/private horticultural agent at UF/IFAS Extension Leon County, an equal opportunity organization. For garden questions, email the Extension Office at AskAMasterGardener@ifas.ufl.edu.
when you go
What: Leon County Extension open house and plant sale
When: 9-12, Saturday 7 May
From where: Leon County Extension Office, 615 Paul Russell Road
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