Media Release

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - The Alachua County Extension office is pleased to announce the 2010 Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Tour & Seminar on September 18, 2010 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A self-guided tour of yards will be from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by lunch and a seminar from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Best Western Gateway Grand (4200 NW 97^th Boulevard, Gainesville). The tour will feature home gardens practicing the nine major principles of Florida Friendly Landscaping™; creating and maintaining attractive landscapes to enhance our community and to protect Florida’s natural environment. Most of the sites will be staffed with Alachua County Master Gardeners and in some cases the landscape designers. There are additional sites that are not staffed but offer excellent plant choices visible from your vehicle. A panel discussion after lunch will allow for questions about tour sites and landscaping techniques.

Local vendors that specialize in Florida-Friendly landscaping services and plant choices will have information tables set up at the seminar site from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Seminar choices are:

Seminar 1 (choose one) 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
“Expanding Your Plant Palette with Native and Drought Resistant Plants”
“Rain Barrels, Rain Cisterns, and Rain Gardens”

Semnar 2 (choose one) 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
“Groundcovers and Turf Alternatives”
“The Rules Have Changed: Understanding Landscape Ordinances”

The cost of this tour and seminar is $10.00 and includes a buffet lunch of soups, sandwiches, salads and desserts.  Space is limited so register now.

Please submit your check payable to Alachua County Extension Office, 2800 NE 39^th Avenue, Gainesville,  32609, ATTN: FFL Tour & Seminar.

Tour packets with maps and descriptions will be sent out on September 1. Deadline to register is September 10, 2010. For a downloadable descriptive brochure and registration form visit:  http://alachua.ifas.ufl.edu/calendar.shtml and scroll to September.

For more information, contact the Alachua County Extension Office at 352-955-2402.

All Extension Programs and Services are open to all without regard to race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin or handicap.  For persons requiring special accommodations, please contact the Extension office at (352) 955-2402 (voice) or TDD/TYY (352) 955-2406 or at the Alachua County Extension Service, 2800 NE 39^th Avenue, Gainesville, FL  32609.  Please contact the Extension Office at least five working days prior to the program so that proper consideration may be given to the request.