The UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County Office is offering the following Environmental Horticulture programs in September and October. Cynthia Nazario-Leary and Master Gardener Volunteers lead the programs.
The Fall Vegetable Garden - Sept. 9, 2:30 to 4 p.m., Alachua County Ag Auditorium (22716 W. Newberry Road, Newberry)
Fall is an ideal time to grow cool-season vegetables in North Central Florida. With lower temperatures, fewer insects, less plant disease and reduced rainfall, it is an excellent season for growing garden favorites. Participants will learn how to prepare soil, plant, nurture and harvest cole crops such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, along with leafy vegetables and root crops.
The program is free, but registration is required online. Attendance is limited to 100 participants.
Fall Horticultural Expo & Plant Market - Oct. 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Alachua County Agriculture & Equestrian Center (23100 W. Newberry Road, Newberry)
The Alachua County Master Gardener Volunteer Program and Gainesville Garden Club will host a day of gardening, learning and family fun. Admission and parking are free.
Highlights include:
- Jennifer Jewell, keynote speaker, presenting “Cultivating Place: Sow Wild Wonder”
- Fall plant and seed market featuring a variety of vendors and Florida-Friendly Landscaping ideas. (Attendees are encouraged to bring a wagon.)
- Birds, insects and nature displays
- A kids’ zone
- Food trucks
Follow the Water - Oct. 23 through Nov. 13 (locations and times vary)
Participants will follow a drop of water from southern Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico to see how natural hydrology, watersheds and the urban environment affect Florida. The four-day program requires attendance at all sessions. Each day will be held at a different location. The workshop includes extensive walking, and participants are encouraged to carpool and bring a brown-bag lunch.
Schedule:
- Day 1: Beginning of the Watershed — Oct. 23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge (4159 Suwannee Canal Road, Folkston, Ga.). Includes a boat tour and Chesser Island Boardwalk tour.
- Day 2: Rivers, Springs and Agriculture — Oct. 30, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Big Shoals State Park and Suwannee Valley Farm Tour, White Springs. Includes a Big Shoals hike, White and Suwannee Springs exploration, and a UF/IFAS NFREC – Suwannee Valley Farm Tour.
- Day 3: Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ and Sweetwater Wetlands Park — Nov. 6, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Gainesville. Includes tours of Sweetwater Wetlands, Depot Park, and a Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ neighborhood.
- Day 4: Before the Open Ocean — Nov. 13, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Nature Coast Biological Station, Cedar Key. Includes a boat tour, living shoreline exploration and Florida Shellfish Trail walking tours.
The registration fee for the full program is $125, plus a $10.23 Eventbrite fee. Registration for individual days is not available. Participants must register online by Oct. 3.
For more information, call 352-955-2402 or visit the UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County website.
An Equal Opportunity Institution. Extension Service, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Dr. Andra Johnson, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Single copies of extension publications (excluding 4-H and youth publications) are available free to Florida residents from county extension offices.
