County’s Master Gardeners to hold annual sale on Oct. 14

Event to take place at Twin Lakes Park

People participate in a Master Gardeners plant sale in Sarasota County. Image courtesy Sarasota County

Sarasota County Master Gardeners will hold their 12th Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Twin Lakes Park, located at 6700 Clark Road in Sarasota, the organization has announced.

Visitors will be able to choose from among hundreds of plant varieties at the sale, a news release points out. Master Gardeners, who receive extensive training through the University of Florida on myriad plant issues, will be on hand to provide help with plant selection and to offer gardening tips, the release adds.

“This is like a ‘one-stop shop,'” said Kevin O’Horan, communications coordinator for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension Service in Sarasota County, in the release. “You can find some great and unique plants here, make sure they’re the right plants for your landscape, and get advice on keeping all your plants healthy and thriving.”

The annual event typically draws area residents and business owners looking for plants that will beautify their landscapes, but it also features the opportunity to teach landscaping approaches that can benefit the state’s ecosystems, provide havens for vital pollinators and protect water resources, the release explains

Admission is free, with plant purchases available by cash or check, the release notes. Proceeds from sales will benefit the Sarasota County Master Gardeners’ chapter of the Friends of Sarasota County Parks, the release adds.

The Florida Master Gardener program is led by the University of Florida and operated through county-level UF/IFAS Extension offices, the release says. In Sarasota County, the program supports demonstration landscapes and educational outreach projects, and it operates the popular Plant Clinic help desks, the release points out.

The public may view a full list of plants slated for sale at this link: http://bit.ly/mgplantsalelist.

For more information, call 861-5000, or visit http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/mastergardener.