Event to be conducted at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota
The 15th Annual Master Gardener Volunteers Plant Sale and EdFest has been scheduled for Oct. 9, offering the public “a one-of-a-kind opportunity to get great plants and advice for your landscape and to learn about the array of UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County services,” the county agency has announced.
The University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences operates out of offices located at Twin Lakes Park on Clark Road in Sarasota.
The Oct. 9 event, co-hosted by Extension staff and Master Gardener Volunteers, will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m. at Twin Lakes Park, which stands at 6700 Clark Road, a news release notes.
“This year, for COVID-related health and safety reasons, guests are asked to register for a half-hour shopping window via eventbrite.com/e/170028137737,” the release adds.
During the event, visitors may choose from among hundreds of shrubs, trees, palms, annuals, herbs and other plant varieties identified as “Florida-friendly” by the University of Florida, the release points out. They also “can get gardening and landscaping advice from Extension-trained Master Gardener Volunteers,” the release says.
“The EdFest will showcase public programs and services offered through Extension, from agricultural advice to youth development,” the release explains.
“Our Master Gardener Volunteers spend thousands of hours each year preparing for the plant sale, growing Florida-friendly plants that residents can use to create a beautiful and eco-friendly landscape,” said Donna Alese Cooke, residential horticulture agent with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County, in the release. “Their goal is to help Sarasota County residents become environmentally aware and to provide solutions and best practices for homeowner yards and landscapes,” Cooke added in the release.
Admission will be free, with plant purchases available by cash or check, the release notes. “Proceeds from sales benefit Sarasota County Master Gardener Volunteer program efforts to support school gardens and community projects,” the release adds.
“The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer program is led by the University of Florida and operated through county-level UF/IFAS Extension offices,” the release explains. “In Sarasota County, the program supports demonstration landscapes and educational outreach projects,” the release says, and the program operates the popular Plant Clinic help desks.
For more information, call 941-861-5000, email sarasota@ifas.ufl.edu or visit sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/plantsale.