Florida Friendly Demonstration Garden at UF/IFAS Extension Polk County

Have you visited the Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) Demonstration Gardens at UF/IFAS Extension Polk County in Bartow? These gardens feature the nine principles of FFL and received a state award in 2019. The gardens are open to the public every day, and feature a variety of plants, mulches, and types of irrigation. There are sun gardens, shade gardens, a bog with a variety of native lakefront plants, cold-hardy palms, blooming perennials, and a vegetable garden–something for all types of gardeners (or just people who like to walk around in gardens)!

Garden Audio Tour SignTo guide you through the gardens, an audio tour is now available. There are ten signs around the gardens with different audio that describes the garden that you are in. Start your Florida-Friendly Landscaping journey at the front of the Extension office and then find your way to the waterwise garden to learn how to fertilize appropriately, learn the variety of mulches we use around the gardens in the foundation garden. Learn about right plant, right place in our sun garden and how to water efficiently in the color garden. The bog garden teaches you how to protect the waterfront and reduce stormwater runoff, while the pollinator garden features ways to manage pests responsibly. Finally, attract wildlife with what you learn in the butterfly garden and learn how to compost in the edible garden.

Enjoy the narration from the podcast link provided in this blog post, or by scanning the signs in each garden. Let us know what you think-did you find the audio tour was a good way to learn about the gardens?

Raised Vegetable GardenStay tuned…a video tour is up next!

Listen to the audio tour here, or scan the QR codes found on site (just open your photos app, and click the link that pops up).

Gardening and landscaping questions? The UF/IFAS Extension Plant Clinic can also help. Contact UF/IFAS Extension Polk County at (863) 519-1041 or visit us online. The Plant Clinic is open Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-4:00 pm to answer your gardening and landscaping questions. Give us a call, or email us at polkmg@ifas.ufl.edu.

The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a volunteer-driven program that benefits UF/IFAS Extension and the citizens of Florida. The program extends the vision of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, all the while protecting and sustaining natural resources and environmental systems, enhancing the development of human resources, and improving the quality of human life through the development of knowledge in agricultural, human and natural resources and making that knowledge accessible.

An Equal Opportunity Institution.

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Posted: February 23, 2021


Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Butterflies, Central Florida, Demonstration, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Flowers, Gardening, Gardens, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Polk County, Polkgardening, Polkmg, Pollinators, Vegetable Gardening


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