Have you ever wanted to look over the fence into one of our community gardens? If you’ve marveled at the tasty veggie treats, or the dedication of the gardeners growing them, take this opportunity to come into the gardens. We’re hosting open house events and guided tours at a number of our gardens.

• Bee Ridge Community Garden: 10-11:30 a.m. Saturday (Oct. 5). Learn more and register.
• Culverhouse Community Garden: 10-11:30 a.m. Nov. 16. Learn more and register.
• Nokomis Community Garden: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 20. Learn more and register.
• Laurel Community Garden: 10-11:30 a.m. Nov. 23. Learn more and register.
• Bee Ridge Community Garden: 10-11:30 a.m. Dec. 7. Learn more and register.

Gardeners will be available to answer your questions and help you get edibles growing despite our tough Florida environment. Take advantage of these tours to see what crops the local gardeners have success with, better understand the planting seasons in Florida, and learn more about local resources and growing opportunities.

In addition to the garden open houses and tours, we offer numerous events to learn more about edibles and gardening:

• Start from the ground up by learning about your soil,
• Step further by attending edible gardening basics,
• Gain insights into insects and garden pests,
• Learn to use herbs and spices in your home cooking, and
• Top it off with an open format Q&A with our Master Gardener as he fields your gardening questions.

See a full list of our current events at ufsarasotaext.eventbrite.com.

UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County coordinates activities at seven community gardens throughout the county, partnering with Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources, North Port, and Sarasota city. Current garden locations include Warm Mineral Springs, Buchan Airport Park (Englewood), Nokomis, Laurel, Bayou Oaks, Culverhouse, and Bee Ridge.

To learn more about this program, what gardens are close to you, and other edible-growing information, visit our Community Gardens web page.

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