DAVIE, Fla. — Fall is here and there’s plenty of outdoor activities for the picking in south Florida.
On November 16, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Broward Extension Master Gardener program and 4-H Broward program have joined forces to host Art in the Garden 2019.
Bring the family to the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center campus, 3245 College Ave, Davie, from 9 am. to noon for a morning filled with hands-on activities, raffles, plant sales and more.
Get to know the plants that thrive best for the settings and conditions to meet your landscape needs with a quick course on Florida Friendly Landscaping™ principals for the entire family. Children will get to learn which host plants to grow all year long that will attract butterflies for every season. Take advantage of a plant sale that will cater to a variety of gardens whether you are looking to attract pollinators or host butterflies. Everyone will get to experience the vital role that local pollinators play in our environment while learning to build and paint a bamboo bee house for free. Wooden bee houses will also be available for sale. There will also be a free raffle for host and nectar plants to attract a variety of butterflies and birds. Children of all ages will have an opportunity to take part in a variety of garden and painting projects for free. Meanwhile, adults and children will learn how easy it is to build and stencil-paint a rain barrel that can enhance the aesthetics of outdoor décor while reducing water pollution by decreasing the amount of stormwater runoff reaching our streams and rivers.
“South Florida receives an average of 62 inches of rainfall per year,” said Lorna Bravo, Director of the UF/IFAS Broward Extension and urban horticulture agent. “Rain barrels are an ideal aesthetically pleasing home tool in preserving the water quality by slowing the flow of stormwater runoff that may carry pollutants and nutrients and chemicals into our waters during rain events.”
In a UF/IFAS Electronic Data Information Source (EDIS) researchers demonstrated how rain barrels can provide good quality water for reuse on plants or lawns, which saves municipal or well water. Additionally, research shows that rainwater provided by rain barrels have a slightly acidic pH and assists nutrient availability for lawns and gardens (Forsyth County Extension Services, 2015; Kloss, 2008; Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 2015; Rutgers University, 2014; Texas Water Development Board, 2005).
Art in the Garden is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged. To register for the event: use this link on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-in-the-garden-tickets-64444569442 For more information, contact UF/IFAS Extension Broward County at 954-756-8519.
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By: Lourdes Rodriguez, 954-577-6363 office, 954-242-8439 mobile, rodriguezl@ufl.edu
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human, and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries and all Florida residents.
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