We are blessed with a wealth of native wildflowers here in Northwest Florida, many of which are blooming now. We get many questions from the public related to the identification of these plants, usually when these wildflowers are in bloom. So, we thought we’d offer a seminar for the public titled, “Wildflowers of Northwest Florida.”

The Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon aptly named the land he saw in the spring of 1513 as La Florida, the “Land of Flowers.” Florida’s unique geographic location, great diversity of soils and climate all contribute to the treasure of wildflowers that can be found in our area. There is no season without some plants in flower.

Attend our seminar on Wildflowers of Northwest Florida to learn more.

This seminar will be presented by Dave Gordon, UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener in Okaloosa County. Dave is a retired science teacher and a native of Okaloosa County with a wealth of knowledge on our native wildflowers and a talented public speaker. His presentation will focus on some of the beautiful flowers found throughout our region. Many of the flowers shown will be in bloom along our roadsides and in the surrounding areas.

The seminar will be held on Wednesday, October 21 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Okaloosa County Extension Office, 3098 Airport Road in Crestview. There is no cost to attend but space is limited. Please call our office at 850-689-5850 to register.

Also, the Okaloosa County Master Gardeners will hold a Fall Plant Sale and White Elephant Sale on Saturday, October 24 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the UF/IFAS Extension Annex located at 127 West Hollywood Boulevard in Fort Walton Beach.

A few of the plants that will be for sale include several types of milkweed, perennial peanut, oxeye daisy, a number of types of hibiscus (including some native types) and porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis).

All sale proceeds will go to support Master Gardener community education programs. Come early for the best selection.

Larry Williams, UF/IFAS Extension Agent, Okaloosa County, October 16, 2015

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