The Osceola County Fair has wrapped up for another year, but there’s still plenty of agricultural events at Osceola Heritage Park going on, such as Saturday’s UF/IFAS Extension Services annual Spring Planet Market, a free event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, it wasn’t held last year and some of the live classes that normally go on during the market have been pared down to two, although many of the 60 or so Master Gardners, volunteers trained to teach people tips for home gardening, will be available for one-on-one sessions and questions.
“This is our outreach event to tell the community what we do,” said Osceola Extension Services Residential Horticulture Agent Eva Pabon said. “Our Master Gardeners started this years ago selling plants they grew in our gardens, then we began bringing vendors in to sell harder-to-find things like butterfly plants and honey.”
As Pabon said, part of the event is to sell plants to raise money to keep the services going, and to teach about home gardening. Vendors will come from inside and outside area. Pabon, who coordinates the Master Gardeners, will also be on hand to answer questions. There will be food vendors on hand as well.
There will also be takehome challenges for kids to raise plants at home; they can send in photos of their progress (details Saturday).
During the sale, the gardeners will hold a “Plants for Pollinators” class from 9:30-10 a.m., all about learning to attract butterflies and hummingbirds and turn your yard into a pollinator paradise, and “Wildlife Landscaping: 10 Must Have Plants for Wildlife,” all about the 10 beautiful fruiting plants that add beauty to your landscape and attract birds and other wildlife,” from 11 a.m. to noon. Participants are asked to register at: http://ocagriculture.event brite.com.
“We answer people’s questions about the plants, then they go to the vendors and buy them. It’s all in one place,” Pabon said. “The event is a way to come and support the Master Gardeners, they are all volunteers and they work hard to provide this for the community. This is their only fundraiser.”
Part of what’s raised goes to sponsor a scholarship through Education Foundation for a local student that supports community gardening.
There are currently about 62 trained Osceola Master Gardeners, some with as much as 30 years of experience in the program. They go through a 13-week training class; a new one will begin in the fall.
Around 62 MGs currently from 3 months to 30 years. A new 13 weeks training session will begin in the fall. For information go the “Gardening in Central Florida - UF IFAS Extension in Osceola County” Facebook page, or the program’s blog (blogs. ifas.ufl.edu/osceolaco/ author/epabon5).
