Learn how to create a beautiful Florida-friendly cottage garden

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. — On Wednesday, March 18, the UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteers in Okaloosa County will provide a lecture titled Creating a Beautiful Florida-Friendly Cottage Garden.

This will be the first of eight monthly lectures offered by the Okaloosa County Master Gardener volunteers during their lecture series that continues through October 2024.

Karen Kirk-Williams, a Florida and Alabama master gardener volunteer, will be the speaker for the March 18 lecture.

In describing her presentation, Karen explains, “Cottage gardening is perfect for anyone who loves flowers, butterflies, bees, and birds. This colorful garden style can be large or small, or even grown in containers, and is ideal for anyone who loves having fun in the garden without having to follow rigid design rules.”

Karen will share her years of experience from both Okaloosa County, Florida, and Alabama in how to design, select, and use plants to create a colorful and sustainable cottage garden.

Karen states that the plants she will feature during her presentation are pest-resistant and hardy, with most having a long bloom season. As an antique rose expert, she will share information about some beautiful old garden roses, including climbing roses, that have worked well in her Southern gardens.

She will also mention some of the old-fashioned pass-along plants and other plants recommended by the University of Florida/IFAS Extension as being among the best for our area. A handout with a list and description of these plants will be provided to attendees.

The approximately one hour and 15-minute lecture will begin at 10 a.m. at the Okaloosa County Extension Office, located at 3098 Airport Road in Crestview, Florida.

There is no charge to attend, but seating is limited, and registration is required. Please use this Eventbrite link to register: https://OCMG-0318Lecture.eventbrite.com.

For more information about this event or the lecture series, please call the UF/IFAS Extension Office at 850-689-5850.

More information on the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program is available from the UF/IFAS Extension Office in your county or at this link: https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu.

The University of Florida is committed to providing universal access to its events. For disability accommodations, such as alternate formats of written material, please contact Larry Williams at llw5479@ufl.edu or 850-689-5850 at least one week in advance.

More information on crape myrtles and pruning is available from the UF/IFAS Extension Office in your county or online at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topics/crapemyrtle.

Larry Williams is the Extension Horticulture Agent with the Okaloosa County Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida. Contact Larry at 689-5850 or email lwilliams@myokaloosa.com.

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