UF IFAS Extension Pinellas County Master Gardeners

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UF IFAS Extension Pinellas County Master Gardeners

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from UF IFAS Extension Pinellas County Master Gardeners, Public & Government Service, 12520 Ulmerton Rd., Largo, FL.

04/25/2026

🌿 We’re here at the Green Thumb Festival at Walter Fuller Park ! 🌿

Our Master Gardener Volunteers are out sharing simple, practical ways to garden smarter in Florida!

Stop by to see live demonstrations, get your gardening questions answered, and pick up tips you can use right at home. Whether you're new to gardening or a seasoned pro, we’re here to help you grow with confidence!

Come say hi and dig into something new! 🌱

04/24/2026

🌿🌸 It’s Green Thumb Festival Weekend! 🌸🌿
➡ www.greenthumbfestival.com
Join fellow gardeners in St. Petersburg for the 40th Annual Green Thumb Festival—an Arbor Day celebration you won’t want to miss!

📍 Walter Fuller Park
📅 Saturday, April 25 & Sunday, April 26
⏰ 9 AM – 4 PM
🎟️ FREE admission

🌱 Explore 120+ plant, garden & landscape vendors
🌳 Tree sales & plant giveaways
🦋 Butterfly tent & environmental exhibits
🌼 Flower show + activities for all ages
🛠️ Gardening workshops & demos (including UF/IFAS Extension!)
🍴 Food trucks & local eats

Whether you’re planting your first flower or designing your dream landscape, this is the place to get inspired and grow your Florida-friendly garden 🌞🌿

💚 Be sure to stop by and chat with your UF/IFAS Master Gardener Volunteers—we’d love to help you dig into your next project!

04/23/2026

🎙️ New Episode Alert: Planting Pinellas Podcast — Season 2, Episode 4
🌳“Trees: Wanted Dead or Alive”🌳

➡ https://open.spotify.com/episode/2JJOJFr4Lx5hCIikvOBhj0?si=CKEHd9hnSySNutsZQlMB-Q&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A52vnLlG9838q13NjnDHEGu

🌿 From Earth Month to Arbor Day, April is a great time to talk about trees!
🌿 From selection and placement, to planting and care, we dig into how to get the most out of your trees - including the ones on publicly managed land.
🌿 Carolyn Cheatham Rhodes from Pinellas Urban Forestry is the special guest joining podcast hosts and Master Gardener Volunteers, Charlotte and Alan.

🎧 Tune in now and grow your tree 🌳 knowledge!

📷 Credit: Charlotte Vaughn

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day! 🌎 What better way to make a difference than in your own yard! 💚You can help create a landscape that supports our local environment, and several organizations will recognize your achievements or help you get there.

🌿 Florida-Friendly Landscape Recognition
🌿 Florida Water Star Home Certification
🌿 North American Butterfly Association Certificate Program
🌿 Monarch Waystation Habitat Registration
🌿 Xerces Society Pollinator Protection Pledge
🌿 UF Florida Backyard Landscapes for Wildlife Program Certification
🌿 National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat®

FInd out more here ➡
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/florida-friendly/recognition-for-florida-friendly-yards/

📷 Photo credit UF/IFAS

04/21/2026

🌸 Plant of the Month: Cosmos 🌸
Cosmos are a Florida-friendly favorite, perfectly suited to our warm climate thanks to their origins in Mexico and tropical America. The two species that thrive here are common cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) and orange cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus).

Common (garden) cosmos grow tall (3–6 ft) with soft, feathery foliage and blooms in pink, white, red, and purple tones. Orange cosmos stay more compact (1–3 ft) and can offer bright yellow, orange, and red flowers.

Both are easy, sun-loving annuals that add long-lasting color and support pollinators all season long. 🌿🦋🐝

For more details about growing cosmos in your garden, check out ➡ https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/cosmos/

📷 Orange cosmos. UF/IFAS.
📷 Garden cosmos. Photo: Paul Cooper, some rights reserved.

04/17/2026

🌳 Free Tree Alert this Weekend! 🌳

Looking to add a tree (or two) to your yard? Here are a few spots around Pinellas County to check out - be sure to check with your municipality on specifics for residents. There also could be other giveaways in your city.
These events go fast, so plan to arrive early! Adding trees now = shade, beauty, and water-wise benefits down the road 🌱💧

🌿 Pinellas County Urban Forestry will host a tree giveaway for county residents
📍 4550 126th Ave N, Clearwater
🕘 Saturday 4/18 9am–11am
🌳 Each household may receive up to two trees.

🌿 City of Safety Harbor Government
🕘 Saturday, 4/188-11 am while trees are available for residents
📍 Safety Harbor City Park near the boat ramp at Alligator Lake

🌿 City of Dunedin Florida - Government Tree Giveaway
⏰ Gates open at 8 a.m. (lines may form early, but entry begins at 8!)
📍Achieva Credit Union Headquarters, 1659 Achieva Way
🌳 Residents with ID can receive up to two 3-gallon trees per ID: first come, first served while supplies last.

04/16/2026

With our current drought, it’s a good time to think about plants that can handle a little less water 🌿

Drought-tolerant plants are naturally built for this—they’ve adapted to grow in drier conditions or soils, like like we have in Pinellas County.

Looking to add some to your landscape? Find a full list using the “custom filter” in the UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Plant Guide. 🌱

For more info, check out this new UF/IFAS article:
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/weather/plants-and-drought/
📷Photos by Ryan Fessenden

04/15/2026

🚨 Watering Restrictions Update 🚨
Due to severe drought conditions, the has issued a Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage Order. This requires all residents, including those on private wells, to follow one-day-per-week watering restrictions with stricter hours in effect.

What this means for Pinellas County:
💧 Please follow the current watering schedule and restrictions: https://pinellas.gov/watering-schedule-and-rules/

Unless your city or county already has stricter hours in effect, watering hours are reduced to 12:01 a.m. to 4 a.m. or 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Properties less than one acre in size may only use one of these windows.

Looking for easy ways to cut back on water use? Check out:
Pinellas.gov/water-saving-tips-tools

For more info from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, visit WaterMatters.org/Restrictions

Images provided by the Southwest Florida Water Management District

04/13/2026

With current drought levels and it also being Florida Water Conservation Month, it's an excellent time to think about being more water-wise in the landscape.💧
👩‍🌾 Planting Florida-Friendly plants and mulching greatly reduces water needs. Micro-irrigation and a rain shut-off device can make your watering more efficient. Rain barrels help you re-use water that otherwise would be lost to runoff. 👨‍🌾
➡For more information about water conservation, take a look at some of these Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL70gcb3LNmSNqx_HvlhRKGTpkzr3_y9K0

04/10/2026

The April Neighborhood Gardener newsletter is here 🌿, and it's filled with info you don't want to miss! 🌼
Discover drought-tolerant plants and managing drought in your landscape, learn about 16 types of native bromeliads, and even dive into some delicious 🌱 yard-long beans, winged beans or growing edamame. Oh—and don’t miss the mystery of the cosmos… the flower, of course. 🌸

Ready to dig in? Check out the full April issue on the UF/IFAS Master Gardener site here: https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/mastergardener/resources/newsletters/neighborhood-gardener-april-2026/

If you want to receive these articles directly in your inbox, subscribe here : http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1102118090358&p=oi

Photo by Ryan Fessenden

04/09/2026

Save the date 🗓 to learn the basics of composting 🌱 at the Safety Harbor Library.
April 20th at 3pm.

Address

12520 Ulmerton Rd.
Largo, FL
33774

Website

http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellas/lawn-and-garden/master-gardener/

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