Garden Celebration Fundraiser

March 11, 2022 – Sarasota

The Friends of Sarasota County Parks Master Gardener Volunteers (MGVs) chapter  is hosting a garden celebration fundraiser April 9 to support the Educational Outreach Gardens (EOG) at UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County.

Open to the public, this fun, outdoor event is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. at Twin Lakes Park, 6700 Clark Road, Sarasota. Attendees will learn about plans for the EOG and development of this important initiative, and can tour the grounds while enjoying music, hors d’oeuvres and beverages.

Monies generated through this event will assist with funding the development of an educational greenhouse, an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant sensory garden, outdoor classrooms, raised beds for edibles, Florida-friendly plants, and pasture demonstrations. MGVs already have renovated the existing perimeter gardens with additional Florida-friendly plants and improved the existing butterfly garden and bioswale. Additional information about the five-year EOG project is available at https://foscp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Rack-scan.pdf.

The event also will feature a silent auction and a short environmental presentation from Jon Thaxton, Senior Vice President, Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

To reserve your spot for this important fundraiser, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/257863415417. Your $25 payment shows your support for this multifaceted project. For individuals unable to attend the garden celebration but interested in financially supporting this project, please visit https://foscp.org/donate/, and direct your donation to “MGV-EOG.”

Developing the grounds around the Sarasota County Extension office into a premier horticultural education garden will serve as an important tool to help ensure that sustainable practices for land and water are part of every Sarasota County resident’s mindset.

The Garden Celebration Fundraiser is being sponsored by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, with additional support from ArtisTree Landscaping, Sunset Automotive Group, and Tervis Tumbler.