Demonstration Garden Fact Sheet
2006 Grand IMAGE Award Winner
University of Florida/IFAS
Official Name of the Garden
Nassau County Cooperative Extension Demonstration Garden
Official Government Entity In Charge
Nassau County Cooperative Extension, University of Florida/Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences-UF/IFAS
Government Official In Charge
Rebecca L. Jordi, UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Agent III, Nassau County Extension
Location
Nassau County Cooperative Extension - Yulee Satellite Office
96135
Nassau Place Road
(Nassau County Governmental Complex)
904 548-1182 or 548-1116
Fax: 904 548-1465
Purpose of the Garden
Established September 2005, the purpose of the Demonstration Garden is to show examples of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Northeast Florida landscapes, adopted from the University of Florida’s “Florida Yards and Neighborhoods” program. The garden provides an opportunity for Nassau County residents, children and businesses to see the care and maintenance of landscape plants best suited for our area. These principles include: micro-irrigation; ‘Right Plant/Right Place’; mulching; recycling; attracting wildlife; and Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
Size
- Demonstration Garden 60' X 70'
- Palm Garden 40' X 50'
- Trees for Urban Settings (parking lot medians)
- Fruit Demonstration Garden (off-site at Yulee Extension office) 40' X 40'
- Herb Garden 3' x 8'
Types of Plants
Recommended Florida landscape plants include trees, shrubs, groundcovers, grasses, perennials and hardy tropicals.
Designed By
Anne Mankovich, Nassau County Master Gardener: Demonstration Garden Landscape design
Paul Gosnell, Nassau County Master Gardener: Micro-irrigation design
Daniel Perez, Nassau County Master Gardener: Parking Lot Median design
Installed By
Nassau County Horticulture Agent III, Nassau County Master Gardeners, 4-H Youth and community volunteers
Maintained By
Nassau County Horticulture Agent III and Nassau County Master Gardener Volunteers
Hours of Operation
Visitors are welcome to visit the Demonstration Garden anytime. The Garden is self-touring with plant signage and Best Management Practices (BMP) examples. Master Gardener-guided group or school tours can be scheduled by calling the extension office at 548-1116, 548-1182 or by e-mailing rljordi@ufl.edu.
The Butterfly Experience Program
Conducted at the Demonstration Garden, the Butterfly Experience presentation, for primary and elementary school aged children, will include information on the butterfly life cycle, i.e., it's metamorphosis from larva to pupa (caterpillar) to adult butterfly. A butterfly home will show different stages of the butterfly life cycle. We will discuss why butterflies are important for pollination of plants/flowers/trees, and discuss our State butterfly, the Zebra Butterfly. A tour of the Nassau County Demonstration Garden will feature source and host plants. The children will be able to make butterfly art and take their creations home. Master Gardeners, under the guidance of Rebecca Jordi, Nassau County Environmental Horticulture Agent III, will conduct the presentations.
Additional Information
More information about the garden is available through the Yulee satellite office. Master Gardener volunteers are available to answer questions at the office on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10:00 am until 2:00 p.m. In addition, detailed information about the Garden is available at http://nassau.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/demogarden/demogarden.html
Sponsors
The Nassau County Cooperative Extension Demonstration Garden was made possible by the generous contributions of the following sponsors:
Nassau County
Board of Commissioners
Bridgeview
Nursery & Garden Center
Fernandina
Beach Mulch & Stone, Inc.
Anne Mankovich
Glen St. Mary
Nursery
Home Depot
Lowe’s
Home Improvement
Page’s
Landscape Nursery
Reflections
of Nature Nursery
Taylor’s
Nursery
The Sign Shoppe
Wal-Mart Supercenter - Yulee
White Oak Plantation
W.K. Cook
Special thanks to 4-H Youth and their parents.
Contacts
Rebecca L.
Jordi 904-548-1182, 548-1116 rljordi@ufl.edu
Bea Walker 904-321-2266 bwalker105@bellsouth.net
Additional information
Florida Yards and Neighborhoods
St
John's Water Management District Best Practice
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Employment Opportunity-Affirmative Action Employer authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, disability or national origin. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, IFAS, FLORIDA A. & M. UNIVERSITY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION PROGRAM AND BOARDS OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COOPERATING.