The UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension recently hosted a six-week ‘Gardening with Autism’ program, geared toward children ages 8 to 13, on the autism spectrum. The program, at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., featured numerous fun and educational, hands-on sensory activities that allowed children to learn about basic gardening. Participants also learned the importance of pollinators, and even got to construct their own birdbath.
The community garden, which had its grand opening on Feb. 15, offers a free space (plots are first come, first-served) for citizens to grow flowers and crops. In the future, the UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension will be offering classes on subjects such as how to compost, grow and can vegetables.
