For gardeners who are looking for some new ideas, the Bette S. Walker Discovery Garden in Seffner provides inspiration — and information.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)
The garden, at the Hillsborough County Extension office, gives growing enthusiasts a chance to see the variety of plants that will thrive in a Florida landscape.
It also showcases the various ways plants will grow — in raised beds, on trellises, in containers, or in the ground.
And, it demonstrates how to essentially create “garden rooms” through the selection of plant materials, mulch, garden furniture and other features, such as waterfalls, bridges and stages.
If that’s not enough to stir your imagination, check out the pollinator and perennial gardens out back.
In the pollinator garden, visitors can see plants that attract butterflies, bees and flies.
Select the dwarf form for most yards, as the non-dwarf plant can grow to be very large.
The dwarf powder puff grows best in sun to partial shade. It is about a 5-foot shrub. Be sure to protect it from freeze when the temperatures dip. It is a great perennial plant and makes a nice specimen in the garden.
The perennial garden is filled with thriving plants of different shapes, sizes and colors.
“What we’re doing is demonstrating to people that you can plant different kinds of hardy perennials that will last year after year in Florida,” said Nicole Pinson, urban horticulture agent for Hillsborough County.
If you need specific information on when to grow what and where to grow it, ask inside. The extension office staff and volunteers are helpful and knowledgeable and there’s a multitude of informational handouts on a wide array of gardening topics.
Hillsborough County Extension is a partnership between Hillsborough County and the University of Florida. Pasco County Extension operates through a similar partnership between Pasco County and the university.
What: Bette S. Walker Discovery Garden is a great place for gardeners to pick up ideas for rejuvenating their outdoor spaces.
Where: 5339 County Road 579 in Seffner (It’s at the Hillsborough County Extension office)
When: The garden is open week days, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
How much: Free
For information: (813) 744-5519
Published October 5, 2016
