Demonstration Landscape at the Pasco County Extension Office in Dade City

The demonstration garden at the Extension Service in Dade City showcases Florida Yards & Neighborhoods principles. Dr. Harris, Milt Larsen, Margaret Thompson, and others have put many hours into making these gardens a success. All master gardeners and trainees are encouraged to volunteer hours in the landscape each Friday morning to prune, weed, plant, and propogate for our October plant sale. Some of the plants in the landscape are: pindo palm, artemesia, coontie, society garlic, butterfly bush, Texas sage, crepe myrtle, shrimp plants, liriope, thryallis, skull cap, lorapetalum, oakleaf hydrangea, a pond cypress, muhley grass, a chickasaw plum, plumbago, Schillings ilex, Walter's viburnum, aztec grass, dwarf faxahatchee grass, African iris, dianthus, pickerel weed, blue flag iris, and herbs.
The extensive use of stone throughout the garden serves more than an aesthetic purpose. All the stone work in the garden functions as storm water management.
	The walls slow water rushing from the far end of the building, and coming down from the fair grounds "in great sheets." The area in front of the 4-H office was frequently flooded. The walls serve a dual purpose not only slowing down the water, but also keeping it in the landscape, which has become vitally important in these years of water crises. The plants and structures in the second phase of the garden have been designed to attract butterflies, birds, bees, and other insects. An arbor between the
"amphitheater" and the "riverbed" supports flowering vines that attract birds and butterflies. The mature Pindo palm has already fruited and also provides food for wildlife. Micro irrigation is in place with a variety of devices to help people see how to keep track of water with a flow meter, anti back-flow, rain shut off device.