March 1, 2026 

Why are these Master Gardeners so happy?

Marion County Commissioners have just made an annual proclamation declaring March as "Gardening Month".

(photo is from 2025 proclamation)

Photo Credit: Ron Rydell

Each spring, as gardeners stream through the gates of the Marion County Master Gardeners Spring Festival—arms full of plants, minds buzzing with ideas—it can look effortless. Booths line up neatly, vendors are ready, volunteers are smiling, and the day unfolds like it was always meant to be. But behind that single vibrant weekend is months of careful planning, coordination, and dedication by a committed team of volunteers.

Here’s a look behind the scenes at what it really takes to bring the Spring Festival to life.

Planning for the next year begins almost immediately after each year’s event. Spring Festival leadership reviews what went well, what can be improved for the future, what is revealed by participants’ comments on the exit survey.

From there, a detailed timeline is created—often six to nine months in advance—mapping out deadlines for vendor recruitment, permits, marketing, logistics, and volunteer coordination. Without that master timeline, nothing else works.

Vendors are the lifeblood of the Spring Festival. Recruiting them requires outreach, follow-up, and relationship-building. Organizers contact returning vendors while also seeking new growers, artisans, and garden-related businesses to keep the festival fresh and engaging.

This process includes distributing vendor applications; answering questions about booth sizes, electricity, and setup; reviewing applications to ensure a balanced mix of offerings; managing waitlists when space fills up. Each accepted vendor represents another piece of the festival puzzle falling into place.

Once vendors are selected, the administrative work begins. Contracts must be signed, fees collected, insurance verified, and special needs documented. Accuracy matters—one missing form or misunderstood requirement can cause issues on event day.

This stage may not be glamorous, but it is essential. Clear agreements protect both the festival and its vendors and ensure everyone knows what to expect.

A successful public event depends on safety. Organizers contract with local police and sheriff’s offices to provide traffic control, parking assistance, and on-site security. This involves scheduling officers, clarifying responsibilities, and ensuring emergency plans are in place.

From directing traffic to responding quickly if a problem arises, these professionals help create a safe, welcoming environment for attendees, vendors, and volunteers alike

One of the most hands-on tasks comes a few days before the festival opens: laying out the grounds. Using maps, measurements, chalk, tape, paint, and stakes - volunteers carefully mark booth locations, walkways, and emergency access lanes.

This step requires precision. Booths must fit correctly, aisles must remain accessible, and traffic flow must make sense. What looks like simple lines on the ground is actually the physical translation of months of planning.

From setup to teardown, Master Gardener Volunteers are everywhere—answering questions, staffing information tables, assisting vendors, managing the plant holding area, and keeping things running smoothly. Coordinating schedules, assigning roles, and providing training ensures that everyone knows where to be and what to do.

The Spring Festival is, at its core, a ‘volunteer-powered’ event.

When the gates open and visitors begin to arrive, planners shift into problem-solving mode. Adjustments are made, questions are answered, and issues are handled quickly and calmly. And then, almost before anyone realizes it, the festival winds down.

What remains is a sense of accomplishment: funds raised to support Master Gardener programs, gardeners inspired, and a community brought together.

The Marion County Master Gardener Spring Festival is more than a day of shopping and learning—it’s the result of teamwork, planning, and a shared passion for gardening and community service. Every booth line, signed contract, recruited vendor, and scheduled officer contributes to a festival that feels seamless to the public.

And that’s the true measure of success: when all the hard work behind the scenes allows the fun and excitement out front to flourish.

Visit our website for maps and a complete list of vendors:

Master Gardeners - Marion County - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - UF/IFAS

Photo Credit: Pam Schmitt

The Master Gardeners' Seedboard

Why do we save seeds?

 In Central Florida, where the subtropical climate provides nearly year-round growing conditions, saving seeds is more than just a gardening trend—it's a powerful step toward food sovereignty, resilience, and sustainability. Learning to save seeds can help preserve unique plant varieties, reduce gardening costs, and ensure a continuous harvest tailored to your local environment.

 Seed saving allows gardeners to select and preserve plants that thrive in their specific conditions. Central Florida’s hot, humid summers, sandy soils, and occasional cold snaps in winter make it a unique growing zone (USDA Zone 9b). Over time, seeds saved from your healthiest and most productive plants adapt to local conditions, becoming more resistant to regional pests, diseases, and weather fluctuations.

 Saving seeds also supports biodiversity. Many commercial seeds come from just a few varieties bred for uniformity and long-distance shipping, not flavor, nutrition, or resilience. By saving heirloom or open-pollinated seeds, you help preserve the genetic diversity that industrial agriculture often overlooks.

 These seeds are collected from Master Gardeners’ own gardens, so you can be sure they are suitable for our area.

They are then sorted, cleaned, packaged and labeled by a small dedicated team of Master Gardeners. The price is $1.00 per pack or six packs for $5.00.

Don’t worry – it will be completely restocked for the 30^th annual Marion County Master Gardeners Spring Festival.

Where?

Just inside the main entrance gate at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion

2232 NE Jacksonville Rd Ocala

When?

Saturday March 14^th 8AM – 4PM

Sunday March 15^th 9AM – 4PM

 By Audrey Edwards, Master Gardener

 March starts the spring migration of many birds, with Florida as a needy stopover to their destination in the Northeast.

 Robins have been typically the harbinger of spring, but in Florida the Hummingbird wins the prize for best backyard visitor.

10 Spectacular Hummingbird Facts

1. Ruby throated hummingbirds make their appearance in Florida in early March.
2. They will travel up to 4,000 miles to return to breeding sites.
3. They return to the area where they were born.
4. Their tongues are long to reach into tubular flowers and hummingbird feeders.
5. They take 150 breaths per minute and flap their wings 80 times per second.
6. They are the only bird that can fly backwards.
7. And they travel solo.
8. Their nests are comprised of lichen, moss, and spider silk.
9. Their nests are the size of thimble.
10. They are attracted to red tubular flowers.

 As a reminder, when cleaning hummingbird feeders use vinegar and water, not soap. The solution in bird feeders should only contain white sugar and water. Other forms of sugar, such as honey and brown sugar, will be harmful to the health of the bird. On hot, humid days, the sugar water in hummingbird feeders must be replaced with new sugar solution daily. Changing the sugar solution will maintain hummingbird activity to the feeder.

For information on plants for Hummingbirds, check out Hummingbird Gardens – Gardening Solutions

UF/IFAS Extension Marion County is a cooperation between the Marion County Board of County Commissioners and the University of Florida to deliver relevant, research-based education programs that result in healthy people, healthy environments and healthy economies.