November 1, 2025

 Through the years, the Master Gardeners' Demonstration Gardens have gone through many stages of destruction, remodeling, and rebuilding.  But nowhere has this been more difficult or more remarkable that the recent restructuring of 'the Pit'!

So - what is 'the Pit'?

 What is currently called the "Lookout Garden" is still affectionately called “The Pit” by Master Gardeners. It's a spacious depression within the demonstration gardens and features hefty rocks, boulders, trees, bamboo, and an assortment of other plants. It certainly offers a unique landscape in the area.

 For a long time, people thought this area was a natural sinkhole. Later, studies revealed that it is actually a manmade hole built to drain water from the extension office's air conditioning system.

 Why did you choose this project?

  During our Master Gardener training we were assigned to 'tidy up' the demonstration gardens.  New Master Gardener, Becki Ryan decided to focus on cleaning up the Pit and quickly fell in love with it. The following is in her own words:  

"The space struck me as both beautiful and tranquil. I could see so much potential and decided to bring it to the splendor that it deserves."

 "At the beginning of this project, it was just two of us working on the cleanup and plans. Then, being the good wives that we are, we recruited our husbands to tear down and rebuild the terrace garden. Most of the work was done after 5:00 pm one day a week and on the weekends. The best workday, however, was one Saturday when several high school students from the Ocala-Marion mentorship program and their Captain Program Coordinator came out to help with finishing up the terrace garden and general clean up. These kids and their Captain worked so hard and did such great work, it makes you have serious hope for the future."

"So far, we have rebuilt the terrace garden. This is an area to give people ideas about what they can do with their own gardens and yards. Some future goals are to put a walkway down into the pit and a couple of benches so that people can go into the pit to sit, reflect, read, meditate, whatever makes them happy. There is a smaller depression, next to the large one, that we are looking at utilizing also."

We hope to have a Grand Opening in 2026 after the walkway and benches are in place.

Photo Credit: John Ruter, bugwood.org

Pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is a show-stopping ornamental grass native to Florida’s pine flatwoods, coastal uplands, and sandhill ecosystems.  When most plants are 'fading' in late Autumn, Muhly puts on a show of color with flower stalks reaching up to 5 feet.

In addition to providing color, pink muhly grass supports local ecosystems. Its dense clumps provide shelter for small wildlife, and its native status means it integrates into Florida’s natural habitats without becoming invasive.

For more information on colorful Florida Friendly Fall plants follow this link:

Florida-Friendly Plants for Late Autumn Color - UF/IFAS Extension Duval County

  Photo Credit: UF/IFAS Photo Archive

"Native Wildflowers on Roadsides of Central and South Florida," is a brochure describing several of Florida's common wildflower species. The brochure lists common names of many wildflower species, along with their flowering statistics and probable habitats. Images of the species and maps of their ranges are also included. To access a pdf of the brochure, please visit https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/ep/ep13800.pdf

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.