UF IFAS Extension St. Johns County Horticulture

06/02/2026

We are very proud of our Class of 2026 MGVs! All 25 passed their final exam with flying colors; the average was a 96.8. We can't wait to see the good they will do in our community. Please join us in welcoming them to our team!

Congratulations to our Master Gardener Volunteer Class of 2026! We are proud to have 25 new faces work together with our seasoned volunteers to continue to serve our St Johns County community.

05/21/2026

Our St Johns County 4-H Department is offering great Summer Day Camps! If you have or know youth ages 5-18 take a look at the great camps they have to offer.

Our Master Gardener Volunteers are leading the Worm Whisperer and Enchanted Container Gardens camps, and the MGV Coordinator is co-leading the Florida Folklore and Florida Youth Naturalist camps.

05/18/2026

We are excited to announce our interim Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator and Residential Horticulturist Sarah Tomlinson had the honor of receiving the Glassy Gator Award. This award was given as recognition for her revival of the St. Johns County Master Gardener Volunteer Program. We are proud of her and all the hard work she has put in since stepping into her role as coordinator and wish to see her continue to thrive with the reignited passion of her Master Gardeners.

05/17/2026

Phase III Extreme Water Shortage Declared 🚨

The St. Johns River Water Management District is issuing a Phase III Extreme Water Shortage declaration due to ongoing exceptional drought conditions, declining groundwater levels, and reduced surface water flows across northeast and central Florida.

💧 Current restrictions include:
✅ Landscape irrigation limited to 1 day per week
✅ No irrigation between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
✅ Restrictions tightened for new plantings and sod
✅ Golf course fairway irrigation limited to 1 day per week
✅ Aesthetic water use prohibited
✅ Additional restrictions on pressure washing and other non-essential water uses

The water shortage order is also being expanded into the District’s portion of Lake County.

We are urging all residents, businesses, and institutions to conserve water and eliminate unnecessary water use as drought conditions continue.

🌊 View the complete water shortage order, watering schedules, and water conservation tips here: https://www.sjrwmd.com/wateringrestrictions/

Lake County Florida Marion County, Florida Flagler County Government Putnam County Emergency Management Alachua County St. Johns County Duval County Emergency Management

Because Florida water—it’s worth saving. 💙

05/07/2026

PSA: Please do not cut all of the blooms in our Demonstration Gardens!

Someone recently cut all of the flowers in our Rose Garden - this is discouraging to our volunteers especially since these bushes are newly established and were in full bloom for the first time.

We welcome the public to learn in our Demonstration Gardens and see the beautiful plants our Master Gardener Volunteers are growing. You are welcome to take one or two blooms if there are many in the garden, but please leave some beauty for the next visitors!

When in doubt, leave no trace!

05/07/2026

04/27/2026

Today's Volunteer Appreciation Month spotlight is for our volunteers who garden off property! We have many gardeners who help create and maintain beautiful gardens all across the county. For example, there are Master Gardener Volunteers working in the St Johns Botanical Gardens, the new Audubon Native Plant Garden next to the St Augustine Visitor Center in historic St Augustine, a native garden at Alpine Grove, gardens at the Hastings and St Augustine COAs, and so many more.

Pictured below are MGVs Laurie and Dianne at the Audubon Native Plant Garden. Next time you're exploring historic St Augustine, stop by the Visitor Center to see this beautiful garden full of Florida natives!

04/23/2026

St. John’s County is currently under a burn ban — please do not burn anything outdoors!

You might not currently have an active wildfire in your area, but as drought conditions continue to worsen, it's more important than ever to make sure your property is .

If you take action based on the graphic below, make sure you have a plan to properly remove debris from your property as soon as possible.

Follow the latest about wildfires across the region based on updates from local emergency management and public safety officials.

Accessible PDF available for download in the comments.