The City of Venice will host another Florida Friendly Landscaping Program from 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, March 4 in Council Chambers at City Hall, 401 W. Venice Ave. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

Join Dr. Pat Williams and Wilma Holley from UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County to learn the principles behind a great Florida landscape.

This presentation is free and open to the public. Informational handouts will be provided, and there will be time for Q&A.

This program is part of City Council’s directive for the City to develop an educational program for citizens on fertilizer usage, effects, and reduction methods. Previous Florida Friendly Landscaping Programs were held on Oct. 17 and Nov. 19, 2018.

Bios on the speakers:

Dr. Pat Williams has been in horticulture for over 44 years. He holds a doctorate from Texas A&M University in horticulture and has held various positions in his career from teaching adults with developmental disabilities, designing, installing and maintaining landscapes, construction, being a horticultural therapist in New York City, working for the USDA in Washington state, teaching in a Texas prison and a Tennessee high school, and was a college professor for 14 years in Kentucky. He started his Extension faculty position with the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in April 2017 as the Sarasota County Residential Horticulture Agent.

Wilma J. Holley has taught and lived the core "Nine Principles" of Florida-Friendly Landscaping for more than a decade. Particularly attuned to the "Attract Wildlife" principle, she also leads education sessions on snakes, butterflies, and other backyard wildlife as well as irrigation and water conservation. Holley's teaching roots run back to her days developing environmental education programs for elementary students, and she traces her passion for outdoor activities and environmental conservation to her childhood on a New York dairy farm.