Sally Scalera
| For FLORIDA TODAY
Have you ever been out in your yard, or even in the house, and discovered an insect that you couldn’t identify?
Do you have a plant in your yard that you have no idea what it is? Are you having problems with any of your trees, shrubs, or the lawn, and you’re not sure what to do? Do you have a problem area in your yard where the plants just don’t grow well?
For any gardening and insect-related questions, the UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County Master Gardeners are here to help you.
Brevard County has a large group of Master Gardeners (yay!) who have been trained to help you! They receive 50 hours of classroom training, and then the learning continues from there. We have many Master Gardeners who have been active for years and even decades. There are many questions that can be answered immediately, and then there are others that may require some research. Don’t worry, though, because they have the resources of the University of Florida at their disposal.
We also have Master Gardeners at our office at 3695 Lake Drive in Cocoa, so when a question comes to mind, call them at 321-633-1702 and press #2 or stop by the office. In addition to staffing the Master Gardener desk at our office, Master Gardeners also staff clinics that are located throughout the county. The clinics are a great place to visit and bring your questions, a plant sample, or an unknown bug to be identified.
Here is a list of the locations, the day of the week, and the times the clinics are open.
Central Brevard Library: 308 Forrest Ave, Cocoa. 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday. Closed June-August. Phone: 321-779-4004.
Satellite Beach Library: 751 Jamaica Blvd. 10 a.m. to noon Monday. Closed Memorial Day-Labor Day. Phone: 321-779-4004.
Melbourne Beach Library: 324 Ocean Ave. 2 to 4 p.m. Monday. Closed mid-October through June. Phone: 321-956-5642.
Suntree/Viera Library: 902 Jordan Blass Drive, Melbourne. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday. Phone 321-255-4404.
Merritt Island Library: 1195 N. Courtenay Pkwy., Merritt Island. 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday. Closed Memorial Day-Labor Day. Phone: 321-455-1369.
South Mainland Library: 7921 Ron Beatty Blvd., Barefoot Bay. 2 to 4 p.m. first and third Tuesday. Closed October through April. Phone: 772-664-4066.
North Brevard Library: 2121 S. Hopkins Ave., Titusville. 10 a.m. to noon first Wednesday. Open year-round. Phone: 321-264-5026.
Melbourne Library: 540 E. Fee Ave. 2 to 4 p.m. first Saturday. Open year-round. Phone 321-674-5700
Learn from the masters at clinics, classes
Brevard Farmers Market: Wickham Park Pavilion, Melbourne. 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday year-round. Phone: 321-255-4307.
Franklin DeGroodt Library: 6475 Minton Road SW, Palm Bay. 9 to 11 a.m. Friday. Open September-June; reopens on the first Friday after Labor Day. Phone: 321-952-6317.
Patrick Space Force Base: BX Entrance. 9 a.m. to noon Friday. No clinics in August or December. Phone: 321-799-1300.
Cocoa Beach Library: 550 N. Brevard Ave., Cocoa Beach. 10 a.m. to noon Friday. Closed in August. Phone: 321-868-1104.
Cape Canaveral Library: 201 Polk Ave. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. first and third Friday. Closed Memorial Day-Labor Day. Phone: 321-868-1101.
Eau Gallie Library: 152 Pineapple Ave., Melbourne 2 to 4 p.m. second and third Friday. Open all year. Phone-321-255-4304.
And finally, our newest clinic: West Melbourne Library at 2755 Wingate Blvd. Hours are 1 to 5 p.m. on the fourth Saturday; for information, call 321-952-4508.
Volunteer gardener spots are available
In addition to assisting residents with their gardening questions, many Master Gardeners are also involved in our Brevard Discovery Garden. Master Gardeners help with planning, developing, and maintaining the garden and nursery/greenhouse area. If you love to garden and you don’t get enough of it at home, come volunteer your time at the Brevard Discover Garden and work alongside Master Gardeners. That’s a great way to get fresh air, some stretching exercises, resistance training, make new friends, and learn new things. If you would like to check out this opportunity, stop by the garden and greenhouse/nursery on Friday mornings between 10 a.m. and noon, and chat with the Master Gardeners. You never know where this experience may lead you!
If you enjoy gardening, continually learning, making new friends, and helping others, consider becoming a Master Gardener. The Wednesday Master Gardener Class of 2026 will be held on 11 consecutive Wednesdays, Jan. 14 through March 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will also be a hybrid Saturday Master Gardener Class, which will meet on six Saturdays from January through March, with the rest of the information covered in online classes that can be done when it is convenient for you throughout the week.
The cost of the Master Gardener Class is $250. The volunteer requirements are 75 hours the first year and only 35 hours every year after to remain an active Master Gardener. When the 75 volunteer hours are completed before the last week in November, each new Master Gardener receives their certificate and UF/IFAS Brevard County Master Gardener name tag at the December Master Gardener meeting. If this sounds exciting, email brevard-mg1@ifas.ufl.edu for a Master Gardener Class of 2026 application and specify which class (Wednesday or Saturday) you prefer.
If you ever have an insect pest or gardening question now or in the future, you have options. Visit our office, call and speak with a Master Gardener here at the office, visit a Master Gardener clinic, volunteer at the Brevard Discovery Garden to learn by doing, or become a UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County Master Gardener. Keep this article handy so that you will know who to call or where to visit when your next question arises.
Sally Scalera is an urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Science.