Village Institute for Sustainable Technologies & Agriculture

One of our favorite arborists, Jordan Upcavage from Independent Tree, visited with seven VISTA Gardens members recently to show us how to trim VISTA's young and growing Winged Elm (Ulmus alata) tree. 

The statuesque Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) tolerates cold, as well as hot and humid weather, full sun and part shade, and blooms summer into fall. Elaine tends the plant pictured above, among others, in VISTA’s Cut-flower Garden. 

VISTA Gardens volunteers and support organizations enjoyed meeting and greeting all our visitors on March 15, 2026, during the annual Community Garden tour, organized by the Coalition of Community Gardens. Special appreciation to VISTA's volunteers, Jennifer G, Vicki K, Nicole J, Deanna F and Susan W, who led tours, answered questions and helped our visitors understand how we embrace and teach sustainability in an organic garden.

Homegrown Hillsborough Grant Partner, welcomed Home School Families  to VISTA Gardens for A Garden-to-Kitchen Experience.

Gopher tortoises are long-lived reptiles that occupy upland habitat throughout Florida including forests, pastures, and yards.

Florida celebrates Arbor Day in January because many trees are dormant (not actively growing) and lose less water through transpiration (evaporation of water from leaves) this time of year, making them easier to transplant without putting them through too much stress. 

VISTA Community Garden operates using an off-grid solar power system. Unlike an on-grid system—which is connected to the utility grid and can send or receive electricity—an off-grid system operates independently and relies on batteries to store energy. This allows the garden to function even when utility power is unavailable or unreliable.

Spider webs on trees and other plants are fascinating. On foggy days humid air condenses onto silk strands.Water droplets catch and scatter light to reveal the intricacies of these webs.

Here’s a unique solution to a Pond Committee problem: There was too much overgrown vegetation in the pond, with many dead leaves and stems from pond plants. 

Our longtime member Jay Gibson has curated four lists of resources for the young gardeners in your life. Here, you'll find books and websites that will intrigue and educate our next generation of food-growers. Thank you Jay for introducing us to these excellent resources!

Did you know VISTA’s water network includes over 100 valves? In fact, water passes through five different valves before it reaches your garden bed! Our garden uses 1,000–2,000 gallons of water per day, compared with the average U.S. household’s 300 gallons. Thankfully, our solar-powered well and distribution system has already paid for itself many times over.

VISTA Gardens is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors with a set of official Bylaws that spell out when we have meetings, how our Directors are appointed, and what the various Committee functions are.

Congratulations to VISTA members for their participation in the recent food drive, organized by Ken and Vicki Kuse. We donated 214 pounds of food and other important items to the Food Pantry at the Village Presbyterian Church. Our hearts are warmed by our members' generosity and spirit, and by the Kuses' thoughtfulness in arranging this event. Here is Ken delivering the donations! 

VISTA was honored last week to be the first speaker to be invited to address the Sickles HS National Honor Society monthly membership meeting. We are proud and grateful to be one of their favorite places to volunteer.

The irrigation system is a vital part of our community garden and we are grateful to the Infrastructure Committee that ensures our plants receive consistent and efficient watering. The system is made up of a network of pipes, valves, and connectors—commonly known as fittings—that work together to deliver water where it’s needed. Most of our irrigation components, including both pipes and fittings, are made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a durable plastic material widely used

The second annual Creepy Crawlies in the Garden event was a HUGE success! We had the largest turnout of any of our educational community festivals to date. So many people of all ages showed up that we ran out of scavenger hunt maps and food. We got a lot of great feedback from participants as well as some cool ideas for next time.

Sickles High School National Honor Society members who volunteered at VISTA Gardens September 13th

Among the many worthy causes to support, you continue to appreciate VISTA Gardens with your financial contributions. Together, we are cultivating a vibrant and sustainable community for generations to come and we thank you for your ongoing support!

Safer than fogging, mosquito buckets are a simple alternative to manage mosquitoes.  Mosquito fogging harms pets, bees and many other pollinators. These buckets are a safe, affordable way to save butterflies, ladybugs and valued pollinators.  

Harith Talapaneni, a junior in High School and a Boy Scout, recently finished his Eagle project, where he designed, planned, and constr Park and VISTA Gardens. On Friday June 20, 10 Master Gardener Volunteers planted two different species of native milkweed, including Pink swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and White aquatic milkweed (Asclepias perennis) in the native butterfly garden, before meeting summer campers, ages 10 – 13, at the entrance to the bridge spanning