Tag Archives: Laurel Park

Biking Legacy Trail in Venice

Posted by Lesley on February 13, 2011 2 comments

John and I took our bikes down to Venice and hit the Legacy Trail today.  While much of the 10-mile trail looks like this… 

…the Southernmost section in Venice meanders past parks, through neighborhoods and over two bays – Dona and Robertson. The trail is under construction at U.S. 41 right now, but a new overpass is expected to be finished by this summer.  We turned around at that point but could have taken a detour to continue on.  Legacy trail picks back up on the other side of 41 and connects with the Venetian Waterway Park trail.  The VWP is another fabulously uninterupted recreation trail; it runs along side the Intracoastal waterway for five miles.  On a warmer day, we’re going to take it to Caspersen Beach. 

There are seven trailheads for Legacy - Potter Park, Bay Street, Oscar Scherer, Laurel Park, Nokomis Park, Patriots Park, and the Venice Train Depot.  We planned to park at Oscar Scherer State Park but used the trailhead at Laurel Park instead because we didn’t want to be subject to state park hours.  The ranger told us that once the gates lock, you can’t get back to your car.  With our luck, we’d be camping tonight.  It was fun to see what was growing in the community garden at Laurel park anyway.

Cool air combined with a warm sun is the best kind of day.  Accordingly, the trail was bustling.  We passed joggers, bikers, fishermen, dogs, old ladies, little kids, pelicans, and squirrels.  We were all out to play! 

 

Laurel Park Community Garden

Posted by Lesley on September 21, 2009 1 comments

Great class on Saturday!  It was the first in a series of free classes on organic gardening offered through the Sarasota County Extension.   They’re held on the third Saturday of the month at Laurel Park and the first Saturday of the month at Orange Blossom Park.  This is the series line-up for October through February:

  • Soil Management
  • Crop Management
  • Pest Management
  • Water Management
  • Cover Crop & Compost Management

After the organic gardening overview, I walked around the Laurel Park Community Garden.  It’s smaller and sunnier than the Orange Blossom garden, but it has everything you need.  The hoses are conveniently located in a line down the center aisle. 

Here’s a peek inside the shed…

and at the compost pile.

80′s Revival

Posted by Lesley on September 17, 2009 None comments

Check out the weather widget, people - 85 degrees at noon!  My plants are no longer drooped into the dirt and I took a walk yesterday without sweating!  These are good signs for my motivation and future fall garden.  I just signed up for an organic gardening overview through the Sarasota County Extension.   That should get me geared up and ready to go.  The class is at Laurel Park on Saturday at either 9:30 or 10:30am.  Sheila will let me know, and I’ll let you know.