Gardening in the Panhandle |

Try Growing Microgreens

by Beth Bolles | Feb 5, 2019 | Container Gardening, Vegetable Gardening

Are you a patient gardener? If not, try you hand at growing microgreens. Why wait for at least a month or so for a harvest when you can enjoy fresh greens in as little as 7 days. Microgreens are the tender seedlings of your favorite vegetable or herb. They are...

Growing Potatoes in the Panhandle

by Ray Bodrey | Feb 5, 2019 | Disease, General Gardening, Pests, Vegetable Gardening

The “new” or “Irish” potato is one of America’s most popular vegetables and a fine cool season crop choice for gardeners in the Panhandle. The history of the potato is quite interesting. The potato was first domesticated in Peru between 3000 BC-2000 BC. Potatoes were...

Starting Transplants for the Home Garden

by Matt Lollar | Feb 5, 2019 | Edible Landscape, Herbs, Propagation, Vegetable Gardening

Winter is in full swing and home grown produce is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. But it should be! It's time again to start thinking about spring vegetable gardening. While a number of crops can be started by direct seeding in the soil, success...

Spice Up Your Salad with Unusual Leafy Greens

by Daniel J. Leonard | Jan 18, 2019 | Container Gardening, Edible Landscape, Fall Gardening, Foliage, Harvesting, Vegetable Gardening

Many Americans have a remarkably unrefined taste in salads; my brother has long counted himself in this group. Dice up some crunchy Iceberg type lettuce, splash on a dollop of ranch dressing, maybe chop a leaf of romaine up if you’re feeling frisky and call it a...

Camellias: Color Through the Cold

by Sheila Dunning | Jan 18, 2019 | Fall Color, Ornamental Shrubs

Camellias have been a part of the landscape in the Southeastern United States for over 200 years. They are native to Asia and were introduced near Charleston, South Carolina in 1786. The common name camellia refers to varieties and hybrids of Camellia japonica and...

Is it Winter or is it Spring?

by Larry Williams | Jan 14, 2019 | Cold Damage, Fertilizing, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Freeze protection, Pruning, Uncategorized

Northwest Florida winters can be a rollercoaster ride of temperatures. One week it dips to freezing for a short time and the next week it rises to spring-like temperatures. We need to hold on for this ride of up and down temperatures but not over react too soon....

Get the Scoop on Raised Bed Gardening

by Molly Jameson | Jan 14, 2019 | General Gardening, Vegetable Gardening, Workshop

One of the biggest obstacles a vegetable gardener faces is how to supply crops with healthy soil that can support crop growth all season long. Many native soils in Florida are stripped of imperative nutrients that crops need to grow, are too compacted from vehicle and...

A Weird Tomato!

by Mary Salinas | Jan 14, 2019 | General Gardening, Vegetable Gardening

What in the world is happening to the tomato in this photograph? Are those hostile parasitic plants taking over the tomato? No, nothing so sinister. You are just seeing anxious new tomato plants sprouting from the seeds inside the tomato. A naturally-occurring plant...

Chickasaw Plum

by Carrie Stevenson | Jan 7, 2019 | Arbor Day, Birds, Butterflies, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Fruit trees, Trees

The native Chickasaw plum is a beautiful smaller tree (12-20 ft mature height) that is perfect for front yards, small areas, and streetscapes. True to its name, the Chickasaw plum was historically an important food source to Native American tribes in the southeast,...

Saying Goodbye to a Shrub

by Beth Bolles | Jan 3, 2019 | Florida Friendly Landscaping, General Gardening, Ornamental Shrubs, Uncategorized

Shrubs can serve many purposes in a landscape and have been used in both mass plantings and as accent features. They can include plants that offer colorful blooms, food for pollinators, and screens for less than favorable views. We tend to think that shrubs will be...