Jefferson County Pollinator Teaching and Demo Garden

Jefferson County Pollinator Teaching and Demo Garden

In March, the UF/IFAS extension office was awarded a grant from the Apalachee Audubon Society to install a pollinator garden at the Jefferson County Extension Office. The goal of the pollinator garden is to educate the community on the importance of pollinator and native pollinator plants. The pollinator garden is a demonstration site encouraging community members to plant more pollinator plants in their home landscape. A pollinator garden at home is fantastic because it attracts and supports essential pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. These pollinators help fertilize flowers, leading to better fruit and vegetable production in your garden. Plus, it’s great for the environment.

Pollinator Garden

UF/IFAS Jefferson County

Pollinators are essential for our ecosystem. Pollinators play a crucial role in the reproduction of plants by transferring pollen from the male parts of a flower to the female parts. This process allows plants to produce fruits, seeds, and new plants. Many plants would struggle to reproduce without pollinators. This can lead to a decline in biodiversity and the availability of food sources for other food sources. Pollinators are like nature’s superheroes.

Types of Pollinators

UF/IFAS

The garden consists of over 50 different pollinators and native plants. Planting more native pollinator gardens is super important. Native plants adapt well to the local environment, making them easier to grow and maintain. Pollinators and native plants have an extraordinary relationship. Native plants offer nectar, pollen, and shelter that are specifically suited to the needs of native pollinators. By Planting native flowers, one is creating a haven for these vital pollinators, increasing biodiversity, and ensuring the health of our ecosystems.

Pollinator Plants

UF/IFAS Jefferson County

The pollinator garden includes an herb garden. The herb garden aims to educate community members about edible landscaping and pollinator herb plants. Edible landscaping can allow one to produce food using sustainable agricultural practices that conserve water, protect water quality, provide wildlife habitat, and reduce chemical inputs. Planting herbs in your garden is a great idea. Herbs like basil, rosemary, and mint can attract beneficial insects to your garden and repel pests. Herbs are easy to grow and can be used in cooking, teas, and even for natural remedies.

Pollinator Herb Section

UF/IFAS Jefferson County

The garden includes a small pond demonstrating a healthy aquatic ecosystem in home landscapes. Creating a pond is an excellent addition to your pollinator landscape. They provide a water source for pollinators like bees and butterflies, which is essential for survival. Pollinators need water to stay hydrated, especially during hot and dry weather. Having a pond in your garden can attract various pollinators and create a habitat for them to thrive. A healthy aquatic ecosystem can help manage water by reducing runoff and filtering pollutants.

Pond in Pollinator Garden

UF/IFAS Jefferson County

If you are in the area, please feel free to stop by the Jefferson County extension office and visit the pollinator garden. Please visit UF/IFAS for more information regarding pollinator plants and Florida Friendly Landscaping.

Perfect Plants for Pollinators – Gardening Solutions – University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (ufl.edu)Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program – University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences – UF/IFAS (ufl.edu)

Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE! Herbs and Cool Season Edibles Wrap Up

Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE! Herbs and Cool Season Edibles Wrap Up

In case you missed it, you can watch our last session of Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE! that aired on October 12th by visiting our YouTube Playlist with all the past episodes of our gardening webinars.

We had a great conversation about herbs and cool season edible plants last month and this article compiles the links shared by the expert panel in the episode. Thanks for watching!

Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide

Rhubarb – Texas Style

Getting started with cilantro

Epazote

Natural Products for Managing Landscape and Garden Pests

Cover Crop for the Edible Garden

Cool-Season Vegetables      

4 panels of faces
Fantastic Fennel

Fantastic Fennel

If you are looking for a low maintenance plant that has attractive foliage and flowers and attracts wildlife, consider planting fennel.  Fennel was planted in the pollinator garden at the Extension office in Bay County as a butterfly host plant for swallowtail butterflies in 2014 and has been a showstopper ever since. Fennel is a short-lived evergreen perennial that will reseed in the garden, but it is easy to remove plants if you get too many. It performs well in full sun to light shade and is quite drought tolerant once established.

The fernlike foliage has a delicate texture that contrasts with most landscape plants. Large umbels of tiny yellow flowers reach for the sky each spring and attract lots of pollinators and butterflies to the garden. Fennel is a culinary herb and leaves, flowers, and seeds can be used to season dishes with the mildly licorice flavor.

5 Tips for Adding Cool Season Herbs to Your Fall Landscape

5 Tips for Adding Cool Season Herbs to Your Fall Landscape

By: Khadejah Scott
Extension Agent, Horticulture/Agriculture/Natural Resources
UF/IFAS Extension Wakulla County

It is common for homeowners to have to pick between design and function when planning their fall landscape. However, combining the two can result in a stunning display in the yard. In North Florida, several herbs do well in the cool weather of the fall. While herb gardens will always be famous, there are other understated, yet successful ways to incorporate herbs into the fall landscape this year.  Herb gardening in the fall is not difficult; with a bit of forethought and creativity, you can use herbs to revamp an existing bed or create a brand-new one.

Herbs can be more than culinary specimens in the fall landscape. Herbs give a wide range of hues that enhance the landscape’s color, giving depth and contrast to your current garden. Fill the gaps around, between, and beneath your existing flowers to frame them without taking away from their beauty. The variety of herb foliage textures adds interest to your landscape; you can alternate between glossy, velvety, soft, and hairy surfaces. Many herbs also have insect-repelling qualities that aid in pest management. Meanwhile, the herbs also attract beneficial insects and pollinators to the garden, which are vital for the well-being and growth of other landscape plants.

One of the first stages of enjoying your garden is deciding its function. What and how you grow will be influenced by an end-use. For example, simple access to fresh herbs while you cook could mean planting them next to your back door. You want those vibrant flavors near your hand if you need a sprig. Space also needs to be considered while planning because plants will mature swiftly and flush out nicely, taking up more space. Each plant’s height and spread affects how much light it receives. Plant your more striking, upright herbs further back, giving plenty of room for low-lying, creeping herbs to be planted closer to the front where they may still receive sufficient light. At least six hours of direct sunlight each day are required for cool-season herbs. They will also need well-drained soil and adequate watering. Knowing each plant’s unique requirements can help homeowners care for herbs and identify unforeseen problems. Reinvent the way herbs have been grown in the past and incorporate their colors, textures, and blooms. For more information about planning your fall garden, contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Office.

Here are 5 ways to add cool season herbs to your fall landscape.

  • Containers: Growing herbs in containers offers the flexibility of moving them. Potted herb gardens may be a perfect solution for small spaces like patios and balconies. Dill and fennel are great options for large containers.
  • Groundcovers: Herbs that grow slowly and crawl, such as thyme, complement walkways and do nicely between paving stones.
  • Borders: Herbs that form low mounds, such as oregano, make good borders, paths, and driveways.
  • Low Hedges: Garden sage and other taller herbs create great low hedges that can aid in defining the boundaries of outdoor spaces.
  • Softening Hardscapes: The billowing nature of cilantro and parsley herbs makes them perfect candidates for softening the hard edges of stone and concrete.
Garden to Table: Growing Winter Herbs

Garden to Table: Growing Winter Herbs

Multi-cropping at a Gainesville, FL organic garden.

As we go into the winter here in the Panhandle the following herbs will do well: cilantro, parsley, fennel, thyme, chives, oregano, sage and dill.  Basil is a popular herb but will need to be inside by a kitchen window this time of year.  It will drop leaves below 40 degrees F.

Cilantro: Needs full to partial sun, excellent soil drainage, and can be sued at 6 inches in height.  The dry seeds are used to make the spice Coriander.

Parsley: Loves the cool weather and will bloom in the spring.  Parsley likes afternoon shade.  The seeds do take longer to germinate so do not give up on this plant.  The root has a strong flavor and is used in holiday dishes.  Parsley is beneficial to your health and contain vitamins A, C, K and is also high in calcium and iron.

Fennel: Needs full sun and moist soil.  Fennel should not be planted near dill or cilantro because it will cross pollinate and reduce seed production.  Fennel is good for digestive health and the shoots, leaves, and seeds are all useful in cooking.  This plant also is host to the black swallowtail caterpillar.

Thyme: Needs full sun, well-drained soil and is extremely drought tolerant.  Thyme does very well in a windowsill.  This plant is highly attractive to bees and creates a delicious honey.

Chives: Prefers sunlight and well drained soil.  This can be used for an onion or garlic flavor to your dish.  It will need to be divided every couple of years since it grows so well here.  Also, very good mixed into butter or cream cheese as a spread.

Oregano: This is the most widely used culinary and medicinal herb.  It has tiny purple flowers that bloom all summer.  It needs full sun and well-drained soil.  Its best flavor is when you harvest the leaves as the flower buds form.  The stems can be cut and dried and used in the cooking as well.

Sage: This herb needs full sun and very well drained soil.  It is a small silvery leaf plant that is a very popular seasoning during Thanksgiving for turkey.  It is also good on other poultry.

Sage. UF/IFAS Photo: Josh Wickham.

Dill: This herb likes full sun as well and serves as a host plant to the Black Swallowtail Butterfly.  It is a very aromatic herb used both for its leaves and the seeds.

When harvesting herbs look for leaves that are young and tender with good color.  Wash your herbs and pick them as you need them for best flavor, unless you plan to store them.  When storing fresh herbs, it is important to know that they lose their flavor over time.  They will store in the refrigerator from 1-3 weeks, freezer, and if dried can last up to 3 years.

Source: https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/ vegetables/herbs.html