Where Do Insects Go in the Winter?
During the summer months, we can’t seem to get away from insects. Whether it’s a fly circling your food, those pesky aphids in your garden, or a mosquito out for blood, they make their presence known. But when winter rolls around and temperatures drop, they seem to...
Cold Protection for the Northwest Florida Landscape
2025 has already been a year for the books, as Winter Storm Enzo has proven that it really can snow in the Sunshine State. With the fluffy white snow also comes below freezing temperatures, therefore most landscape plants that fit the hardiness zones of Florida are...
2025 Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE! Webinars Begin March 6th
Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE! is launching Season 6 with new topics starting on March 6, 2025! Each episode is delivered live on Zoom Webinar then posted to our YouTube Playlist. If you would like to join us live and help drive the panel discussion, be sure to...
New Year’s Resolution Ideas for Gardeners
This is the time of year where we often pledge to change and/or improve something about ourselves, but why not have a garden resolution, too. If you'd like a garden resolution or you’ve run out of personal resolution ideas (and you’re a gardener), then I have a couple...
Early Season Lawncare Practices
Well folks, the earth has made yet another trip around the sun, and we find ourselves in another of hopefully many a new year. The weather has been cold, but it’s important that we spend a few moments plotting a strategy for our lawns in the coming year. Lawncare is a...
Camellia Care
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...
Florida’s Fall Foliage – Why 2024 Brought the Best Show in Recent History
The Panhandle isn’t known for its fall foliage. The best we can normally hope for are splashes of pale yellow amidst a sea of green pine needles, drab brown leaves killed by the first frost, and invasive Chinese Tallow trees taunting us with vibrant colors we know we...
Happy New Year! – Now Go Get Organized!
It's a new year and if you're still contemplating resolutions, here's one for you. Stay organized with your vegetable planting schedule. Since it's January, let's start with what you can do now. Crops like beets, broccoli, and Brussels are best planted as...
Florida Trees and the Bible
In the Christmas story as recorded in the book of Matthew, wise men presented gifts to baby Jesus. Two of these gifts were frankincense and myrrh. These are costly perfume oils derived from certain trees found in parts of the Middle East. According to Dr. Kim Coder,...
What’s in a Plant Name?
Before my career in Extension, I spent ten years selling plants. I worked at a 40-acre nursery that was filled with thousands of plants. The selection was enormous and it was an eye-opening experience, even for a horticulturalist, to see how many different types of...