Save Water, Save Money, Save Your Plants!
After a relatively cold winter like the Florida panhandle has experienced the last couple of years, it’s always gratifying to see plants greening up in the spring. Anyone who enjoys the outdoors is likely to want to get out there and start helping things grow. That...
Integrated Pest Management for Healthy Landscapes
The mercury is starting to rise, and the days are getting sunnier. Likely, you are beginning to or have been fantasizing about the potential of your landscape. Visions of multicolored flowers or rows of vegetables lined up waiting to be picked are synonymous with...
Neighborhood Lawn Guru Kills Lawns, Leaves Town
I remember going into a neighborhood to diagnose a lawn problem in Crestview during spring a number of years ago. The centipedegrass lawn was in a state of decline. This was the front yard of the original model home for the neighborhood. The original owner sold the...
Sweet Alyssum: The Unsung Hero of Pollinator Crops
Lady beetle on sweet alyssum In the realm of pollinator-friendly plants, Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima) often flies under the radar despite its remarkable qualities. This delicate flowering plant, with its clusters of tiny blooms, not only adds beauty to gardens...
What is Titi?
What is a titi? Google it. Wiktionary says it is “a New World monkey of the genus Callicebus, native to South America, distinguished by their long soft fur”. But deeper into the definitions you will find “a shrub or small tree of the southern Unites States,...
Yellow Spring Wildflowers in Florida
Rudbeckia hirta, commonly known as black-eyed Susan, is a vibrant and hardy wildflower with golden-yellow petals and a dark brown central cone. Photo by kburgess, Adobe Stock. Florida's diverse ecosystem showcases a remarkable array of native wildflowers that burst...
2024 Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE! Palm Selection and Care
On March 7th we held our second Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE! of 2024 and the panel tackled Palm Selection and Care. We had lots of great questions from viewers, and this is a recap of some of the main points covered and references shared. A few spoilers of the...
Local Youth Invited to Participate in Junior Jubilee Watermelon Contest!
by Mark Mauldin, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Washington County Calling all watermelon producers, commercial growers to gardeners. Planting season is just around the corner. As you plan your plantings don’t forget about the Big Melon Contest at the Panhandle...
No Mow March is Back for 2024
Your UF IFAS Extension office in the Northwest District would like you to continue your break from mowing. We invite you to support the 2024 No Mow March campaign by pledging to let your wildflowers grow for pollinators. This can be throughout the yard or in one...
Creating a Pollinator Paradise: Attracting Bees, Butterflies, and Birds to Your Garden
In the ever growing urbanization of our world today, green spaces are hard to come by but are so essential to biodiversity conservation. Pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and birds, play a crucial role in our ecosystem by facilitating plant reproduction....