Doodlebugs!
It’s been years since I ran across doodlebugs. But when I saw a stretch of their pitfall traps at a campsite near Coldwater Creek in MIlton, I knew it was time to write about them. Lore says their silly name came from Southern kids like me, who watched the larvae drag...
Sunn Hemp for Home Gardens
A Sea of Yellow You do not often see a sea of yellow flowers on what was recently a field of row crops in North Florida. In this instance, the culprit is a cover crop called sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea). Cover cropping, or green manure as it is sometimes known, is...
An Easy Fruit Selection for Your Landscape
Although not native to Florida, the Loquat or Japanese plum is adapted to North Florida conditions. Unlike its relatives, apple, peach, and pear, the loquat is an evergreen tree providing a tropical look with attractive dark green leaves. Flowers appear in Fall and...
‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia: A Fall Blooming Favorite
One of my favorite landscape plants is blooming right now in Panhandle landscapes – ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia. ‘Soft Caress’ was first introduced into the commercial nursery trade in 2006 and included in the Southern Living Plant Collection, but didn’t achieve garden...
Tree Planting Tips
Extension agents are frequently tasked with evaluation of unhealthy plants in the landscape. They diagnose all sorts of plant problems including those caused by disease infection, insect infiltration, or improper culture. When evaluating trees, one problem that often...
Frost in the Panhandle? Practical Tips for Protecting Your Garden
Here in North Florida, mild winters are the norm, but our occasional cold snaps can be enough to wreak havoc on our gardens. As you might remember, in December of 2022 the entire Panhandle experienced temperatures dipping into the teens and low 20s for several nights...
Gardener’s To-Do-List for November
Though the calendar says November, the weather in Northwest Florida is still producing summer or at least spring-like temperatures. The nice days are wonderful opportunities to accomplish many of those outside landscape chores. But, it is also a good time to start...
Water Management during Dry Weather
So far, our fall has been unusually dry with warmer temperatures. Even though our average annual rainfall is around sixty-two inches per year, we don’t always receive rain exactly when we need it. There are times when we need to apply additional water. During dry...
Camellias Brighten Up Winter Landscapes
A recent visit to the Dothan Area Botanical Garden (DABG) reminded me that although many of our summer flowers are winding down, we have a great garden show coming this winter when the southern classic camellias start to show their stuff. DABG has a large collection...
Thinking about a “Clover Lawn”? We live in Florida; you can do better!!
The trend of having a clover lawn, or sometimes called a “fairy” lawn, has gained popularity in the last years. The trend has gained fame as homeowners are more conscientious about the environmental impact of their gardening decisions. A turfgrass lawn usually...