Incredible Crinums
It’s always nice to find an easy-to-grow landscape plant that stuns with its beauty. The many varieties of Crinum lilies do just that and are a great addition to the north Florida landscape. Crinum lilies are not truly a lily, but a member of the Amaryllis family...
Nuttall Oak – A Great Shade Tree for Panhandle Yards
After Hurricane Michael indiscriminately felled millions of trees in the Florida Panhandle five years ago, I’ve gotten much more selective with which trees I recommend to shade-seeking homeowners. Category 5 hurricanes don’t strike every year, or even every...
Should I Trim or Remove My Tree? You May Want to Consult an Arborist
It is the time of year when we get reminded that we have just entered Hurricane season here on the Gulf Coast. Ideally you will have already done your tree maintenance and health checks around your home, but if you have not you can still get a tree care professional...
Mix Landscapes to Maximize Impact
Landscapes can be a tricky topic. Doubtless, you’ve heard people debate the ecological benefits of a turfgrass lawn. An internet search will have your head swimming in opinion pieces detailing the benefits of keeping and removing your turfgrasses. Some outline the...
Celebrate National Pollinator Week for the Bumblebees
National Pollinator Week (June 19-25, 2023) is an annual celebration in support of pollinator health that was initiated and is managed by Pollinator Partnership. It is a time to raise awareness for pollinators and spread the word about what we can do to protect them....
‘Big’ Series Begonia: Bigger is Indeed Better
Begonias have long had a reputation of being either boring workhorses in annual planting beds and container gardens, like Wax Begonias, or finicky, greenhouse specialty types unsuitable for most people and landscapes, like Rhizomatous Begonias. However, in 2008,...
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...
Weak Lawns Respond to Warmer Soil & Correct Care
Now that we are moving into warmer soil temperatures, weak areas in lawns will have a better chance of making some recovery. However, this is highly dependent on whether or not correct lawn maintenance practices are followed. These practices include fertilizing,...
Sandhill Milkweed – Attracting Butterflies in the Dunes
Like finding buried treasure on a desert island, walking up on a mound of sandhill milkweed (Asclepias humistrata) may elicit cries of excitement from someone who understands what they’re seeing. And not unlike searching for pirate booty, there’s a bit of danger...
Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE! Program Summary: Managing Pests
Syrphid larva and oleander aphids. Photo credit: Lyle Buss, University of Florida. When we think of pests we tend to focus mainly on insects. Insects make up roughly 80% of animal life, however only about one percent of insects are considered pests. The rest help...