Gulf Fritillaries
October is an important month for butterflies. The monarchs are making their epic migration towards Mexico, gracing us with their presence as they stop to feed on saltbush or lantana plants along the coast. But our homegrown orange-and-black butterfly is showing up...
Planting Depth Problems Continue
Several times each month I am diagnosing shrub and tree problems in Escambia County that are related to the same issue, improper planting. Symptoms of this problem can be slow growth, leaf browning, and dieback. Sometimes under stressful weather conditions...
A natural caffeine that may be right in your backyard!
Credit: Jeff McMillian, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database. Illustration credit: Mary Vaux Walcott, North American Wild Flowers, vol. 3 (1925) Yaupon hollies, Ilex spp., are a native plant to Florida that grow very well and abundantly in our local soils. ...
Gardening with Native Plants
The interest and use of native plants in the landscape in Florida and the southeastern U.S. has increased significantly over the last 20 plus years. There are many benefits for including them in our landscapes including creating a wider biodiversity and enjoying...
The Benefits of Turfgrass
Turfgrass lawns are popular. Homes and businesses alike often have at least some portion of their landscape dedicated to turf, and while it is often maligned, turfgrass does have some benefits when used and managed responsibly. Well-managed turfgrass, like this...
Gardening in the Panhandle Live Summary: Gardening Myths and Home Remedies
This month’s program focused on Gardening Myths and Home Remedies providing clarification of commonly held beliefs and insight into homemade gardening products. Below is a summary of the program with links references. Panelists introduction: Beth Bolles – Horticulture...
Cut Back Tropical Milkweed
Tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, has become a commonly grown monarch host plant in many gardens. It grows very well in our climate and survives into Fall and Winter during many years. This long life of Tropical milkweed is not necessarily a good trait for the...
Twinspur- A Winter Flower
Diascia (Twinflower) in full bloom! Photo courtesy of Walton County Master Gardener Andrea Schnapp. Since 2005, multiple varieties of Diascia have added to the U.S. fall market of winter flowering plants. Its delicate flowers are far from being ordinary though. In the...
Plant of the Week: Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)
October is the premier wildflower month in the Panhandle. Nighttime temperatures drop, days shorten, pollinators emerge, and many native plants explode into flower. Of all the native fall-flowering Panhandle wildflowers, maybe the most striking is...
North Florida Goldenrod
Autumn Blooms The days are getting shorter, the sun setting earlier each day, and the temperatures are beginning to dip. All the signs are there, we’ve reached autumn which means it’s time for many roadside wildflowers to begin their bloom cycle. Surely,...