Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE Program Summary: Invasive Species
Invasive species are all around us, from invasive plants like cogongrass to invasive amphibians like Cuban tree frogs to invasive insects like red imported fire ants. These species affect our ecosystems by outcompeting native species for nutrients or food and other...
The North Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide
Getting into vegetable gardening, but don’t know where to start? Even experienced gardeners know there’s always more to learn. To help both beginners and advanced gardeners find answers to their questions, the UF/IFAS Leon County Extension Office put together the...
Coastal Plain Honeycombhead and the Gulf Coast Solitary Bee
Over my years of leading people on interpretive trail hikes, I have learned it is particularly important to know the names of the plants that are in bloom. These flowers are eye-catching, and inevitably someone will ask what they are. In fact, one of my favorite...
Plant Preparation for Changing Seasons!
As October gets by us and November quickly approaches, I would like to include the preparation on What to Plant? And What to Do? Some great annual plant choices are digitalis (foxglove), petunias, and Shasta daisy. There are many daffodil bulb varieties for North...
Video: Tips for Success with Shrub Planting
There are some key practices that are necessary to make sure your trees and shrubs establish and thrive in your landscape. Learn a few pointers from UF IFAS Extension Escambia County to promote healthy establishment after correct plant installation. Learn about...
Ground-Dwelling Bees
While most people are familiar with the European honey bee, the domesticated insect that pollinates our crops and provides us with honey, there are plenty of other species of bees and their relatives out there. Most of them are harmless, spending their time quietly...
What Can Be Done To Prevent Tree Dieback?
Tree dieback is a complex syndrome and slow developing. Dieback is essentially a process in which trees lose leaves and limbs. This usually occurs as a result of severe stress to the tree’s bark or root system, but could be a result of a declining life cycle. It’s...
Should Pepper Seeds Be Saved?
There seems to be a lot of interest in being sustainable and saving seeds is one way to be food sustainable. Should you save seeds from your garden? When it comes to peppers and a number of other vegetables in your garden...it depends. Hybrid vs. Open-pollinated If...
Controlling Cogongrass
Over the last decade or so, the Panhandle has been overrun, and I don’t just mean by the summer beach traffic. Rather, by an aggressive, exotic perennial grass that quickly displaces all native species, is not useful as a forage to wildlife or livestock, can spread...
Firespike
Looking to add something to brighten your landscape this autumn? Firespike (Odontonema strictum) is a prolific fall bloomer with red tubular flowers that are very popular with hummingbirds and butterflies. Its glossy dark green leaves make an attractive large plant...