Be Patient with Key Limes
Growing Key Limes in the home landscape is not only a fun and unique addition, but is also delicious - any way you slice them. The key lime, Citrus aurantifolia, originated in southeast Asia. Genetically speaking, the key lime is likely a tri-hybrid cross between the...
Rainlily: A Rewarding Bulb for Panhandle Gardeners
Bulbs are my favorite class of ornamental plants. They generally are low maintenance, come back reliably year after year, and sport the showiest flowers around. While many bulbs like Daylily, Crinum and Amaryllis are very common in Panhandle landscapes, there is a...
How to Hunt for “New” Plants
You just learned about a fabulous new plant, and you HAVE to have it. How can you acquire this rare treasure? Many of us gardeners have experienced this desire for a “new” plant but have quickly become frustrated with trying to locate and buy that particular plant....
Yellowjackets: Friend or Foe
Last week I was trimming shrubs around my house and I had the wild idea to pull up a couple yaupon holly saplings around the base of a live oak tree...without looking. As I was pulling up one of the saplings I felt a piercing sting on my ankle. I yelled some...
Timing is Everything when Controlling Lawn Weeds
Hot, summer months are not the time to be using most lawn herbicides. One issue is the heat of summer. Most lawn herbicide labels include statements such as the following. “Do not apply when temperature exceeds 90°F.” “Do not broadcast apply this product when air...
Centipedegrass Weed Control: You Only Need 3 Herbicides!
Nearly everyone likes turfgrass lawns. They’re pretty and green. They filter water, chemicals, and nutrients before they enter our groundwater systems. They provide a recreation spot for people and pets. But lawns also come with maintenance tasks, one of which is...
Chaste Tree
The showy chaste tree makes an attractive specimen as the centerpiece of your landscape bed or in a large container on the deck. Much more of them are being seen since the Florida Department of Transportation has recognized the tree as a desirable median planting. ...
Landscape Q & A
On August 12, 2021, our panel answered questions on a wide variety of landscape topics. Maybe you are asking the same questions, so read on! Ideas on choosing plants What are some perennials that can be planted this late in the summer but will still bloom through the...
Thinning Carrots for the Greater Good
Of all the garden veggies, carrots are very close to the top of my list of favorites to grow. They can be directly seeded into the garden, need no pruning or staking, can hold up magnificently in the cold, have few pest problems, are easy to harvest, can be...
Easy Identification for Leafcutter Bees
In a garden with a variety of flowers, pollinators will be abundant. Sometimes we don’t always recognize the specific pollinator when we see it, but there are some native pollinators that leave other signs of their activity. One of our medium-sized native bees will...