Northwest Florida, in the next few days, is set to receive some of the coldest weather in recent years, with lows ranging from 18 ºF to 28 ºF three to four nights in a row. This has the potential to impact our home garden citrus and winter vegetables such as radish, cabbage, kale and parsley.…
Common misconceptions about weather in central Florida Many residents new to central Florida think they live in the tropics. This is not always the case, as most of central Florida, including Lake County, is in a subtropical environment. Each year occasional freezing weather is likely to occur. Susceptible plants to freezing temperatures Tropical plants, warm…
Plastic is seemingly everywhere these days, including many items we see or use during the holidays.
Maia McGuire
Maia McGuire, UF/IFAS Extension associate director for Florida Sea Grant, is an expert on plastic waste and microplastic pollution. She says there are ways to cut down on plastic usage during the holidays. Below, she offers a few…
Torchwood is a very unique and under-utilized native tree that occurs mostly in South Florida and the Florida Keys. It also occurs in Mexico and the Caribbean. It can also grow on the East Coast of Florida to 9B, around St. Augustine. Torchwood (Amyris elemifera), is the natural host plant of the Schaus Swallowtail, which has been on…
SEASONS GREETINGS!
We hope you have a very festive, peaceful, and safe Holiday season. Be sure to slow down for a little while and enjoy some quiet time out in nature. Looking forward to seeing some of you at events in 2023!
Doug and Teresa Moore at South Prong Plantation
DOUG AND TERESA MOORE ARE RECIPIENTS…
Living Holiday Trees to Last for YearsIf you want a small “living” table- top Christmas tree for the Holidays, the Norfolk Island pine will likely fit the bill. Easy to maintain for many years in a container, the Norfolk Island pine (a conifer, but not really a true pine) is the perfect Holiday gift and…
Tomato growing in Florida can be a tricky endeavor. It starts out well as you watch the deep green and fragrant leaves unfurl, climbing with fuzzy fervor seeking the sun, only to walk out the next morning with your coffee to discover the chewed remains of a stem. Maybe you are new to Florida and…
How to best cover your plants, from the experts:
Use a non-plastic covering. Frost cloths can be found at hardware stores and garden centers, or large blankets or bedsheets also work.
The covering should drape over the plant and reach the ground. Use bricks or other weights to hold the covering to the ground.…
Composed in night The ringed dark moves Delicate washed grins The sound of garbage bins Wandering nocturns Fingers dexterous puzzle solvers Fastidious cleaners Whiskers to whisper passageways Called unto from scented obligation A shadow in the shadows Movement to mimic the waning day Peering from hollow, crevice aloft Encircled delight in the glimpse of bottlebrush…
This is the logo of resolve to save lives. If you see it in the future, you will know what it means.
The idiom “what the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over” can, in a certain sense, be applied to public health. The not-for-profit organization Resolve to Save Lives recently released its…
This one will be harder. I say this for a couple of reasons. First, the invasion seems to be silently spreading. A just a couple of years ago we had very few records, one off individuals that were removed by those reporting. But they have slowly, and quietly, been spreading. A couple of years…
New signage at the entrance to a new boardwalk trail in Gulf Breeze’s Shoreline Park. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
I am always on the lookout for easily accessible places to get out into nature. Much of my job entails leading other people outdoors and teaching them more about what they’re…
