In April’s issue of the Neighborhood Gardener we share Wendy Wilber’s timely message to our volunteers and community. This issue also includes information about foodscaping, online continuing education opportunities, and our Plant of the Month, agapanthus. We’re excited to announce the launch of our Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Book Club. You can access the full newsletter, here, or read on for a synopsis of each article.
The Neighborhood Gardener is the monthly e-newsletter from the University of Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program and the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program. Through it we’ll share information on state happenings and useful resources. Click here to sign up to receive the newsletter the second Friday of each month.
Below is a little bit about each article featured this month. Read the full stories.
Foodscaping: Creating Edible Landscapes
Many gardeners live for blooming flowers and stately shrubs. Others prefer rows of juicy vegetables and fruit trees. Some gardeners bring both to their landscape. But how often do you see ornamentals and edibles growing in the same bed? Enter: foodscaping, the perfect marriage of form and function for your garden. It’s a growing trend in gardening, an easy entry-point for edibles, and a fresh challenge for veteran vegetable growers.
Announcing the Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Book Club
We are excited to announce the beginning of the Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Book Club! In these unprecedented times, many of us are faced with more free time and fewer diversions than we might like. Whether you’re interested in home food production, or just looking for a new way to connect, you’re invited to join us for a community reading of the Foodscape Revolution by Brie Arthur. We’re looking forward to continuing to grow together, as communities and as a statewide program.
Webinars to Keep You Growing
For many volunteers and other friends of our program, continuing education is a high priority. In unprecedented seasons of life, a gardener may find themselves stuck inside and searching for a new source of engagement. Here at the Master Gardener Volunteer Program, we support lifelong learning. If a move, illness, or change in lifestyle leaves you with a new normal, don’t let it stop you from expanding your horizons. Whether or not you’re a volunteer, this spring we’re inviting you to enjoy our archive of garden-related webinars.
Plant of the Month: Agapanthus
There are so many good reasons to add lily of the Nile to your landscape. Agapanthus can bring fresh shape to a cut flower garden. It can liven up a Florida-Friendly landscape. It will bring the pollinators back to your yard, too. And don’t let its delicate blooms fool you; this is one tough plant. Whether you’re hoping to fill a container or an entire landscape bed, Agapanthus is an excellent, low-maintenance choice in Florida.
Also in the April issue of the Neighborhood Gardener:
Wendy’s Wanderings: an update from Florida’s State Master Gardener Volunteer Program Coordinator. Wendy coordinates over 4,000 volunteers and serves as a resource for many on plant and landscape issues. In this month’s Wanderings, Wendy reflects on the COVID-19 situation, how it affects our volunteers, and our program’s response.
Your Garden in April: a guide to gardening across Florida, tailored to the season in each specific region.
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