UF/IFAS GLOBAL BLOGS
With Nature, Not Without Once I was walking along a winding trail within a park that was surrounded by blossoming trees. As I strolled along the trail, I could hear chirping birds, rustling leaves, and a calm breeze…. Read More
The Emerging Renaissance – Nature and Art Europe erupted from a period of darkness into the Renaissance. Known for art, architecture, technology, and literature, the Renaissance brought about a wave of cultural development. When we think of the… Read More
A Dark Period of Time Everything outside the walls is wild and dangerous…The decline of the Roman empire led to the beginning of the Medieval Period or Middle Ages. Once Rome fell, western Europe was in chaos, there… Read More
Introduction An expanding civilization brought expanding empires with new ideas, cultures, and gardens. As civilization expanded, so did landscape and garden design. Throughout history, different cultures embodied themselves through landscape design but there is a clear influence by… Read More
One of the 9 Florida Friendly Landscaping principles is “Fertilize Appropriately”. As a homeowner or landscaper, sometimes it’s difficult to know what that means during fertilizer “black-out” periods. Fertilizer black-out times are when we are forbidden to use… Read More
Introduction It is Independence Day! American flags are flying, and the colors of fireworks will soon fill the night sky. Another way to celebrate Independence Day, other than watching your favorite Will Smith and Bill Pullman flick, is… Read More
A Shrubbery! Fill your landscapes with diversity! Our vibrant landscapes should exude a mix of different groundcovers, perennials, annuals, shrubs, and trees. Landscapes provide tremendous value when we diversify the landscape. In the “Diversify the Landscape” series we… Read More
About 20 years ago I read a book by Sara Stein called Noah’s Garden and it transformed the way I think about gardening. In her book, she describes the way nature plants. There are no lines, or sharp… Read More
Landscape Diversity with Annuals and Perennials Let us spice up our landscapes. Our landscapes our overrun with a limited plant palette. We must diversify the landscape. In this landscape series, “Diversify the Landscape”, we are exploring unique plants… Read More
A New Groundcover Appeal Tired of the mundane? The ordinary? The boring? Landscapes stippled with the same plant material make me lose my interest in their designs. Nonetheless, let us think outside the normal plant palette. With the… Read More
