We are in the middle of a very hot summer. As I was mowing the yard this weekend, I stopped to take a break in the shade of the swamp chestnut oak tree in my front yard, and started thinking about the topic for this blog. Immediately my ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
By early summer, many of us have pulled up our spent spring crops. No disrespect to okra or lima beans, but sometimes we just don't want to actively garden in the intense heat. So what can we do with our garden beds instead? We can grow ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
In N.E. Florida, the months of June and July are busy times for beekeepers. It marks the time of year when the abundant nectar sources that were ramping up in the spring (called the honey flow) start to diminish as summer heats up. This year ... READ MORE
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Here in Florida where the climate is subtropical, the line between houseplants and outdoor plants is often a little blurred. But just because we can grow some houseplants outdoors year-round doesn't mean we should. Did you know many of our ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
The Ultimate Slime-Free Okra Recipe If you struggle with growing vegetables in the Florida heat, don’t sleep on okra. It’s a beginner-friendly, tough-as-nails crop that just keeps going no matter how hot it gets. You may think to yourself, ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Our water shortage has worsened. The following is from the St. Johns River Water Management District's Website as of 5/15/2026 Watering Restrictions The St. Johns River Water Management District’s watering restrictions ... READ MORE
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The hot weather is starting to arrive, and along with it come more insects, more disease potential and lots of tomatoes! Hopefully our summer rains begin to arrive as well. When it feels like there's a riot going on in the garden, having a ... READ MORE
Category: , Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
The Lovely Tickseed April was National Native Plant Month, so what better time to celebrate our state wildflower, the Coreopsis. The word Coreopsis comes from “koris” which means bug, and “opsis” which means appearance. This is where ... READ MORE
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Even though hurricane season and afternoon storms are about a month out, now is the time to be thinking about the trees around our homes. There is no “risk free” tree however; there are strategies that we can undertake that can create ... READ MORE
Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Is your lawn burning a hole in your wallet? Think about this: the average home in Florida uses 991 gallons of water every irrigation cycle! That's like running your dishwasher 50 times or keeping the bathroom faucet running for more than 8 hours...and ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, UF/IFAS Extension