Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping

The Landscape Order of Operations: Water. Test. Fertilize—if needed.

by Lauren Spaduzzi
July 15, 2026

A simple guide to diagnosing landscape problems before reaching for fertilizer. When plants start looking unhealthy, it's tempting to reach for a bag of fertilizer. Yellowing leaves, stunted growth, or poor flowering often seem like obvious ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching, Water
Tags: Central Florida, Fertilizer, Fertilizer Ordinances, Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruit, Garden, Gardening, Hillsborough, Hillsborough County, Home Landscapes, Irrigation, Landscape, Master Gardener, Soil PH, Soil Test, UF/IFAS Extension, Vegetable, Vegetable Gardening, Watering Efficiently

The Vine Intervention- Choosing the right vine for your landscape

by David Outerbridge
July 14, 2026

Florida's unique climate offers gardeners a rare opportunity to cultivate myriad plants that thrive in warm, humid conditions. Among the botanical wonders that flourish in this environment, tropical vines stand out for their stunning beauty ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension,

How to Create a Drought-Tolerant Sandhill Yard in Central Florida

by Michael J. Masucci
July 13, 2026

Have you ever looked outside at your sunbaked patch of sandy soil in your yard and wondered why keeping turfgrass green fells like a full-time job? In Tampa and unincorporated Hillsborough County, urban development often leaves us with ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife

Florida Tree Trivia

by Larry Figart
July 8, 2026

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
Tags: Arboriculture, Duval, IFAS, Landscape, Trees, Urban Forestry

Help Put St. Lucie County on the Pollinator Map

by Sara MacDonald
July 8, 2026

Join the Great Southeast Pollinator Census on August 21–22, 2026 Have you ever wondered how many bees, butterflies, flies, and other pollinators visit the flowers in your yard? This August, you can help answer that question while contributing ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Conservation, Events, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Florida Friendly Landscape, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County

Red, White, and Blooming: Master Gardener Volunteers Revamp the Flagpole Garden for America’s 250th!

by Forest Hecker
July 2, 2026

As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, the Master Gardener Volunteers of Sarasota County are marking the occasion in the most fitting way they know how — with plants! This July 4th, visitors to Twin Lakes Park ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Tags: FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Master Gardener Volunteer, Pgm_HortRes

Summer Cover Crops for the Home Vegetable Garden

by Beth Marlowe
June 30, 2026

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
Tags: Cover Crops, Duval, Gardening, IFAS, Marlowe, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetables

Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage Restrictions Extended Through October 1

by Mike D'Imperio
June 29, 2026

Last week, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) voted to extend the current Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage Restrictions through October 1, 2026.Before officials enacted these restrictions earlier this year, we had ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Turf, Water, Work & Life
Tags: Drought, Featured, Landscape, Pgm_Water, Water

Getting the Most Out of Compost in Your Home Landscape

by Tia Saracino
June 28, 2026

How to using compost in a home landscape?Compost can be applied to various garden and landscape areas, including vegetable gardens, landscape beds, turfgrass, especially before installing sod, flower beds, grow boxes, container gardens, and ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Central Florida, Compost, Fertilizer, Home Landscapes

Got Compost? Meet the Black Soldier Fly.

by Evan Anderson
June 26, 2026

The goal of a good compost pile is to turn dead plant material into humus, the black or brown material that is formed when organic matter is decomposed. Many organisms play a part in breaking down this organic matter, from microscopic bacteria, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Beneficial Insects, Black Soldier Fly., Compost, Composting, Insects, Panhandle Gardening, Soldier Fly

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