I like to highlight public places to see plants, and besides our own amazing Master Gardener Volunteer Demonstration Garden on Harborview Road, and the Nature Park in Punta Gorda, the History Park in Punta Gorda is another place to enjoy ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Have you ever seen a black olive tree in our community? Specifically, there is a cultivar of black olive called 'Shady Lady' which is being planted in the warmer parts of Charlotte County. Terminalia buceras or black olive is a Florida-Friendly ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
I have always liked Fakahatchee grass because it is easy to grow, looks great, and fits into every landscape. It is a pretty big plant at maturity and can grow up to five feet tall and wide. However, there is a smaller model called the ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Good pollination is an essential step in our food system. Pollinators are instrumental in ensuring that we have a good harvest of fruit and vegetables. However, as more development happens, habitat and food sources for pollinators decrease. ... READ MORE
Category: Events, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Wildlife
Hurricane season officially starts June 1, but it’s never too early to prepare. As a matter of fact, meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center are already issuing daily reports about tropical activity in the Atlantic Ocean amid a ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Disaster Preparation, Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water
How many of us have lived dangerously by drinking milk past it’s expiration date? Do you ever eat packaged food after it’s “best by” date and does a Twinkie ever expire? Do you know the difference between a “best by” and “expiration” ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Do you fancy growing a tomato inside your home? If so, you’re one of millions who produce fruits and vegetables in the comfort of their abodes. Sales of vegetable bedding plants for home gardening increased from $107 million in 2019 to ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables
Drip, or micro-irrigation, is a great choice for landscape beds. It is up to 50% more water-efficient than a traditional sprinkler system, and it provides water directly to the plant instead of applying spray in a "one size fits all" pattern. These ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Water
The 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1. Are you ready? Maybe you think you’re ready—you’ve got some bottled water and canned goods to last a few days. Maybe you plan to get those things, just as soon as you hear the next hurricane ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Disaster Preparation, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources
When Lee Belanger, a volunteer at Collier-Seminole State Park wrote in the Fort Myers Florida Weekly, “When is a weed a weed and not a wildflower? Perhaps when it is not wanted or appreciated,” he was thinking about Euphorbia cyathophora ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes