Have you ever grown a luffa gourd or seen one growing in a botanical garden? They are large gourds that grow quite easily in central Florida. These unique gourds can be harvested and used for crafts, home decor and as bath products. You ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes,
While central Florida offers year-round gardening, it is not unusual for brief, but devastating cold temperatures to occur in the months of January and February. These brief periods can be very frustrating as we witness plant damage from brutal ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes,
Printer-friendly recipe: Grain Salad Recipe Main Ingredients (prepare the night before): 2 cups cooked whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, wheat or spelt berries)* 1 pound green beans (or broccoli or cauliflower or zucchini) 1 pound (large ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes
Monarch butterflies are distinctive, beautiful and wildly popular with butterfly gardeners. Their host plants include species of the milkweed (Asclepias) genus. In recent years, a disease that affects the Monarch has become more known as ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes,
Gardeners can be the easiest folks to please when it comes to choosing holiday gifts. If you have gardeners on your Christmas list, here are some gift ideas that will be sure winners. Books Gardeners love books, but be aware that plants and ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes,
Your landscape might start to look at little stressed after a harsh Florida summer, but there are some plants that will revive the landscape going into the fall months. These plants will add some interest to your landscape with their unique ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes,
What is Basketgrass? Basketgrass is the common name of a species of Oplismenus, a weed commonly found in shady lawns and landscapes. It is also known as woodsgrass, jewgrass and wavyleaf basketgrass. Many species of Oplismenus grow in Central ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Lawn
September in Florida...still hot and muggy! Here are a few more hacks to make garden chores a little easier as we still have a few months of summer-like temperatures ahead of us. PROTECT NEW PLANTS If planting tender young annuals or perennials ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes,
Gardening is fun for many people, but when it feels like there is a lot of work to do and the weather is hot, it’s not what you want to be doing. What can you do to make working in the yard a bit easier and maybe even fun? Polk County Master ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
The summer months in central Florida are wet and hot and it is important to maintain your lawn with those conditions in mind. What should you be doing to maintain a healthy lawn during this time of year? There are five important steps to ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Lawn