Add ZING! Plant Zinnias!
Have you ever fallen in love with a flower? I fell in love with zinnias about 6 years ago when I first realized this stunning flower could grow quite well in Florida. The blossoms beckon butterflies and the… Read More
Tag: butterflies
A complement to waterlilies – pickerelweed
By Ralph E. Mitchell Pickerelweed is a perennial aquatic plant that is common in our area waters. Beautiful purple-blue flower spikes rise above the dark-green lance-like, heart-shaped foliage. If you do not have a pond – no problem! … Read More
Create A Pollinator’s Paradise
When you hear the word “pollinator,” what comes to mind? Honeybees? Butterflies? How about flies? Wasps? Hummingbirds? Bats? The diversity of pollinators is amazing. By using the principles of Florida-Friendly Landscaping in my yard, I’ve been lucky… Read More
Landscaping for Biodiversity
This is a guest post by Kendall Stacey, University of Florida graduate and current laboratory research technician in the Dale Lab. In a time when many people are staying home, gardening and landscaping has become an increasingly popular… Read More
A gentle plea for chaos in the garden
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
Springtime blooms for the garden (and our pollinator friends, too!)
Springtime color welcomes birds, butterflies, native bees and other pollinators! Did you know that urban pollinator gardens offer not just beauty, but also places of refuge, protection and nourishment for our airborne wildlife? These blooms, mostly from Florida… Read More
Helping Pollinators Spring Into Action
If you are anything like me, you might already have a few plants that provide for pollinators. Last year, when I started to renovate my landscape, I knew I wanted to plant various spaces to welcome pollinators and… Read More
Earth Day, Pollinators, and Visual Attraction
As you may have guessed from the title today is Earth Day and I will be talking about pollinators, but did you think “Visual Attraction?” Today’s blog will go over a very brief history of Earth Day, talk… Read More
Odd Looking Caterpillar Becomes Beautiful Swallowtail Butterfly
One of the things to do while stuck at home due to COVID-19 restrictions, is to look for caterpillars and butterflies in your landscape. I’ve noticed giant swallowtail butterflies (Papilio cresphontes) a little early this year. The giant… Read More
SMALLER Native Trees
SMALLER IS SOMETIMES BETTER! In anticipation of hurricane season, many will begin their tree trimming practices to minimize potential hazards and tree failure due to structural defects on large canopy and street trees such as oaks, mahogany, gumbo… Read More