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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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
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
May is harvest time for blackberries in northeast Florida! All through April we've been enjoying the beautiful flowers. We've watched the fruit, made up of multiple clustered drupelets, develop. Now, for the next month or so, it's harvest ... READ MORE
Category: , Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants are all warm weather vegetables from the Solanaceae family They feature prominently in many of our favorite Mediterranean cuisines—from Italian, Spanish and Portuguese to Middle Eastern and North African. All ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
It is clear that spring has arrived, regardless of what the calendar says! Some of our cool season crops, like cilantro, mustard and radishes are bolting and flowering. We often let them do this so our honey bees and native bees have a ready ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Early March has been so warm, it seems like we went straight from winter to summer, doesn't it? And another cool spell is on the way. March is often a weather roller coaster, and it's a transition time in the garden. Cool season crops ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, HorticultureA "fencepost mentality"? We don’t often think about the roots of trees until there is a problem. A forester friend of mine called it a “fencepost mentality”. Being underground, they are often out of sight out of mind. However, ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension