Growing up a fan of Indiana Jones, the swashbuckling adventures of searching for archaeological treasures were embedded deeply into my youthful psyche. As a teenager, I would lose myself in National Geographic stories and photography, captivated ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources
Over fifty years ago, I received a small mail-order Over fifty years ago, I received a small mail-order bougainvillea plant and grew it in on a windowsill indoors up north. I actually got it to bloom, and it brought color and tropical ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
A few years ago, I was given a small Brazilian red cloak plant to try in my landscape. It grew vigorously to about eight-feet tall by the following year and became a stunning specimen in my front flower bed. At Christmas it was festooned ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
While orchids are not my specialty, I have dabbled with them from time to time. Perhaps the most success I have had is with cattleya orchids. Giant spectacular blooms, fairly easy to care for and somewhat forgiving of my occasional neglect, ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Scarlet sage (Salvia coccinea), also called red salvia, scarlet salvia, or tropical sage, is a blooming Florida native. Red, pink, or white flowers attract all kinds of pollinators, a few being hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Keep reading ... READ MORE
Category: Crops, Home Landscapes
Plants have a long history of being woven into human traditions, even when the meaning of those traditions has been lost over time. Evergreen trees, poinsettias, tulips, and roses are commonly used in these traditions to help us celebrate our ... READ MORE
Category: Horticulture
While many crape myrtles do best with cooler weather found north of us, there is one type of this beautiful flowering tree that actually benefits from warmer, subtropical temperatures. This crape myrtle reigns supreme in flower and leaf ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
I wanted to write once more about the ylang-ylang tree as I saw some in the area during early fall that spurred my memory. Fragrance in the garden can be subtle or sometimes overwhelming, but always memorable. When I lived in the West ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Growing up in Tennessee, my backyard was a large expanse of woods right off a concrete patio. In areas that received sunshine, one of my favorite plants was a groundcover called thrift, Phlox subulata. Each spring, pink flowers brightened ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping
Ixora can be found in just about every landscape in Charlotte County as it provides colorful flowers, tropical foliage and variety of size that makes this shrub so popular. However, with our predominately alkaline soils, growing acid-loving ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes