Tag: landscape management

Remarkable Roselle: From Seed to Harvest in Central Florida

by Heather Kalaman
November 25, 2025

This season, our gardening team has been hard at work cultivating Hibiscus sabdariffa, commonly known as roselle, sorrel, or Florida cranberry, in our UF/IFAS Extension Orange County Exploration Gardens — and the results have been nothing ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Cflandscapes, Florida, Florida Friendly, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits And Vegetables, Garden, Gardening, Healthy Living, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscape Management, Master Gardener Volunteer, New Vegetable Gardener, Ocextension, Orange County, Plants, UF/IFAS Extension, Vegetable, Vegetable Gardening

Florida’s Hidden Invaders: Invasive Plants in Our Yards Part 2

by Clarissa Chairez
August 21, 2025

In Part 1 of this series we explored several popular but invasive plants often found in Florida yards, including Mother of Millions, Wandering Dude, Mimosa Tree, Chinese Wisteria, and Common Lantana. These species may look beautiful, but their ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Tags: Florida Friendly, Florida Gardening, Florida Wildlife, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Floridas-hidden-invaders, Garden, Gardening, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Invasives, Landscape, Landscape Management, Native Plants, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Orange County

Florida’s Hidden Invaders: Invasive Plants in Our Yards Part 1

by Clarissa Chairez
August 18, 2025

Walk through almost any Florida neighborhood and you’ll probably spot a few invasive plants without even realizing it. Many were originally planted for their beauty, drought tolerance, or easy care—but those same qualities make them quick ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species
Tags: Florida Friendly, Florida Gardening, Florida Wildlife, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Floridas-hidden-invaders, Garden, Gardening, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Invasives, Landscape, Landscape Management, Native Plants, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Orange County

Florida’s Hidden Invaders: Invasive Houseplants

by Clarissa Chairez
August 11, 2025

For much of the world, tropical plants are grown strictly as indoor houseplants because they need warm temperatures to thrive. But here in sunny Florida, many of these “houseplants” can survive year-round outdoors—and that can become a ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Horticulture, Invasive Species
Tags: Florida Friendly, Florida Gardening, Florida Wildlife, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Floridas-hidden-invaders, Garden, Gardening, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Invasives, Landscape, Landscape Management, Native Plants, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Orange County

Florida’s Hidden Invaders: Tackling Invasive Species

by Clarissa Chairez
August 8, 2025

Florida is a beautiful state filled with natural lands, ecological sites, and a flourishing ecosystem. Florida is home to many species of both native plants and animals, but unfortunately our year-round warm climate also makes it attractive ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species
Tags: Florida Friendly, Florida Gardening, Florida Wildlife, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Floridas-hidden-invaders, Garden, Gardening, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Invasives, Landscape, Landscape Management, Native Plants, Ocextension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Orange County

Artificial Grass and the Environment: A Florida-Friendly Perspective

by Clarissa Chairez
April 15, 2025

There are a lot of factors to consider when picking a variety of turfgrass for your yard. How much sun does your yard get? What is the pH of your soil? Will there be heavy foot traffic? When there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to turfgrass ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Lawn, Turf
Tags: Artificial Grass, Artificial Turf, Cflandscapes, Eco-friendly Yard Solutions, Environmental Impact, Florida Friendly, Florida Master Gardener, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Landscape Management, Landscaping Alternatives, Lawn Care Tips, Master Gardener Volunteer, Ocextension, Orange County, Orange County Master Gardener Volunteers, Runoff Prevention, Sustainable Landscaping, Synthetic Turf, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension Orange County, Water Conservation
Image of an alligators face and head with an orange in its mouth with houses and palm trees in the background.

Adopt-a-Tree 2025

by JK Yarborough
January 27, 2025

With 2025 already under way, why not add planting a new tree to your list? Adopt-a-Tree makes it easy. If you are not familiar with Adopt-a-Tree, here is a quick synopsis. Adopt-a-Tree events seek to give Orange County residents an opportunity ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Cflandscapes, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Healthy Living, Landscape Management, Ocextension, Orange County

Lawn Care Made Simple: Smart Design Ideas for Easy Upkeep

by Michael J. Masucci
January 22, 2025

Maintaining a beautiful lawn doesn't have to be a constant struggle or time sink. With some smart landscape design choices, you can create a yard that's not only attractive but also easier to mow and maintain. By implementing these ideas, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Central Florida, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Hillsborough, Landscape, Landscape Management, Lawncare, Mowing, Mulch

Winter is Coming: Protect Your Plants from the Cold

by Clarissa Chairez
January 6, 2025

One of my favorite things about Florida is our year-round warm weather. However, when we occasionally get cold weather that falls below freezing, we need to prepare our tropical loving plants. Certain varieties of palm trees, avocadoes, mangoes, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Tags: (MGV), Agroecology, Cold Protection For Plants, Cold Weather, FFL, Florida, Florida Friendly, Florida Master Gardener, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Freeze, Freeze Damage In Florida Gardens, Freeze Protection, Frost, Frost Cloth, Frost Protection Techniques, Fruits And Vegetables, Garden, Gardening, Gardening Tip, Horticulture, Landscape Management, Lawn, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, OC MGV, Ocextension, Orange County Master Gardener, Plants, Trees, Tropical Plant Care In Winter, UF/IFAS Extension Orange County, Vegetable, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetables, Winter

Residential Plant Clinics around Orange County

by Clarissa Chairez
January 3, 2025

Whether you're an avid backyard gardener or just starting your houseplant collection, the Orange County Plant Clinic is here to help! Operated by dedicated Master Gardener Volunteers, the Plant Clinic is your go-to resource for plant questions ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Florida Friendly, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits And Vegetables, Garden, Gardening, Horticulture, Irrigation, Landscape, Landscape Management, New Vegetable Gardener, Ocextension, Orange County, Orange County Master Gardener Volunteers, Orange County MGV, Orange County Plant Clinic, Pests, Plant Clinic, Plants, UF/IFAS Extension Orange County, Vegetable Gardening

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