Tag: Pgm_HortRes

When the Garden Wakes Up, So Do the Insects: A Spring Story About Pests, Predators, and Paying Attention

by Ashley Ellis
April 5, 2026

On a warm spring morning in Southwest Florida, the garden doesn’t just grow—it hums. If you pause long enough, you’ll notice it. A leaf that wasn’t chewed yesterday now carries a series of holes caused by cabbageworm. Ants move steadily ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Pgm_HortRes

Suncoast Grown and Gathered: October Persimmons

by Forest Hecker
February 11, 2026

At the Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension Office, we've been cultivating a Food Forest to showcase the most productive, unique, and often underutilized fruits suited to our distinctive southwest Florida climate. Through this project, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Eating Locally Grown, EatingLocallyGrown, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Grown And Gathered, GrownAndGathered, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Pgm_HortRes, Suncoast Grown And Gathered, SuncoastGrownAndGathered

Reading the Leaves: What Your Landscape Is Telling You

by Ashley Ellis
February 11, 2026

Reading the Leaves: What Your Landscape Is Telling You As a University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) horticulture agent based in Southwest Florida, I often encounter homeowners, Master Gardener Volunteers, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Florida Friendly, Master Gardener Volunteer, Native Plants, Pgm_HortRes
Pudding Sapote fruit, leaves, and flowers.

Suncoast Grown and Gathered: January Pudding Sapote

by Forest Hecker
February 11, 2026

At the Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension Office, we've been cultivating a Food Forest to showcase the most productive, unique, and often underutilized fruits suited to our distinctive southwest Florida climate. Through this project, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Eating Locally Grown, EatingLocallyGrown, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Grown And Gathered, GrownAndGathered, Pgm_HortRes, Suncoast Grown And Gathered, SuncoastGrownAndGathered

Suncoast Grown and Gathered: December Macadamia Nuts

by Forest Hecker
February 11, 2026

At the Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension Office, we've been cultivating a Food Forest to showcase the most productive, unique, and often underutilized edible plants suited to our distinctive southwest Florida climate. Through this project, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Eating Locally Grown, EatingLocallyGrown, EdibleGardeningSeries, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Food, Garden, Grown And Gathered, GrownAndGathered, Horticulture, Integrated Pest Management, IPM, Landscape, Landscaping, Pgm_HortRes, Suncoast Grown And Gathered, SuncoastGrownAndGathered

Plants at Their Peak: Virginia Creeper

by Forest Hecker
February 11, 2026

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a plant of striking beauty and ecological value, but its reputation varies dramatically depending on where it grows. In its native range across North America, it often goes unappreciated ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources
Tags: FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Nature, Pgm_HortRes, Wildlife
Photos of roses

Meet a Master Gardener Volunteer: Rooted in Passion, Blooming in Service

by Ashley Ellis
February 11, 2026

Meet a Master Gardener Welcome to our "Meet a Master Gardener Volunteer" blog series, where we spotlight the dedicated individuals who make a significant impact in our community through their passion for horticulture and education. In this ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Florida Friendly, Master Gardener Volunteer, Pgm_HortRes
Scorpion tail and books

Meet a Master Gardener Volunteer: Sarasota County Reading Gardens

by Ashley Ellis
February 11, 2026

Meet a Master Gardener Welcome to our “Meet a Master Gardener Volunteer” blog series, where we spotlight the dedicated individuals who make a significant impact in our community through their passion for horticulture and education. ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Florida Friendly, Master Gardener Volunteers, Pgm_HortRes

Suncoast Grown and Gathered: November Acerola Cherries

by Forest Hecker
February 11, 2026

At the Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension Office, we've been cultivating a Food Forest to showcase the most productive, unique, and often underutilized edible plants suited to our distinctive southwest Florida climate. Through ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Eating Locally Grown, EatingLocallyGrown, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Grown And Gathered, GrownAndGathered, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Pgm_HortRes, Suncoast Grown And Gathered, SuncoastGrownAndGathered

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