Interested in connecting with your local community and BEEing more environmentally friendly? Keen on supporting pollinators or tapping into some of our many Extension resources on gardening or sustainability? Read on for ways to "BEE" connected ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Home Landscapes
Bees, those tiny yet industrious creatures, have been silently playing a crucial role in sustaining our economy and environment. The mesmerizing dance of honeybees, gathering nectar from vibrant flowers, not only produces the golden elixir ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Work & Life
Do you have a spring planting habit? If you are interested in growing food crops in your Florida garden it is very important to keep your seasons in mind when selecting what you will plant. I may break your heart when I tell you that now is ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Work & Life![a pollen-coated bee sits on a yellow-and-brown flower. [credit: pixabay.com, joszef szabo]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/wp-content/blogs.dir/40/files/2022/09/2022_Chems_beePollenFlower01_pixabaySzaboJozsef_CROP1338x357TINY.png)
Do you enjoy a hot cup of coffee in the morning? Or a perfectly ripe watermelon for dessert? Perhaps a tasty blueberry, strawberry, and banana smoothie? If so, then thank a pollinator. Pollinators play a vital role in supporting commercial ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources
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
Years ago, when purchasing a flat of pansies at a garden center, Chris Wilson noticed a label indicating the flowers had been treated with insecticides. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘But bees can’t read labels,’” said Wilson, ... READ MORE
Category: Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, Wildlife
What is a nativar? A nativar is a cultivated variety of a native plant. Nativars have the same drought-tolerance and local adaptations as straight natives, but may also have improved form or other traits desirable for urban landscapes. A ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County in encouraging residents to participate in a citizen science project to help count insect pollinators during the Pollinator Census. The Great Southeast Pollinator Census is a regional event for the Southeastern ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Lawns planted with turfgrass can require a lot of maintenance. Bahia grass is a drought-tolerant turfgrass with minimal pest and disease problems and a low nitrogen requirement. St. Augustinegrass has a high demand for water and fertilizer and ... READ MORE
Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension, WildlifePollinators are the unsung heroes of Florida’s ecosystems, supporting the reproduction of our flowering plants in urban, suburban and natural areas. Pollinator populations are declining, and organizations are urging people to take action ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources