Spring is in full swing, and this season is buzzing with holidays and observances, with Ramadan, Vaisakhi, Passover and Easter Sunday, followed by Earth Day on April 22 and National Arbor Day April 29. Sandwiched between these is the UF/IFAS Urban Landscape Summit April 19-21. The annual conference brings researchers, horticulture specialists and green industry leaders together to discuss the latest research and strategies for creating more sustainable urban environments. The summit will be a live event this year, taking place at the Alto Straughn Center on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville.
The UF/IFAS Extension Bookstore carries several useful resources written by faculty who will be presenting at the summit.
Urban Ecology for Citizens and Planners
Gail Hansen, Joseli Macedo
University Press of Florida
Parks, gardens and greenspaces offer necessary benefits for cities—they filter pollution, mitigate temperatures and offer areas of beauty and contemplation for city dwellers. However, it takes careful planning and maintenance to make urban ecology thrive.
This book is ideal for city residents, developers, designers, and officials looking for ways to bring urban environments into harmony with the natural world and to make cities more sustainable. It offers a wealth of information and examples to guide green initiatives and inform environmental policies and decision-making processes.
A valuable resource for real-world solutions, this volume encourages citizens and planners to actively engage and collaborate in improving their communities and quality of life.
368 pp.
$45.00
Trees: North & Central Florida
Andrew Koeser, Gitta Hasing, Melissa Friedman & Robert Irving
If you want to gain a greater understanding of Florida’s natural woodlands or identify the individual needs of a tree in a densely-populated urban center, accurate tree identification is essential. This field guide to 140 tree species is designed for landscape professionals, arborists, naturalists, gardeners, and anyone seeking to know the trees around them.
Full color photographs of leaves, bark, flowers and full trees, together with clear descriptions and other information make identifying trees easier than ever. The book also features a handy diagnostic key, an introduction to plant parts, a glossary and a ruler to guide you, whether you’re a trained botanist or a total beginner.
320 pp.
$24.95
(A companion guide, Trees: South Florida and the Keys, published by University Press of Florida, is currently out of print.)
Florida Lawn Handbook
Laurie Trenholm, Bryan Unruh
University Press of Florida
The grass is always greener in Florida, but beautiful, healthy lawns shouldn’t have to be a strain on our environment—or your pocketbook.
Written in practical language by turfgrass experts, this book offers best practices for sustainable lawn management. Chapters cover selection, establishment, and maintenance for each type of turfgrass; soil analysis and fertilization; calendars for lawn care and culture; mowing, watering, and calibrating sprinkler systems and fertilizer spreaders; overseeding for winter color; preparing a lawn for drought and low temperatures; safe pesticide application and integrated pest management strategies; organic lawn care; and complete, illustrated diagnostic information for weeds, diseases, insect problems, nematodes, and other pests.
Whether you’re a homeowner or a landscape professional, The Florida Lawn Handbook is an invaluable aid to growing a healthy, Florida-friendly lawn all year round.
172 pp.
$19.95
Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM Pattern Book
Gail Hansen, Kelly Perez & Esen Momol
The Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM Program offers a common-sense approach to gardening that begins with the principle, “The Right Plant for the Right Place.” This pattern book is a guide to finding the right plants for your part of Florida and the right place in your yard for planting them. Written by UF/IFAS horticulturists and professional landscape designers, this lushly illustrated guide offers landscape plans and comprehensive lists of native and Florida-friendly plants suitable for each of Florida’s USDA hardiness zones, as well as sections on plant groups, irrigation, and helpful landscape design tips. Whether you live in the Panhandle or the Gold Coast, the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Pattern Book will help you find the right plants to make your landscape look beautiful with a minimum of water, fertilizer and maintenance.
71 pp.
$16.00
Plant This, Not That
Tina McIntyre, Rachel Gutner, Sandra Wilson, and Morgan Pinkerton
Plant This – Not That is an identification guide written by UF/IFAS Extension horticulture agents to help people find safe alternatives to invasive ornamental plants, including trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers.
Twenty-two full-color entries feature an invasive plant that is commonly found for sale, including its description, distribution and range, and ecological threat. Each of these bad actors is paired with a list of beautiful non-invasive alternatives to plant instead.
The guide also features an introduction to invasive plants, a list of resources and a detailed bibliography for further study.
64 pp.
$14.99
For more, visit ifasbooks.ifas.ufl.edu
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