Category: Home Landscapes

The Rain Sensor: Is your Rainy Season Hero Alive and Well?

by Maggie Gaughan

June 14, 2022

Over here in Southwest Florida, rainy season has officially begun! The unsung hero of the rainy season is none-other than the rain sensor! Rain sensors interrupt your irrigation system controller's programmed schedule when adequate rainfall ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Tags: Irrigation, Mobile Irrigation Lab, Rain, Rain Sensor, Save Water, Sprinklers, Water Conservation

Uncommon Edible Plants # 3

by douterbridge

June 6, 2022

The things we grow ourselves taste the best. Whether it be the measly little tomatoes that cling to the weedy vine that grew out of the compost heap or the slightly holey greens that grow along the garden edges. The flavor of perfectly sun-drenched ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension

Uncommon Edible Landscape Plants

by Alyssa Vinson

April 25, 2022

Part 2 in the Uncommon Edible Landscape Plants Series, Part 1 can be found here. The landscapes that surround our dwellings, for some, may be our first and last connection to nature. They offer respite, little bastions of nature that connect ... READ MORE

Category: Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes
Tags: Edible Landscaping, Edibles, Featured Hot Topic, Flowers, Gardening, Home Landscapes

Fungal Friends

by Lisa Hickey

March 17, 2022

When ancient plants first evolved to live on land, they found a harsh and unforgiving environment. On land, water and nutrients are much more difficult to acquire. Compared to the watery habitats they came from, plant roots on land are not surrounded ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources
Tags: Fungal, Fungus, Mushrooms, Mycorrhizae

Pesticide application is only one Integrated Pest Management tool!

by Lisa Hickey

March 1, 2022

Today is a new day in pest control. Do not let pest management consume your weekend and time. Pest management begins with recognizing the techniques available to control pests pressure. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the basic ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Horticulture, Pests & Disease

Florida’s Fab Five: Plants

by Alyssa Vinson

February 15, 2022

Can a plant change the course of history? Indigo, saffron, rubber, poppies, corn, potatoes…. there is a seemingly endless list of plants that have been instrumental in the development of human culture; the shifting of paradigms, wars fought, ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Work & Life
Tags: Common Landscape Plants, Ethnobotany, Florida History, Florida Plants, UF/IFAS Extension

Growing Alligator Pears

by Lisa Hickey

February 8, 2022

Avocados, historically known as alligator pears, have become very popular over that last decade. They can be spread over toast, mashed into dips, blended into milkshakes, and even pressed for cooking oil. These deliciously creamy fruits (yes, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Avocado, Backyard Fruit, Fruit Trees, Gardening

Mulch is Magic

by Alyssa Vinson

January 6, 2022

Mulch is Magic Close your eyes. Picture your ideal landscape. For me, a cottage garden full of native Florida wildflowers, edible plants and herbs and a wild backyard with food for birds and trails leading to secluded statues and a place of ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Tags: Florida, Florida Friendly Landscape, Landscape, Mulch, UF/IFAS

The Gift of Trees

by Alyssa Vinson

December 29, 2021

The Gift of Trees Muffled in leaf litter, I stepped carefully, reverently toward the towering column. Unafraid, I knelt softly and pressed my hands on the smooth bark. Solace, solitude, and sanctuary provided by the sturdy boughs. I sat listening ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Relationships & Family
Tags: Arbor Day, Family, Featured Hot Topic, Fun, Special Event, Trees

Raining Fall Color

by Alyssa Vinson

October 27, 2021

Raining Fall Color It is fall in southwest Florida. Pumpkins have arrived on doorsteps and jackets are emerging from the depths of closets to meet the chill of early morning. Marking the turn of the seasons in Florida takes careful observation. ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Tags: Colorful, Environment, Fall Gardening, Florida Friendly Landscape, Gardening, IFAS, Landscape, Manatee County, Manatee County Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildflowers

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