Mulch is Magic
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… Read More
Category: Home Landscapes
The Gift of Trees
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… Read More
Raining Fall Color
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… Read More
Annual Plant Fair a Success!
Saturday, October 2, 2021, UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County held its semi-annual Master Gardener Plant Fair at the Barbara Davis Educational Gardens. The event featured a variety of plant species grown by Master Gardener Volunteers including… Read More
Recognition Beyond Boundaries
UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County Master Gardener Volunteers were recognized for excellence during the 2021 International Master Gardener Conference, hosted by the Virginia Extension Master Gardener Program. The conference is attended by more than a thousand program volunteers… Read More
Why Garden?
Gardens have a delicate and meaningful existence, they are beautiful, they can sustain us, and they offer us the opportunity to re-engage with the natural cycles of the earth. We can experience the joy of… Read More
From The Garden Bench: Swamp Sunflower
A Native Fall Winner: Swamp Sunflower by: Norma Kisida, Master Gardener Volunteer As summer flowers fade, we still have many later blooming native plants to bring us color and provide food for wildlife. One that… Read More
Befriend the Beetle!
Sending sinuous tendrils forth, the air potato vine (Dioscorea bulblifera) can grow as much as 8 inches each day during our summer growing season. This invasive vine, considered one of the most aggressive invasive plants… Read More
It’s getting hot out there…protect yourself!
photo credit Jay Janner | American-Statesman Report shows 215 people died in Florida from heat-related causes in the last 10 years. Of the 215 people who died from heat-related reasons, the highest number of fatalities occurred in… Read More
Mush Ado About Nothing?
Mush Ado About Nothing? The promise of summer brings so many new curiosities to our landscapes. One of the most dramatic and surprising of these changes is the arrival of mushrooms in our environments. Seemingly… Read More