Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping

Porterweed Rust

by Caitlin Sollazzo
November 12, 2025

Sometimes nature can be quite beautiful. This is rust (Puccinia urbaniana) infecting native porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis). If you look closely, you can even see tiny fly larvae feeding on the spores of the rust fungus.Rust is a type ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Florida Friendly Landscape, Horticulture, Manatee County, Manatee County Extension
Left to right: Larval Antlion, pupal antlion, adult antlion.

Antlion Insects as Pets?

by Caitlin Sollazzo
September 6, 2025

My Story One day on a walk, I noticed a cluster of tiny funnel-shaped pits in the sand. I knew right away who made them … an antlion larva, also called a “doodlebug.” These little predators are masters at building some of the most ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: 4-H, Antlions, Insects, Manatee County Extension
From left to right: aphid parasitoid wasp, whitefly parasitoid wasp larva, caterpillar parasitoid, predatory mite. Photo credits: caitlin Sollazzo

The Beneficial Insects You Don’t See

by Caitlin Sollazzo
August 4, 2025

When we talk about insect conservation, the conversation usually centers on “saving the bees.” But this often overlooks an entire world of tiny, unseen creatures that are just as vital to our ecosystems. These small, often overlooked arthropods, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Conservation, Florida Friendly Landscape, Gardening, Horticulture, Insects, Manatee County Extension, Microscopic

Don’t Miss the Spring Master Gardener Plant Sale!

by Caitlin Sollazzo
April 9, 2025

If you love plants, Florida-friendly landscapes, or just chatting with someone who can tell you what’s going on with your yard, this event is for you. The 2025 Spring Master Gardener Plant Sale is happening Saturday, May 3rd, in Manatee County—and ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: FFL, Florida Friendly, Florida Friendly Landscape, Gardening, Manatee County, Manatee County Extension, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Plant Sale
Rain sensor irrigation

Save Water and Protect Your Landscape

by Michelle Atkinson
September 9, 2024

Why You Should Turn Off Your Irrigation System During the Rainy Season Water is a precious resource, and how we manage it is crucial for both the environment and our finances. One of the most effective ways to conserve water is by turning ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Natural Resources, Water
Tags: FFL, Healthy Landscape, Irrigation, Save Water, Water Conservation, Water Conservation Landscape

Zone Changes: What You Need to Know

by Alyssa Vinson
November 15, 2023

Change is the only inevitability. We see it echoed in the metamorphosis of insects, the too-quick growth of our children, the gray in our hair. From one moment to the next, the cells that comprise our bodies are shifting, changing, dying, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Climate, Florida Friendly Landscape, Hardiness, Hardiness Zone, Map, USDA Map, Zones

The Nose Knows: Aromatic Gardens in Florida

by Alyssa Vinson
October 27, 2023

Oberon: I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine: There sleeps Titania sometime of the night [A Midsummer Night’s ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Aromatic Garden, Aromatic Plants For Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Flowers, Gardening, Herbs, Landscapes In Southwest Florida

Spring is Here, and So are the Bugs.

by Alyssa Vinson
March 30, 2023

How riotous the morning, draped in silver and pomegranate, new shoots gasping forth from soil tended carefully. Buds on branches swell and burst with leaves fresh and trembling in their newness. A haze of moisture in the morning air left staggering ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Aphids, Beneficial Insects, Biocontrol, Featured Hot Topic, Florida Friendly Landscape, Florida Gardens, Insects, Ladybugs

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