Garden shrubs and landscape plants covered with white sheets, blankets, and colorful quilts to protect them from frost and freezing temperatures in a Northwest Florida yard.

Night: Which Plants Really Need Protection?

by Margaret Stewart
November 9, 2026

There is a particular kind of panic that occurs in Northwest Florida when the weather forecast suddenly includes the word frost. By late afternoon, garden centers are selling out of frost cloth. Old sheets are being pulled from closets. Potted ... READ MORE

Category: HOME LANDSCAPES, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Cold Hardy Plants, Cold Weather Irrigation, Cold Weather Plant Care, Container Plant Protection, December Gardening, Florida Gardening Tips, Florida Winter Weather, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Freeze Damage, Freeze Damage Recovery, Freeze Protection, Frost Cloth, Frost Protection, Frost Vs Freeze, Garden Microclimates, Gardening In The Panhandle, Homeowner Gardening Tips, Landscape Winterization, Mulching For Cold Protection, Northwest Florida Gardening, November Gardening, Okaloosa County Gardening, Panhandle Gardening, Plant Cold Tolerance, Protecting Plants From Frost, Pruning After A Freeze, Sustainable Landscaping, Tropical Plant Protection, UF/IFAS Extension, Winter Gardening, Winter Landscape Maintenance, Winter Plant Care
Three-panel collage featuring a large green cabbage growing in a garden, a colorful harvest of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, onions, and Brussels sprouts, and fresh green and red leaf lettuce.

Your Winter Vegetable Garden Starts Now

by Margaret Stewart
November 2, 2026

November has arrived in Northwest Florida. The tomatoes are tired, the peppers are beginning to reconsider their life choices, and the first cold night may be lurking somewhere in the forecast. For vegetable gardeners, however, this isn't ... READ MORE

Category: Fruits & Vegetables, HOME LANDSCAPES, Sustainable Living, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Beets, Beneficial Insects, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Collard Greens, Container Vegetable Gardening, Cool-Season Vegetables, Fall Planting Guide, Fall Vegetable Gardening, Florida Vegetable Gardening, Florida-Friendly Gardening, Frost Protection, Garden Irrigation, Gardening In The Panhandle, Home Vegetable Gardening, Kale, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Northwest Florida Gardening, November Planting Guide, November Vegetable Gardening, Okaloosa County Gardening, Panhandle Gardening, Radishes, Raised Bed Gardening, Seasonal Gardening Tips, Soil Testing, Spinach, Succession Planting, Sustainable Gardening, Turnips, UF/IFAS Extension, Vegetable Garden Pest Management, Vegetable Garden Soil Preparation, Water Conservation, Winter Vegetable Gardening
Halloween-themed garden collage featuring a close-up of a tiny mite on a green leaf, black-and-white caterpillars feeding on plant stems, and a center image with spiderwebs, pumpkins, spiders, and the word “CREEPY” spelled in candy corn.

Things That Go Bump in the Garden: Fall Pests Lurking in Your Landscape

by Margaret Stewart
October 26, 2026

Halloween is full of creatures that crawl, creep, fly, and hide in dark places. So is your landscape. By late October, many Northwest Florida gardeners are paying less attention to pests because summer is winding down. But plenty of insects ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Aphids, Beneficial Insects, Biological Pest Control, Caterpillars, Environmentally Friendly Pest Control, Fall Garden Pests, Florida Garden Insects, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden Pest Identification, Gardening In The Panhandle, Halloween Garden Pests, Insect Identification, Integrated Pest Management, IPM, Lacewings, Lady Beetles, Landscape Pest Management, Natural Pest Control, Northwest Florida Gardening, October Gardening, Okaloosa County Gardening, Panhandle Gardening, Parasitic Wasps, Pest Scouting, Plant Health, Scale Insects, Sooty Mold, Spiders, Sustainable Gardening, Thrips, UF/IFAS Extension, Whiteflies
Gardener wearing protective gloves carefully places a flowering plant with blue blossoms and an exposed root ball into a freshly dug hole in the soil.

Fall Is for Planting: Why Now Is a Great Time for Trees and Shrubs

by Margaret Stewart
October 19, 2026

Spring gets most of the attention when it comes to planting. Garden centers are full of flowers, lawns are turning green, and everyone seems ready to get outside and dig in the dirt. But did you know that fall is one of the best times to plant ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Fall Landscaping, Fall Shrub Planting, Fall Tree Planting, Florida Gardening Tips, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening In The Panhandle, Healthy Root Growth, Landscape Irrigation, Landscape Maintenance, Native Florida Plants, Northwest Florida Gardening, October Gardening, Okaloosa County Gardening, Panhandle Gardening, Proper Planting Depth, Right Plant Right Place, Root Flare, Shrub Care, Shrub Planting Tips, Sustainable Landscaping, Tree Care, Tree Establishment, Tree Fertilization, Tree Mulching, Tree Planting Tips, UF/IFAS Extension, Water Conservation
Close-up of orange, yellow, and red autumn oak leaves glowing in sunlight, with tall trees and bright sky in the background

Fall Has Arrived–But Your Landscape May Not Know It Yet

by Margaret Stewart
October 15, 2026

The calendar says it’s October. Pumpkins are showing up on porches, and people up north are pulling out their sweaters. Here in Northwest Florida, though, our lawns and gardens may not know that fall has arrived. October can still bring hot ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Lawn, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Bahiagrass, Centipedegrass, Composting, Fall Garden Cleanup, Fall Landscaping, Fall Lawn Care, Fall Planting, Florida Gardening Tips, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening In The Panhandle, Irrigation Management, Large Patch Disease, Lawn Disease Prevention, Lawn Fertilization, Northwest Florida Gardening, October Gardening, October Landscape Maintenance, Okaloosa County Gardening, Panhandle Gardening, Plant Health, Seasonal Lawn Care, St. Augustinegrass, Sustainable Landscaping, UF/IFAS Extension, Warm-Season Grasses, Water Conservation, Zoysiagrass

How to Choose the Right Green Industry Professional for Your Lawn and Landscape

by Margaret Stewart
October 14, 2026

Your lawn and landscape are an investment. A healthy yard can increase your home's value, save water, and make your property more enjoyable. But choosing the right company is important. The lowest price is not always the best value. A trained ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Home Management, Lawn, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Environmental Protection, FDACS, Fertilizer Certification, Florida Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP Certification, Hiring A Landscaper, Homeowner Tips, Landscape Best Management Practices, Landscape Contractor Insurance, Landscape Maintenance, Landscape Professionals, Lawn Care, Lawn Maintenance, Licensed Landscapers, Northwest Florida Landscaping, Panhandle Gardening, Pesticide Licensing, Sustainable Landscaping, UF/IFAS Extension, Water Conservation
Person wearing safety gloves uses a chainsaw to cut a fallen tree after a hurricane in Northwest Florida, highlighting storm debris cleanup and landscape recovery safety.

After the Storm: Helping Your Northwest Florida Landscape Recover from a Hurricane

by Margaret Stewart
October 12, 2026

The winds have stopped, the rain has moved on, and the sun is finally shining. Unfortunately, your landscape may look as though Mother Nature hosted a demolition derby and forgot to clean up afterward. Hurricanes are a fact of life in Northwest ... READ MORE

Category: Disaster Preparation, HOME LANDSCAPES, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Certified Arborist, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening In The Panhandle, Hiring Tree Care Professionals, Hurricane Cleanup Safety, Hurricane Damage, Hurricane Landscape Recovery, Hurricane Preparedness, Hurricane-Damaged Plants, Landscape Restoration, Landscape Safety, Lawn Recovery After Flooding, Northwest Florida Landscaping, Okaloosa County Gardening, Panhandle Gardening, Post-Hurricane Cleanup, Saltwater Damage To Plants, Storm Damaged Trees, Storm Recovery Tips, Storm-Resilient Landscaping, Tree Care After A Hurricane, Tree Pruning After Storms, Tree Removal Safety, UF/IFAS Extension

Begonia ‘Tiger Paws’: The “It Girl” of Fall

by Margaret Stewart
October 8, 2026

This article was written by Okaloosa County Master Gardener Volunteer, Dana Jolman. All the photos were taken by her of her own Tiger Paws Begonia. Some plants quietly sit in the corner looking pretty, and then some plants walk into October ... READ MORE

Category: HOME LANDSCAPES, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Begonia Care, Begonias, Container Gardening, Fall Gardening, Foliage Plants, Gardening In The Panhandle, Houseplants, Leaf Cuttings, Master Gardener Volunteers, Northwest Florida Gardening, Okaloosa County, Panhandle Gardening, Plant Propagation, Rhizomatous Begonias, Shade Gardening, Tiger Paws Begonia, UF/IFAS Extension
Close-up of a lawn sprinkler spraying water across green grass during landscape irrigation.

Your Landscape Is Thirsty–But Maybe Not as Thirsty as You Think

by Margaret Stewart
September 25, 2026

As the weather cools in Northwest Florida, we pull out jackets, enjoy cooler mornings, and watch our landscapes begin to slow down. But there is one fall chore that is easy to forget: Change the irrigation schedule. That sprinkler timer ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Lawn, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Tags: EPA WaterSense, Fall Irrigation, Florida Gardening, Florida Lawns, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening In The Panhandle, Home Landscaping, Irrigation, Irrigation Management, Landscape Maintenance, Landscape Watering, Lawn Care, Northwest Florida, Panhandle Gardening, Seasonal Watering, Smart Irrigation, Turfgrass, UF/IFAS Extension, Water Conservation, Water-Wise Landscaping, WaterSEnse, Winter Irrigation

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