In this episode we explore some sounds of summer…grasshoppers, crickets, cicadas and more! How do they make calls? Why are they so loud? Are they really going to to take over the world every 17 years? Find out this and more in our latest ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources
By Rebekah Heppner, Pinellas County Master Gardener Volunteer I was very excited when my starry rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium) came back after looking dead all winter. Then it bloomed. Or at least it tried to. Where the flower should ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Work & Life
Florida - The Land of Flowers Ponce de Leon named Florida in 1512. "La Florida," he called this land, Spanish for flowery, covered with flowers, or abounding in flowers. Yet our landscapes of today are mostly green masses of foreign lawns, ... READ MORE
Category: , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Birds Are Starving Exotic (non-native) plants do not support the caterpillars that native birds need for food, causing birds to starve to death. If birds can’t find enough caterpillars, they can’t reproduce and they and their young starve. Birds ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Wildlife, Work & Life
Theresa Badurek, UF/IFAS Urban Horticulture Agent Growing your own vegetables is a fun way to eat healthy and get outside for some fresh air and sunshine. Gardening can even save you money on your grocery bill! Florida is a great place to ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Work & LifeThe hummingbird fall migration has begun and when I saw my first hummingbird of the season it was feeding on one of its favorite plants – firebush. The ruby-throated hummingbird is the most common hummingbird in Florida and can also be ... READ MORE
Category: Clubs & Volunteers, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Wildlife, Work & LifeUF experts are at it again. They will be teaching this class in November and December. November 7 & 8 (Fri. & Sat.) on UF campus: Tim Broschat and Monica Elliott are teaching the program as a 1-credit undergraduate course, and they ... READ MORE
Category: Horticulture, Pests & DiseaseThis wheelbug, or assassin bug is an excellent predator of pest bugs. To learn more about biological control see this newest article from Pest Management University: https://pmu.ifas.ufl.edu/pmu-news/pest-management-news-feed READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Home LandscapesSee this article from National Geographic regarding the decline of birds: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140709-birds-insects-pesticides-insecticides-neonicotinoids-silent-spring/ READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Home LandscapesFREE mobile phone apps have been released that are pertinent to Florida. The android versions were released last fall, and now the iOS version for Apple iPhones is available (delayed due to federal shut down last fall). The iOS apps are ... READ MORE
Category: Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease