Category: Home Landscapes

Cottage Food, Water BMPs, & Essential Farm Equipment at the 2025 Spring Southwest Florida Small Farmer Network Meeting

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado, Allie Williams, David Outerbridge, Jennifer Hagen and Jessica M. Ryals

April 18, 2025

Many farmers sell products directly from their farms to reach more customers. Some of these items require a food permit, but others can be sold without one under Florida’s Cottage Food Law. What is the Cottage Food Law? Florida's Cottage ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching, Water
Tags: BMPs, Cottage Food Law, Farm Equipment, Farm Management, Irrigation, Small Farms, Southwest Florida Small Farms Network, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Water

Spring Plant Sale

by Anne Yasalonis
April 18, 2025

Mark your calendars and plant yourself at our Annual Plant Sale on April 26! Whether you have a green thumb or just enjoy the beauty of plants, this in-person event is perfect for you. The ... READ MORE

Category: Events, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Polk County, Polk County FL, Polk Florida Friendly Landscaping, Polk Gardening

Springtime and the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper

by Anne Yasalonis and polkmg

April 4, 2025

THEY’RE BAAAACK.... Those monster munchers of your amaryllis, crinum, other lilies and, well, many of your favorite garden ornamentals and edibles! We’re talking about lubber grasshopper nymphs currently hatching out in many of our ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease,
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Florida Pests, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening, Grasshopper, Insect, Lubber Grasshoppers, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Polk County, Polkmg, UF/IFAS Polk County, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

A Gardener’s Story: A Special Bonus Episode of Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

by Anne Yasalonis and Julie Schelb

March 25, 2025

A Gardener's Story, A very special bonus episode of Your Central Florida Yard podcast A Gardener’s Story is special bonus episode where we sit down with a UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteer who is dedicating their time and ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension,
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Flowers, Gardening, Jschelb, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Polk County, Polkmg, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

Green Industries Best Management Practices (GI-BMP) Informative Video

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado, Julie Schelb and Jasi Romero

March 13, 2025

The Green Industries Best Management Practices (GI-BMPs) workshop teaches landscaping practices that are good for the environment and help protect Florida’s water and natural resources. This science-based program is designed for landscape ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Fertilizer, Fertilizer License, GIBMP, Landscape, Polk Florida Friendly Landscaping, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County

Vídeo Informativo Sobre las Mejores Prácticas de Manejo de las Industrias Verdes (GI-BMP)

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado, Julie Schelb and Jasi Romero

March 13, 2025

El taller de Mejores Prácticas de Manejo de las Industrias Verdes (GI-BMP por sus siglas en inglés) enseña prácticas de paisajismo beneficiosas para el medio ambiente y que ayudan a proteger las fuentes de agua y los recursos naturales de ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: En Espanol, Espanol, Fertilizer, Fertilizer License, GIBMP, Polk Florida Friendly Landscaping, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County

Winter Gardens in Central Florida

by Anne Yasalonis and polkmg

February 19, 2025

Our recent central Florida weather proves yet again that every couple of years gardeners face plant-damaging cold temperatures. During these cold snaps we bring out frost cloths and bring in containerized plants. With bated breath and crossed ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Lawn,
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Dead Plants, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Flowers, Freeze, Frost, Gardening, Jschelb, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Polkgardening, Pruning, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Winter, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

February Blooms are Bursting with Color in a Florida-Friendly Garden

by Julie Schelb
February 14, 2025

Roses are red, violets are blue, our garden is Florida-Friendly, and I hope yours is too! This February has warmed up some from the chilly days of January. Some plants have ushered in this weather change with a variety of vibrant Florida-Friendly ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Tags: Central Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Flowers, Gardening, Polk County, Polkgardening

Celebrate Old-Time Shrubs for a Classic Central Florida Landscape

by Anne Yasalonis and polkmg

February 4, 2025

The following shrubs are a few old-time favorites that offer the true look of a central Florida landscape. These easy-to-grow shrubs bloom in the fall and during mild winters. They offer nectar to butterflies, native bees, and/or hummingbirds ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes,
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Bees, Butterflies, Central Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Flowers, Gardening, Master Gardener Volunteer, Native Plants, Polk County, Polkgardening, Polkmg, Pollinators, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

Garden Journaling: Good for Your Garden, Great for You: A New Episode of Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

by Anne Yasalonis and Julie Schelb

January 24, 2025

Do you use a garden journal? If you have used a garden journal, you may know how beneficial it is to tracking pests, disease, and harvest time. But did you know that garden journaling can be beneficial for you as well? In this episode ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease,
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Garden Journaling, Garden Wellness, Health, Journaling, Master Gardener, Polk County FL, Polkgardening, Polkmg, Pollinators, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Wellness, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

UF/IFASExtension Polk County

Subscribe For More Great Content

UF/IFAS
Extension Polk County