Category: Uncategorized

Reassessing Meatless Monday: A Scientific Perspective on the Role of Meat in Sustainable Diets

by Bridget Stice and Jasi RomeroAvatar photo
November 3, 2025

By Bridget Stice, UF/IFAS Extension Polk Meatless Monday campaigns urge the public to skip meat one day a week to "improve health and protect the planet". While reducing excessive consumption of any food can be beneficial, blanket campaigns ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Health & Nutrition, Livestock, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, , Water, Wildlife
Tags: Agriculture, Beef, Bstice, Featured, Livestock, Meat, Polk County, Polk County FL, Polkco, SFBF, Sustainability

How to easily grow Florida native milkweed in sandy landscapes

by Anne Yasalonis and polkmgAvatar photo
October 10, 2025

To support monarch butterflies, the University of Florida and other conservation groups recommend Florida native milkweed species as host and nectar plants. Currently, there are three native milkweed species that are most commonly found ... READ MORE

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

Southwest Small Farmers Network Meeting Fall 2025

by David Outerbridge
October 7, 2025

On Wednesday, September 3, 2025, the Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network held our late summer/early fall meeting at ECHO Global Farm in Fort Myers, FL. The focus of the meeting was Community Food Systems, Agroecology, and information on ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching,
Tags: Southwest Florida Small Farms Network, Southwest Small Farmers Network
closeup of monarch butterfly on leaves

Monarchs and Milkweed: An Important Update

by polkmg and Anne YasalonisAvatar photo
September 25, 2025

Ahhhh, monarch butterflies…  Their life cycle and fascinating migration patterns, as well as their striking beauty make them intriguing and beloved to gardeners and scientists alike.  The following blog post covers some of the latest ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes,
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Butterflies, Milkweed, Monarch, Native Milkweed, Native Plants, Polkgardening, Polkmg, Tropical Milkweed
Close up of red, yellow, and orange croton leaves

Colorful and Carefree: Growing Crotons in Your Central Florida Yard

by Anne Yasalonis and polkmgAvatar photo
May 10, 2025

Are you looking for a low maintenance plant that adds color and beauty to your landscape with very little effort?  Say hello to the overlooked beauty of the garden, the croton.  Crotons (Codiaeum variegatum), are tropical evergreen shrubs ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes,
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Croton, Crotons, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Foliage, Foliage Plants, Gardening, Polk County FL, Polkgardening, Polkmg, Tropical, Tropical Plants, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

Create a native landscape: Tips for beginners

by Anne Yasalonis and polkmgAvatar photo
April 22, 2025

April is National Native Plant Month, and a great time to consider adding some of Florida’s wonderful native plants to your landscape.  Let us help you create your own living landscape filled with birdsong, butterflies and native bees and ... READ MORE

Category:
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Florida Native, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Flowers, Gardening, Hurricane Preparedness, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Native Plant Month, Native Plants, Polk County, Polkgardening, Pollinator Plants, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast
Tiny blue five-petaled flowers against long green leaves.

Spring Gardening Tip: Prepping a Landscape Bed for Planting

by Anne Yasalonis and polkmgAvatar photo
April 7, 2025

Spring is a great time to plan for that new garden or landscape bed, and one of the most important steps to take for the future health and beauty of your new plants is pre-planting landscape bed preparation. Unfortunately, it is often a dreaded ... READ MORE

Category:
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Bed Prep, Central Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Flowers, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Mulch, Polk County, Polkgardening, Spring, Spring Gardening, UF/IFAS Polk County, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

Springtime and the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper

by Anne Yasalonis and polkmgAvatar photo
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

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