Each year, on the third Friday in January, Sarasota County's UF/IFAS Extension & Sustainability Dept. celebrates Florida’s State Arbor Day. Since 2018, the County's urban forestry Extension program Treejuvenation Florida, has marked the ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life![Closeup of a Bauhinia x blakeana "orchid tree" blooms. [CREDIT: "Unha-de-vaca" by Mauricio Mercadante (CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0), via Flickr.com]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2022/01/2021_Blogs_MGVSeries_12Bauhinia_xblakeana_flickr02MercandanteMauricioCROP1338x357TINY.png)
By Karen Pariser Master Gardener Volunteer Program team member Looking for an amazing pop of color and texture in your Florida yard? Consider the impact of a flowering tree. Specifically, the orchid tree. Bauhinia basics A member of the ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Lawn
Growing a school garden and looking for grant support? Perhaps finding funding is your New Year's resolution. After all- when you live in Florida, school gardens are in-season in January. Fortunately for you there are grants linked below. Some ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Work & Life
By Lee Hayes Byron, County Extension Director and Abbey Tyrna, Water Resources Extension Agent As I travel around Sarasota County, I see so many examples of sustainability and best practices applied in peoples’ yards, homes, and neighborhoods. ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Water, Wildlife![Allamanda cathartica. [CREDIT: pixabay.com, Dezalb]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2021/11/2021_Blogs_MGVSeries_11Allamanda02_cathartica_pixabayDezalbCROP1338x357TINY.png)
By Dianne Beaver Master Gardener Volunteer Program team member With large, bright-yellow flowers and vibrant-green leaves, Allamanda cathartica seems like the perfect plant to brighten up your patio or front garden area. It is a vigorous grower, ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn
So you may or may not already know, that I am an unapologetic plant nerd, and that I brake for show-stopping trees in full bloom. High on my list of show-stopping trees is the Silk Floss (Chorisia speciosa syn. Ceiba speciosa). Described as ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture![Lantana camara blossom in an indoor trough. {CREDIT: pxhere.com]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2021/10/2021_Blogs_MGVSeries_10Lantana01_pxhereCROP1338x357TINY.png)
By Karen Clark Master Gardener Volunteer Program team member Lantana checks off all the boxes that make a plant popular. Colorful? Check. Drought tolerance? Check. Handles sandy, salty "soil"? Check. Holds up to direct sunlight? Check. So, ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn
You may have seen a popular bumper sticker with the phrase "I brake for coffee", but as an unapologetic plant nerd, I brake for show-stopping trees in full bloom. The Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia) is one such tree. Categorized as having a ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Interested in learning how to share space in your community for fun projects like composting and gardening? We can help. We're hosting the "Shared Spaces: Community Gardens and Composting" workshop Oct. 26. This free, in-person event at Bee ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Interested in connecting with your local community and BEEing more environmentally friendly? Keen on supporting pollinators or tapping into some of our many Extension resources on gardening or sustainability? Read on for ways to "BEE" connected ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Home Landscapes