Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping

A harvested and cut Painter's Cherilata fruit (pink sphere with pink/white flesh) on a backdrop of Pond Apple leaves.

Suncoast Grown & Gathered: Painter’s Cherilata — February’s Berry Cheesecake Fruit!

by Forest Hecker
February 24, 2026

At the Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension Office, we've been cultivating a Food Forest to showcase the most productive, unique, and often underutilized fruits and crops suited to our distinctive southwest Florida climate. Through this ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Tags: FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Pgm_HortRes
A tile mosaic of birds, trees and flowers.

Love Butterfly Gardening? Here’s How to Take It to the Next Level

by Ashley Ellis
February 22, 2026

If you’ve planted milkweed (Asclepias spp.) for the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), passionvine (Passiflora incarnata or other native Passiflora spp.) for Gulf fritillaries (Agraulis vanillae), or added nectar flowers to bring in swallowtails ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Pgm_HortRes, Sarasota County Extension
American Groundnut. On the left the light purple/pink flowers and hefty brown tubers. On the right the trellis and garden we grew it in. On the far right are the seeds/beans we collected. Green as they ripen.

Suncoast Grown & Gathered: Native Groundnuts! A Wintertime Staple?

by Forest Hecker
February 20, 2026

At the Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension Office, we've been cultivating a Food Forest to showcase the most productive, unique, and often underutilized fruits and crops suited to our distinctive southwest Florida climate. Through this ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Tags: Edible Gardening QOTW, EdibleGardeningSeries, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Food, Garden, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Nature, Pgm_Gardens, Pgm_HortRes, Wildlife
Close up of milkweed flowers

Landscaping with Native Milkweeds in Sarasota County

by Ashley Ellis and Forest HeckerAshley Ellis, Residential Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator in Sarasota County.
January 27, 2026

We often see gardeners using non-native tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica L.) in their landscapes—sometimes without realizing it was recently added to the UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-Native Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas list as ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Environment, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Nature, Pgm_HortRes
Forest Hecker with Jackfruit tree in Sarasota loaded with 25lb fruit!

Suncoast Grown and Gathered: July’s Heavyweight Jackfruit!

by Forest Hecker
August 14, 2025

At UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County, we've been cultivating a "Food Forest" to showcase the most productive, unique, and often-underutilized fruits suited to our distinctive, Southwest Florida climate. Through this project, we aim to inspire ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Work & Life
Tags: Ag, Agriculture, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Food, Garden, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Pgm_Gardens, Pgm_HortRes, Suncoast Grown And Gathered, SuncoastGrownAndGathered
Bee hive comb with baby bees.

Suncoast Grown and Gathered: Beekeeping for Sweet Summer Honey!

by Forest Hecker and Jackie LebouitzForest Hecker, Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Community Educator for Sarasota County's UF/IFAS Extension and Sustainability Department.
August 14, 2025

One of the most rewarding ways to get Suncoast Grown & Gathered honey? Starting your own backyard beehive! Whether you’re interested in harvesting your own honey or boosting pollination for your foodscape, beekeeping in Florida can ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Tags: Agriculture, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Food, Garden, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Pgm_Chemicals, Pgm_HortRes, Suncoast Grown And Gathered, SuncoastGrownAndGathered

Suncoast Grown and Gathered: August Dragonfruit

by Forest Hecker
August 11, 2025

At the Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension Office, we've been cultivating a Food Forest to showcase the most productive, unique, and often underutilized fruits suited to our distinctive southwest Florida climate. Through this project, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Tags: EdibleGardeningSeries, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Food, Garden, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Pgm_HortRes, Suncoast Grown And Gathered, SuncoastGrownAndGathered

An Open Door to Growing More: Become a Master Gardener

by Ashley Ellis
July 28, 2025

Are you passionate about plants, sustainable landscapes, and community education? The UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County office is now accepting applications for the 2026 Master Gardener Volunteer (MGV) training course! We’re looking for ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Landscape, Master Gardener Volunteer, Pgm_HortRes

Subscribe For More Great Content

IFAS Blogs Categories