Category: Horticulture

How to Protect Your Landscape Plants from Cold Weather

by Sara MacDonald
January 30, 2026

Even in Florida, cold weather can damage landscape plants—especially tropical and container-grown ones. A little preparation before a cold night can help protect your plants and save you time and money in the spring. Why Cold Damages Plants Many ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Extension, Florida Friendly Landscape, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County

How Insects Grow: Why Cockroach Nymphs Cause Confusion

by Sara MacDonald
October 15, 2025

Have you ever spotted a tiny bug running across your counter and thought, “Oh no, it’s a baby cockroach!”? Don’t panic just yet; not every small brown insect is a cockroach. In fact, many insects go through stages that make them look ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Community Volunteers, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, HOME LANDSCAPES, Home Management, Horticulture, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: #UFBugs, Extension, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County

Guía de siembra de otoño para el sur de Florida

by Sara MacDonald
October 14, 2025

¡Octubre es el mes perfecto para comenzar tu huerto de otoño en la región! Las temperaturas más frescas, las lluvias ocasionales y los días más cortos crean condiciones ideales para plantar una variedad de verduras y hierbas. Ya seas un ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Extension, Florida Friendly Landscape, Gardening, St Lucie County, UF/IFAS Edible Gardens, UF/IFAS Extension

Colaboración en Extensión: Compartiendo Ciencia y Construyendo Comunidades

by Sara MacDonald
September 30, 2025

La semana pasada fui la conferencista invitada en un evento de Lunch & Learn. El programa se organizó en colaboración con Love Your Block de la Ciudad de Port St. Lucie. En esta ocasión compartí los principios de Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Clubs & Volunteers, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Work & Life
Tags: Conservation, Extension, Florida Friendly Landscape, St Lucie County, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County

Collaboration in Extension: Sharing Science, Building Communities

by Sara MacDonald
September 25, 2025

Last week, I was the invited speaker for a Lunch & Learn event, hosted in collaboration with Love Your Block by the City of Port St. Lucie, where I shared the Florida-Friendly Landscaping principles to help homeowners create sustainable, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Clubs & Volunteers, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Home Management, Horticulture, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Conservation, Extension, Florida Friendly Landscape, St Lucie County, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ and Edible Gardens

by Sara MacDonald
September 11, 2025

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) encourages homeowners and communities to use research-based practices that conserve water, reduce pollution, and protect natural resources. These nine principles are often applied to traditional residential ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Florida Friendly Landscape, UF/IFAS Edible Gardens, UF/IFAS Extension, Urban Horticulture

Growing Knowledge: Teaching Kids About Vegetable Gardening

by Sara MacDonald
September 3, 2025

Recently, our Master Gardener Volunteers and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Sun Grove Montessori School. We introduced students to the joys of vegetable gardening. Gardening is more than planting seeds. It’s a hands-on way to learn ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, Community Volunteers, Fruits & Vegetables, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Gardening, Kids Gardening Activities, STEM, UF/IFAS Extension, Urban Horticulture

De favoritas del jardín a amenazas ecológicas: por qué debemos replantearnos lo que plantamos?

by Sara MacDonald
August 1, 2025

No todas las plantas atractivas pertenecen al paisaje de Florida. Dos especies ornamentales comunes, Asclepias curassavica, conocida comúnmente como algodoncillo tropical o venenillo, y Tradescantia zebrina, también llamada planta cebra o ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Invasive Species, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Especies Invasoras, FISC, Florida Friendly Landscape, Mariposas, OE, Pollinators

From garden favorites to ecological threats: Why we need to rethink what we plant

by Sara MacDonald
August 1, 2025

Not all pretty plants belong in Florida’s landscape. Two commonly ornamental plants, tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) and zebra inchplant (Tradescantia zebrina), have recently raised red flags with scientists and conservationists ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Invasive Species, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Butterfly, FISC, Florida Friendly Landscape, Invasive Species, Milkweed, Native Plants, OE, Pollinators

¡Ayuda a combatir la enredadera invasora “papa voladora” en el condado de St. Lucie!

by Sara MacDonald
July 31, 2025

Ya llegó esa época del año en que la papa voladora comienza a brotar, y muchas personas se preguntan: ¿cómo podemos deshacernos de ella? ¿Qué es la papa voladora? La papa voladora (Dioscorea bulbifera) es una planta trepadora invasora ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Invasive Species, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Air Potato, Air Potato Leaf Beetle, Especies Invasoras, Florida Friendly Landscape, Integrated Pest Management, Manejo Integrado De Plagas, MIP

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