Hummingbirds can surprise us in the plants that they visit for nectar. Just this past week, I sat out on my front patio area enjoying the evening. I looked over at my very large and hardy aloe plant in a large container that started ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Many years ago, when my daughter was in middle school, she bought an interesting gift for my birthday that perhaps only a child of an Extension agent would purchase – worm castings! What made the gift thoughtful is that I actually possessed ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Many of us love to garden or have had gardens we have loved over the years. Entire gardens can be a lot of work and can be expensive especially if you are paying someone else to do it! While I work on a thoughtful design for layout and plantings ... READ MORE
Category: Food Safety, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Healthy lawns are things that when green and healthy, we can perhaps not give it too much attention. But, with a bit of green or brown, the lawn is suddenly very important. We want it green and full. Does that healthy lawn affect the environment ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Turf, Water
Plants and turf in Central Florida landscapes go dormant in the fall. Flowers, bark, and foliage makes a fall-to-winter garden showier when the temperature cools! There are some native and non-native plants which may add some interest ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, HorticultureAt t=the local grocery store produce department, so many different vegetables that may be purchased at any time, whether in season or not! Vegetables that are always available include tomatoes, peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, lettuce, ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Camellias are a delightful evergreen, flowering shrub choice for your fall to winter garden in Sumter County. Camellias came to America from Asia in the late 1700, and since 1900 southern gardeners have been planting them in their gardens. Types ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Garberia (Garberia heterophylla or Garberia fruiticosa) is a shrubby plant that is a member of the Asteracae or Daisy/Composite family. The foliage of this Florida native plant is rather dull gray-green most of the year until the fall when ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, HorticultureClimbing Aster (Aster carolinianus aka Symphyotrichum carolinianum) The climbing aster is one of many asters in Florida. In fact there are 440 different asters in Florida with 331 of them identified as native plants! The climbing aster ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture, WildlifeFringe Tree or Old Man's Beard (Chionanthus Virginicus) is hardy from USDA hardiness zones 3A to 9B. Fringe tree is a native plant through many states, as well as Florida in North and Central Florida. It can reach up to 20 feet with a spread ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Wildlife