Happy National Pollinator Week! Please join us in celebrating a week full of pollinators of all shapes, colors, and sizes! First incepted by the US Senate on September 21, 2006, National Pollinator Week was initiated to “recognize the importance of pollinators to our ecosystem health and agriculture.” Really, the importance of pollinators cannot be understated.…
Gulf Fritillary butterfly on native scarlet salvia. A. Marek, UF/IFAS
If you’ve noticed a decline in butterflies, bees and birds, you’re not alone. Worldwide, pollinators are in drastic decline. Approximately 3 billion birds from the United States to Canada are gone, and 90% of monarch butterflies in North America have vanished. And for the first time…
Many of you may love to travel by plane, and if you’re anything like me, you may enjoy getting a window seat. I think that there is something wonderful about looking down on the earth, seeing
Groundwater discharges into freshwater springs and is affected by higher groundwater nitrogen.
people moving about their day, fields in…
Let’s travel back in time—to an early 16th century summer. You’re standing in an uncut longleaf pine forest in Florida; you have a ¼ mile view in every direction. Yellow and purple flowers dot the landscape of wiregrass, saw palmetto, and blueberry bushes. In one step, you cross over a hundred species of plants. A…
Hello Avid Readers and welcome back! This week we will be celebrating slightly in advance of Pollinator Week. Our vegetable and flower gardens serve as a point of pride for many of us green thumbs. We want to protect our veggies from pests, but it is important to keep our pollinator friends in mind. So,…
June offers hotter temperatures, humidity and possible thunderstorm activity. In addition, school is out and many people take time to go on vacation. This leaves less time for landscape and garden chores. But there are things to do in the June landscape and garden here in the Northwest Florida area. In today’s article, I’ll share…
The sun is shining and the heat is here…it’s summertime in Florida! Whether you’re a native Floridian or just visiting, it’s always important to remember to practice sun safety here in the “Sunshine State.” What are the best ways to protect your skin from the sun? Wear a wide brimmed hat; a wide-brimmed hat will…
Life can be full of wonderful experiences. Falling is not among them. There is nothing pleasant about losing a sense of control, panicking while searching for a way to stabilize oneself, then feeling all kinds of pain after landing on the ground. A flurry of worrying questions may emerge in the aftermath of a…
As the warm sun rays beckon the arrival of summer, we often think of joyful moments, relaxation, and adventure. However, for many children, summer break can be a time of uncertainty, particularly when it comes to access to proper nutrition. Fortunately, there is a solution: the Summer Break Spot Program. In this blog, we will…
Pinellas County is the first “Bee City USA” county in the state of Florida. The “Bee City USA” program is a recognition program from the Xerces Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to invertebrate conservation. “Bee City USA” designation can apply to a city or county, and there is even a “Bee Campus USA” for schools. To qualify, a…
Photo by Juliet Johnson of Mandarin Garden Club member’s garden in June 2023
Plants should be looking good in full growth. If our yard has a well-balanced ecosystem, pests and diseases are usually minor. Birds need caterpillars to feed their young. Bees and butterflies are busy gathering nectar and pollen while they are pollinating our…
A wide selection of St Augustine grass cultivars is available on the market. The wide selection brings about versatility. Some cultivars, such as Bitterblue, ProVista and CitraBlue, will do well in partial shade, while Floratam needs full sun. Many people would like the option to purchase St. Augustine and found out that seeds are not…
