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Saturated Fats, Trans Fats and your Heart

June 8, 2022
 What are saturated fats?Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and are primarily found in larger quantities in animal foods and some plant foods like coconut oil, palm, and palm kernel oil. Excess consumption can increase “bad” LDL cholesterol in your blood, one of the risk factors for developing atherosclerosis (hardening) of your arteries (American…

Celebrate World Pest Day Today!

June 7, 2022
What is World Pest Day? Today, June 6th, is National World Pest Day! World Pest Day was first celebrated on June 6, 2017 and has since become an annual event. The day is recognized to bring awareness to the problems pests can cause and the importance of pest control. It also encourages the support of…

It’s World Bicycle Day, and you should go for a ride…

June 6, 2022
Today, June 3rd is the United Nations World Bicycle Day.  Being an extremely passionate cyclist, I decided to write a blog post to share, not only the benefits that riding a bike has brought to my life, but the positive impact it can have on the world. You get friends: More often than not, people who ride…

2022 Updated UF/IFAS Hurricane and Disaster Information

June 4, 2022
The UF/IFAS Disaster Preparation & Recovery website offers resources to help Floridians prepare for and deal with natural disasters. From hurricanes to floods, tornados to thunderstorms, natural disasters can impact our lives with little notice. But there are ways to prepare for them and effectively deal with their aftermath. This website offers vital information from…

Rain Lily – Wild Weeds

June 2, 2022
Wild Weeds – Weed of the Month Rain Lily Zephyranthes atamasca Rain Lily (photo by Eleanor Dietrich)Rain Lily is a short-lived perennial wildflower that occurs in moist flatwoods, river swamps, floodplains, and can often be found in ditches and roadsides. As the name suggests, this plant typically blooms after a rain shower. Flowering can occur…

Left to the elements: what happens to wildlife during hurricanes?

June 2, 2022
Hurricane Season Starts June 1st! Image credit: David Marks from PixabayAs we enter into this year’s hurricane season and people are reminded to gather appropriate stocks of water, medicines, pet supplies and nonperishables; be ready to board up their buildings and hunker down… have you ever wondered what happens to the wildlife left outdoors to weather a hurricane’s winds…

Better with Butterflies: Painted Ladies

June 1, 2022
This month I want to address the spiritual aspects or symbolism of butterflies across world cultures. Because of their unique lifecycle from humble crawly eating machine into a many colored, graceful flying insect, butterflies symbolize transformation, rebirth, hope and resurrection in many cultures and religions. In parts of Asia black butterflies may represent bad luck…

Make it a tea garden

May 31, 2022
 Southerners and sweet tea When I was a child we drank sweet tea. I didn’t really know where it came from but it was sweet and that suited me just fine. Later, I discovered tea was from the leaf of a plant. I had heard about tea leaves and it still didn’t resonate much. I…

Growing Blackberry in South Florida

May 31, 2022
 Scientific Name: Rubus fruticosus Common Names: bramble, blackberry, European blackberry, black heg, wild blackberry Origin: Europe and Asia Family: Rosaceae Other plants in the Rosaceae family: blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, apricots, plums, cherries, apple Climate: Blackberry grows best in temperate climates. We have some blackberry species that are native to Florida such as wild blackberry. However, wild blackberry does not have marketing…

Fresh and Healthy Summer Salad Mix

May 31, 2022
I couldn’t let May slip away without sharing a video I made showcasing how I make my fresh and healthy summer salad mix.  There is no cooking involved – only chopping some vegetables. This recipe calls for only six ingredients. In honor of national salad month, I share with you this recipe. by Carol…

Asian Vegetables Grown in Florida

May 31, 2022
  As Asian Pacific American Heritage Month comes to a close, let’s spotlight some Asian vegetables Florida growers produce. The below fun facts are from the Asian Vegetables Emerging in Florida series, published by the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department. Bitter Melon Bitter melon has been used in Asian and African herbal medicine for a long time, and its use…

Stop and smell the jasmine!

May 27, 2022
I like to highlight public places to see plants, and besides our own amazing Master Gardener Volunteer Demonstration Garden on Harborview Road, and the Nature Park in Punta Gorda, the History Park in Punta Gorda is another place to enjoy beautiful, well-cultivated landscapes.  During a recent visit to the History Park I found a wonderful…
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