Author: Les Harrison

Les Harrison is a longtime resident of north Florida, having attended public schools in three counties. He has a Bachelor Degree from the University of Florida in Journalism and a Master’s of Science from Auburn University in Agricultural Economics. He is the author of more than 2000 newspaper and magazine stories and journal articles. During his career, he held positions in private, government and educational (university level) sectors. He holds the title of Extension Agent Emeritus. He can be reached at harrison.gl@gmail.com.

Mashes Sands: Relaxation at the End of the Road

In these days of pandemic and public panics, a reprieve from the maddening crowds is a welcome option. To disconnect from the stresses and demands can be both psychologically and physically beneficial to urbanites and suburbanites alike. Idyllic isolation, however, is a rare commodity in the intensely connected 21st century, but there are some feasible…Read more

Carrabelle: A Slice of the Coastal Quiet Life

Carrabelle today is far different than the tiny fishing village in panhandle Florida of 1942. While the year round population is currently less than 3,000, at the beginning of World War II the inhabitants’ numbers had barely reached a thousand. Chartered in 1893, fishing, logging and subsistence farming sustained the residents during those early and…Read more

Combating the Cold: Protecting Plants when Florida Freezes

Gardeners will soon face a new set of challenges dealing with the effects of cold weather. However, a little planning and creativity early can make plant protection in the landscape a relatively simple process. Many homeowners and landscape managers want to know when plants will need protection. Depending on the plant, the point of freezing…Read more

Free, Natural Pest Control!

The lush green foliage of Wakulla County hides many secrets. Lurking in the murky recesses of nature’s dim places are a collection of tiny creatures with a variety of competing interests. Some organisms are there only to control the unrestrained growth of the plants and fungi which utilize the available resources. Others, with carnivorous intent,…Read more

Meridian Road: Connections to the Past

North of Tallahassee, Florida, there is a remnant of the territorial era which remains as a link to a time now long past. Meridian Road once extended from the state’s prime meridian in the capital north to the Georgia state line. Now designated as County Road 155, this canopy road still has many stretches where…Read more

A Health Checkup for the Yard

Hurricane Sally is now last week’s news. Comparatively, it is a footnote in the year 2020 which has turned out to be quite a 12 month period in the history of the almost everyone. Still some mundane chores are currently underway in an effort to recover from the storm’s effects. Hopefully readers of this post…Read more

Prickly Weeds and Pesky Berries

The end of summer has many wishing to enjoy their lawns barefooted for merriment and dancing before the onset of the inevitable cooler weather. Even the ongoing hot weather can be enjoyed, or endured, better with the soles of one’s feet in contact with grasses. Unfortunately, there are some cautions which must be taken in…Read more

A Flower Best Avoided

Redundant terms emphasize the qualities which are exhibited by the tangible item or the abstract concept represented. This grammatical technique is meant to immediately accentuate the traits, be they positive or negative. For example almost everyone has some idea of how honey tastes: sweet. However there are those who must accentuate this quality by identifying…Read more

The Roadside Invasion

The unexpected arrival of visitors off the highway has a variety of implications and consequences. Some can be positive and some negative. The surprise appearance in many cases leaves the host scrambling to react appropriately and recover from their lack of awareness to the potential of a stopover. The soon to arrive holiday season has…Read more

The Wakulla River: Spring Fed and Ever Popular

Classified as a “first magnitude spring”, Wakulla Springs is a world-class liquid resource which is expelling water from the Floridan aquifer on to the surface of north Florida’s coastal plain. Within the confines of the Edward Ball State Park, the spring and the first few miles of the resulting river are protected in a tightly…Read more