One genus of plants, with both native and exotic members, is welcoming visitors to stop by for a snack or meal. Local hollies will soon be heavily laden with tiny blooms and deep green leaves. Ilexes, as hollies are scientifically known, are common in the temperate to tropical parts of the globe with species on…Read more
Florida is home to about 80 to 85 mosquito species, many of which live in the panhandle. Of those, 20 plus are exotic mosquitos which have been inadvertently imported, such as the Asian Tiger Mosquito also called the Tire Mosquito. Contrary to popular perception, not all of these dine on humans. Some target only birds,…Read more
Valentine’s day is on the horizon and grass in panhandle Florida’s yards has finally stopped growing, so the lawnmower can be stored for the winter. The milder (sometimes cold) days and cool, crisp evenings signal a pause for turf weeds until the weather warms up again in the spring, right? Well, not quite. A quick…Read more
The official start of winter was just a few weeks ago and the landscape is dormant. With the exception of live oak trees, all the plants and trees which lose their leaves have dropped them to the ground. For panhandle Florida homeowners recovering from the holidays, early January is a tempting time to reflect on…Read more
Words are a curious human creation. Each has at least one meaning or implication for the listener. The terms used today date back to long before recorded history began. Countless academics have postulated and theorized as to how these oral identifiers have migrated and evolved through the millennia to arrive at the languages used today….Read more
Only yesterday Santa left gifts under trees all across homes in panhandle Florida. Some of the trees are or were actually trees, and others are a conglomeration of one or more materials consisting of metals, plastic and other manmade substances. Most of the real tree material is from cut trees not native to the area….Read more
The holiday season in panhandle Florida brings the inevitability of cold and frosty weather. While nothing complements eggnog or hot chocolate like a chill in the air, some plants do not appreciate the dropping temperatures. Homeowners and gardeners face a new set of challenges dealing with the effects of cold weather in the forecast for…Read more
Recent weather has confirmed winter is really here. While the hours of sunshine will be getting marginally longer in a few days, the appearance of frost in the morning is not a surprise to anyone. Last week’s painful cold temperatures will lead to noticeably higher power bills in the coming weeks. The short days and…Read more
The rollercoaster nature of recent temperatures has been blamed on a variety of problems, primarily respiratory ills. The temperature was up, then down, then up and down again. The uncertainty makes it difficult to know if the heat or a/c should be on and whether to dress warm or cool. The weather’s wide variability has…Read more
The 2022 holiday season, with all the wonderful traditional dishes from recipes passed down through the generations, is here. Historically, these treats have been assembled from locally produced foodstuffs, but also with that distinctive and unique quality identified with a family’s status and pride. Chief among those family culinary treats are the desserts, or offerings…Read more
