Recent rains have water standing on some panhandle Florida real estate which was dry only a few weeks ago. Ponds, natural and dug, are brimming with water, reflecting the excessive outpouring from the slow and wet weather system which passed listlessly over the region. The rain-water surplus is also filling the natural geographical low points…Read more
As the holiday season comes into the home stretch, red and green are everywhere to be seen. Retail establishments, homes, and just about everywhere else humans frequent are awash in the colors red and green. While the leaves of many deciduous trees, weeds and shrubs have converted to a shade of brown, two common local…Read more
Snack foods are a typical American part of any break from school and a holiday staple. There are so many from which to choose, each with its own unique flavor and texture. In recent years, these well preserved (or petrified) treats have come under near constant criticism from a variety of health professionals. There is…Read more
Sometimes appearances really do represent the situation at hand. That can be good, or it can be bad. With winter about a month in the future for north Florida, the observer must be focused to identify the problems in the native environment. Unfortunately, if left too long the problems can be challenging to control in…Read more
Seasonal distractions are at an epidemic level. There are shopping and sales, social events, more shopping, gift wrapping, and then even additional last-minute shopping for those emergency gifts. The ample rain recently combined with the colder temperatures has created a less than ideal environment for working in the landscape and garden. Even the deer hunters…Read more
One is the loneliest number, at least according to the 1969 rock and roll hit by the group Three Dog Night. The tune bemoans typical teenage angst about not having that special companion. True isolation and exceptional separation, especially in nature, are much more difficult to achieve. One locally grown tree, the maidenhair tree, is…Read more
In panhandle Florida there is a bird species which literally swarms in huge numbers later in the year. The American white ibis is a native species found from Virginia to the Gulf Coast. It also occurs throughout the Caribbean, on both coasts of Mexico, Central America and as far south as Columbia and Venezuela. The…Read more
Fortunately, there are vegetables which can be grown in panhandle Florida’s winter. They offer the opportunity for a fresh and consistent supply of healthy dietary staples. There are a few which easily tolerate the weather but are not widely accepted by ever hungry youngsters. Brussels sprouts, which handles cold and ice with barely a notice, are…Read more
More than 2500 years ago Aesop, the Greek fabulist, told the story of the ant and the grasshopper. The ant was industrious and prepared for the coming winter, but the grasshopper was profligate and did not get ready for the impending period of privation. It did not end well for the decadent grasshopper. The moral…Read more
The potential for frigid winter weather in panhandle Florida has changed the gardening landscape. Only the hardiest vegetables will survive a “polar express”, and most of these are leaf crops. One resilient vegetable which is not strictly a leaf crop planted in the autumn for winter or spring harvest is the onion. If raised for…Read more
