It is hard to believe, and the daytime temperature is no indication of the change, but autumn is underway. While the weather is cooler (at least a bit cooler), it is by no means cool in the truest sense of the word. Even so, many of the native wildflowers are a reflection of this celestial-based…Read more
One thing is certain, the recent rains are making the grass, and most other plants, grow. Thankfully the conversations about drought have been silenced for the time being and everything is green. In the local home gardens a member of the grass family is responding positively to all the moisture from above. Sweet corn in…Read more
It currently looks like the winter of 2024 has finished a bit ahead of schedule, at least in panhandle Florida. The storm systems which are still heaping snow and ice on the northern tier states are producing showers locally. Those showers, hopefully minus the destructive winds, are producing copious flowers, both wild and domestic. That…Read more
One common complaint about vegetable gardening is it takes so long for the end product to be ready for harvest. In most cases the average is 90 days, but some can extend out to 180 or more. Another is the seasonal limitations of plants. The range of acceptable temperatures is relatively narrow for most, but…Read more
Many of the native wildflowers in north Florida are a reflection of the season’s changing light levels, no matter what the thermometer reads. They are providing numerous fall colors and hues. One of the most common in panhandle Florida is Bidens alba. It is known by an assortment of common names including Spanish needles, Beggar’s-tick…Read more
The seasonal temperatures have moved panhandle Florida’s vegetable gardens from winter to the spring phase. Still, the unusually cool March has made it possible for a few winter holdouts to remain for early April 2023. While many of winter’s leafy vegetables are responding to the longer days by bolting, sending up flower spikes, a few…Read more
Some of the early blooming azaleas are already flowering in early February. Less obvious are some of the other species which add color to the environment. One of these bright spots is wild geraniums. Much like the camellias and azaleas, geraniums have been cultivated for centuries. While the details are lost to history, the plant…Read more
Hitchhiking was once a common means of low-cost transportation. A person would walk to the nearest road and hold out their fist with the thumb pointed up while attempting to make eye contact with passing drivers. In a simpler time, hitchhikers were commonly provided a ride to a predetermined spot on the map. In exchange…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
