Clipping, clearing, pruning and shaping are all part of the cool season improvement effort. There are also a variety of projects which require penetrating beneath the soil’s surface into the mostly unseen realm of roots and rhizomes. The common tree or shrub root holds few surprises. A woody root appears as the subsurface equivalent of…Read more
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
Retail marketing in the 21st century has occasionally strange and odd juxtapositions of merchandise which have some shoppers scratching their heads. For example, on the shelves currently are about 20 different cream-of-mushroom soups from a famous brand. There is the usual fat free variety, but there is also the gluten free, heart healthy, low salt,…Read more
Late summer is the time for enjoying panhandle Florida’s great outdoors. There is gardening, boating, cycling, hiking and numerous other leisure time activities which enhance the area’s pleasant natural environment. It is easy to forget that not all nature has to offer is an enjoyable experience. One consideration before tromping off into unfamiliar forests, and other…Read more
It may be hard to believe, but summer is almost half over. Autumn, at least on the calendar, will begin in late September with more moderate temperatures. While there are still some, or many, hot humid days left to endure, the gradual dwindling hours of sunlight indicate the approach of hopefully cooler weather and a…Read more
In the days before mass marketing, big box retailing and internet sales, people had to create their own solutions to the wants and needs of daily life. The results were based on the materials at hand and were often imaginative, but sometimes bordering on the absurd. If purchasing and bartering were not an option, then…Read more
A familiar face in an unfamiliar setting can often cause confusion. This understandable reaction can happen with gardeners and their plants just as easily as with any other scenario. Currently with so many exotic and seasonally showy horticultural products in the environment, it is challenging to keep up with all the blooms. Even so there…Read more
Gardening is messy, muddy and a lot of work, especially after recent rains. But the benefits of gardening are tremendous, from healthy food to understanding and appreciating nature. In panhandle Florida recent cold temperatures have left many residents undecided about what to grow in this part of the year given spring could arrive at any…Read more
There is a lot to be gained from having a tough reputation. Only those with an excessively stalwart disposition or lack of good sense will dare to make a challenge to the individual who holds this distinction. Unbending, rigid and durable are descriptors which invoke a firm, if not dogmatic, state of resiliency. With this…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
