January is the month of home landscaping leisure. Except for the possibility of raking some leaves and pine straw, chores are at a low ebb. Camellias are blooming, azaleas and gardenias should not be pruned, and the grass does not need mowing. Even most of the destructive bugs are inactive. With all this “extra time”…Read more
Panhandle Florida’s weather has entered its typical January temperature pattern of warm and pleasant for a few days, and then cold for a few days. Freezing temperatures and frost are to be expected, with all that entails. On nights below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, pets need to be in a warm and protected place, if not…Read more
The meteorologists who forecast the outside conditions for the next few days have been hyperbolic about the coming cold front. After the rain and stormy weather, the temperature readings are predicted to noticeably fall in panhandle Florida and other parts of the country. Here in the northern hemisphere, it is January and cold weather is…Read more
The holiday decorations have been stored for next year and the revelry of New Year’s Eve has subsided. Life has returned to its humdrum pace, with one exception. For most, the holiday bills will soon come due. An air of anxiety arises every time the postman delivers the mail. Each unopened envelope has the potential…Read more
One thing about winter storms is they blow off almost any leaves remaining on deciduous trees. Every time a cold front arrives from the northwest, the winds pick up and the yard must be raked again. To conserve labor the homeowner could wait until all the leaves are down before raking, but procrastination can cause…Read more
With the holidays in the rearview mirror, the ads which reach prospective customers have shifted from discounted specials to heavily discounted leftovers. The good deals of a few days ago are now great deals, if you really need them. It is easy to get caught up in the buying frenzy when the purchaser has only…Read more
It will soon be the night before Christmas, and many a creature will be stirring in the house. Fortunately, it is not likely to be a mouse. The stockings are hung… somewhere in the abode with the hopes that Saint and Mrs. Nicholas got all their shopping done. The tree, either real or synthetic, represents…Read more
Winter of 2024/25 officially starts on Sunday, December 20, 2024. One can only guess if it will be harsh or mild by panhandle Florida standards. Along with the short days, the foliage’s color and leaf drop reflect the obvious. Still, there are native species which are displaying an emerald tint, at least for the time…Read more
It is a weird and perverse universal cosmic law which applies to every homeowner with a yard. This particular statute compounds all that is positive and correct and turns it into a negative. This is why if a slice of buttered toast is dropped, the chances of it landing with the butter side down seem…Read more
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
