The recent showers have been a welcome relief after a few weeks without the critical liquid from above. Irrigation and sprinklers can produce a bountiful vegetable garden, healthy shrubs and a lovely green lawn, but generous rains do it so much better and at a lower cost. April is an ideal time to plant many…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
On June 1st, Atlantic hurricane season officially begins and lasts until November 30th. This six-month period places coastal zone residents, as well as many entire states, at an increased risk of tree liability potential. When a healthy tree fails structurally in a storm, insurance will pay for damage caused by it, less any deductible. Generally,…Read more
Citrus has long been associated with Florida. A popular advertising slogan of the 1970s from the Florida Citrus Commission invited people to “come to the Florida sunshine tree…” because “breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine.” The Florida citrus industry began in the northeastern region of the state along the St. Johns…Read more
Panhandle Florida residents are able to enjoy a lifestyle with vast tracts of forested land having ample greenery, even in winter. Combined with the temperate climate (most of the year), the wildlands sustain an environment which is the envy of many Americans in more urban locales. Those acres stay lush during years with normal to…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
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
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 of the many benefits of living in panhandle Florida is the relatively mild winters. While the days and nights are not the subtropical temperatures of south Florida in October, the thermometer readings are far above the frigid readings so common currently in much of the country. A secondary advantage of the local climate is…Read more
Everything seems to come with some sort of trade off. Each benefit has a corresponding detriment, the yin and yang of everyday connected reality. The recent weather is a good example of this philosophical perception of the natural world’s two sides. It has had its negative attributes resulting in positive outcomes for a vast segment…Read more
