In north Florida, October is a transitional month for home gardeners with the summer vegetables ebbing in both growth and production. Fall and winter crops are going in, but in most cases, they are still too underdeveloped to utilize in any volume. It is a curious alignment of convenience that one of the last to…Read more
March in panhandle Florida is a transitional gardening month. Both spring and winter gardens are being tended, with the winter crops soon coming to an end and the spring crops developing. From a weather perspective, the year 2024 has been kind to vegetable gardening. The temperatures and rain have been close to seasonally average. Most…Read more
The term creeping has many negative implications. It conveys sneaky behavior with potentially malevolent intent. The definition of creeping could be updated to the equivalent of internet stalking. It means to pursue or follow someone in a persistent, secretive way. By doing so, the goal is to advance gradually and unnoticed, then infringe on some…Read more
Sometimes events do not turn out as planned. The project’s initiative was sound, but unknown factors appeared and turned success into a mess. The sterling historical example of this concept can be summed up in one name, George Armstrong Custer. Panhandle Florida, however, has many lesser-known examples in the ornamental horticulture arena which have caused…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
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
It has been a refrain heard throughout the centuries and likely originating during the Neolithic epoch. “Eat your vegetables,” is the anthem of almost every parent during mealtime when juveniles are involved. While there are many green substances on the plate which are perceived as offensive by the progeny, peas are known for their repulsive…Read more
