Halloween masks are big business for retailers attracting customers in October. After all, what child could refuse being a super hero, princess, or a hideous freak of nature while getting a sack full of candy? In reality, the tactic of appearing to be something intimidating is fairly common. It is especially useful in the untamed…Read more
Tag: Native Species
Natural Brilliance to Light Up Fall’s Shorter Days
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
An Ominous Sign of Decay’s Grasp
Despite the many negative statements about the 2023 hurricane season, at least it provided ample rain. Even this late in the year the moisture supports growth, but in late autumn the development usually takes place unseen below ground. That is not the case with native fungi species. The local mushrooms and toadstools appear overnight in…Read more
Insect Pests Like Them Less Than You Do
“Oh gracious, why wasn’t I born old and ugly,” said a Charles Dickens character in the 1841 serialized novel Barnaby Rudge. This is not an often-heard sentiment in the 21st century which is focused on youth and beauty. While this pronouncement is the complete opposite of contemporary culture, the statement does apply to some in…Read more
When ”Gone to Seed” Is a Good Thing
“Gone to seed” is a distinctly American agricultural saying from the time when most of America’s population was living on a farm. This adage usually denotes very negative connotations when applied to people, places and many objects. The implication is the subject of the remark has reached terminal depreciation after delivering all they are capable…Read more
A Harmless Garden Dweller Best Left Alone
Now that temperatures outside are beginning to moderate in early autumn, there is more incentive to work in the landscape. There are plenty of tasks to engage in this time of year. There are leaves and pine straw to rake, the collection of pinecones and branches which have fallen, the removal of dying weeds which…Read more
Fall’s Dazzling Hues and Their Varied Meanings
In literature and religion, colors have an implicit meaning. This allows the theme to be communicated subliminally to the well-read and visually to those who see the iconography. There are, of course, differences between cultures. White in the western world indicates purity, but it represents death in the far east. Green has been associated with…Read more
The Golden Hues Leading Into Winter
Fortunately, there are still plenty of leaves remaining on the trees in panhandle Florida. Hurricane Idalia’s track damaged some of the Big Bend area, but its destructive path will not impede the seasonal color change. The summer of 2023 has been relatively wet and as such the color change of leaves will be unremarkable. The…Read more
The Regal Shades of Autumn’s Beauty
As summer fades to autumn in less than a week, the color pallet of the region’s landscape is gradually changing. Unlike latitudes to the north, panhandle Florida’s fall colors come in a rainbow of wildflower shades. Generally speaking, early fall’s wildflowers come in one of four tint categories. White, yellow, green and purple cover the…Read more
A Pest With an Important Role
There is nothing favorable about being compared to a roach, having roaches, or appearing roach-like. It is all negative and an insult to boot. In panhandle Florida one of the native species is the woods roach, Eurycotis floridana. Commonly referred to as the palmetto bug, this insect can reach almost two inches in length and…Read more