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
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
Gardening during the summer of 2024 has been “interesting”, to say the least, in panhandle Florida. The temperatures have been higher than recent averages and several storms have been quite violent. The environment’s tantrums limited the choice of crops to the stalwarts able to handle the 90-degree temperatures, high humidity and the intermittent rains, some…Read more
Technically panhandle Florida is on the borderline of the sub-tropics by virtue of its latitudinal location. It is roughly halfway between the tropical zone and the northern temperate zone, getting, by most estimates, the best of both worlds. There are winters here and they are usually pretty mild, at least by Minnesota standards. A light…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
As the weather warms and summer beckons, the landscape reshapes daily. New blooms pop out and are soon followed by fruit, seeds or nuts. Some are useful to the human residents, but many are eaten by insects. As with people, there are some bugs that are picky about their meals. Panhandle Florida has some native…Read more
The year’s fourth month is the time for grasses to emerge and expand their respective territories. Some are native and well behaved, but others are not and will grow aggressively, if conditions meet their needs. Torpedograss (Panicum repens) is a perennial grass with a creeping but forceful growth pattern and sharply pointed rhizomes. Stems are…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
There is something to be said for being a longtime area resident. The geographic familiarity helps promote focus on perfecting the traits which are applicable and close to home. The unique, and very pleasant, environment of north Florida is an excellent example of near perfection, on a localized basis. The weather (within reason), the fauna…Read more
Two for the price of one is a popular marketing tactic. It leaves the buyer with the sensation of getting a real bargain. In landscaping this concept is usually seen by the homeowner as getting blooms and foliage from plants. If searching for a border plant this combination is challenging, except for fishermen. There is…Read more
