Snow, sleet and subfreezing temperatures should result in an absence of insects for a while, especially the ones which sting. Despite the many negative attributes of the January 2025 blizzard, at least a stroll outside would not result in bothersome bugs. Expectations aside, the bugs are back. Social insects seemed to have the quickest return…Read more
Tag: Seasons
The Limited Food Choices for Winter in the Sunshine State
The record setting cold wave with snow, ice and sleet is finally dissipating. Nightly temperatures are above freezing and the last of the icy roadways have thawed so drivers need not worry about slippery pavement. During the worst of the blizzard, residents of panhandle Florida were wisely advised by government officials to stay home and…Read more
When the Winter Weather Fools the Foliage
This winter’s exceptional weather was deceiving some popular springtime ornamental shrubs and fruit trees into flowering prematurely. The weather took a turn for the worse last week and the deception is over. Azaleas, for example, began blooming because there were warm days which followed a few days of cold. With the return of below seasonal…Read more
Sluggish Snakes of the Sunshine State
On the still days after a cold front has passed through panhandle Florida, the chilly silence can be thunderous. Only the occasional puff of wind in the pine needles and the crunch of heavy frost underfoot shatters the quiet. The appearance of lifeless tranquility is gradually withdrawn as the sun climbs into the southern sky…Read more
Making Sure They Won’t Be Back
The recent killing frost in most of panhandle Florida, except places adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico, has removed annual weeds. The low temperatures and freezing water vapor ruptured their cells, permanently ending their life. The few that remain partially erect appear as broken sticks. Tan to black in color, their fragile appearance predicts their…Read more
Important Landscaping Tasks for the Winter Months
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
How to Responsibly Help Your Plants Survive the Cold
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
Natural Ways to Add Holiday Color
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
Shades of Green in the Cold Months
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
Dealing With Unexpected Guests in the Garden
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