The soon-to-arrive month of July in panhandle Florida is known as a period for maintaining one’s landscaping and gardening efforts. While it is great to be outside for recreational activities, the lawn and garden chores can be a bit tedious in the heat and humidity currently occurring. Still, there are some very productive activities which…Read more
Tag: Seasons
Tips and Tricks for Effective Spring Watering
The calendar says April and there have been several days in the 80s. While heatwaves have not been the norm recently, the humidity percentages have been in the low 20s, especially after fronts have come through. The landscape, along with people and pets, may reflect the results of exposure to a lack of moisture in…Read more
Waste Not, Want Not: Mulching and Composting
The seasonal weather has many homeowners returning to chores in their yards. The lawn has to be mowed, weeds pulled, new plants installed and on and on. The effort usually produces positive results. The neat, well-kept appearance delivers an inviting environment and, best yet, the envy of neighbors and visitors. The yard work also produces…Read more
Seasonal Tips for Cultivating a Healthy Garden
It currently looks like the winter of 2024 has finished a bit ahead of schedule, at least in panhandle Florida. The storm systems which are still heaping snow and ice on the northern tier states are producing showers locally. Those showers, hopefully minus the destructive winds, are producing copious flowers, both wild and domestic. That…Read more
The Golden Weeks of Spring
Most societies have a “Golden Age” of some sort. The pinnacle of a culture’s development is represented by a variety of accomplishments which forever denote the character of the generations which produced the successes. The hallmarks of the zenith vary widely in the eyes of historians. There can be complex philosophies on the meaning of…Read more
The Spring Renewal Is on the Way
Panhandle Florida’s winter of 2023/24 has had some frigid nights. The frosty mornings have not been a rarity. Even so, there are signs winter is grudgingly retreating. Aside from the occasional warm day, the daylight hours are obviously increasing. Officially spring is still four and a half weeks away, beginning on March 19, 2024. This…Read more
A Few Cool Season Crop Ideas
February may be the shortest month of the year, but from a vegetable gardener’s perspective there is plenty to do in the cool winter days. So far, the weather has had its ups and downs, but there has been ample rain. It is difficult for the groundhog to forecast whether the cold will continue or…Read more
A Healthy Veggie You’d Be Happy to Spy in Your Garden
The spring garden seed catalogs will soon be arriving daily in the mail with plentiful photos of spring flowers and vegetables in the back of the publication. Panhandle Florida’s gardeners have to make good use of their limited home garden space, a limitation which sometimes eliminates healthy choices in favor of colorful options. Lucky gardeners…Read more
The Importance of Mulch and a Few Other Winter Tips
There has been a collective sigh of relief now that the December holiday season has passed. While it was fun seeing the extended family (at least most of them) and indulging in sugar-coated treats, it is time to return to some semblance of normality. School and work schedules have returned to their pre-holiday routines and…Read more
The Natural Beauty Hidden Among Winter’s Muted Shades
The winters in north Florida are always (relatively) pleasant, especially when compared to the rest of the country. While ice-age conditions may be inflicting a polar environment on the Midwest and New England, here in the panhandle the season of short days and long nights only means the lawnmowers get a rest. Even with the…Read more