The cool days and cooler nights of December have removed home gardening from the minds of many suburban residents recently arrived in panhandle Florida. Much of the region’s commercial vegetable production has moved to warmer counties in the extreme southern parts of the state. However, the holiday season has refocused the attention of many to…Read more
Notoriety can be a positive attribute when events go as planned (or hoped). Such is the case with the much-heralded Monarch Butterflies’ recent departure. These colorful insects have garnered the interest and concern of tens of thousands, if not millions, of people who are worried an age-old annual pilgrimage to winter grounds in Mexico may…Read more
The traditional season of harvest and the gatherings of families and friends is at hand. A celebratory holdover from past generations who were completely dependent upon the land for food and other critical resources, in November one counted their blessings collectively or tightened their belt individually for a long and dismal winter. Today’s residents of…Read more
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
October brings the prospect of relief from the heat and humidity of a panhandle Florida summer. The temperatures have moderated, albeit slightly, alleviating some of the oppressive qualities of the daylight hours. The sun’s progression into the southern sky has lengthened the nights to the point where they have a majority of the minutes, and…Read more
“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
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
The heat notwithstanding, 2023 has been a good growing year for panhandle Florida’s lawns and gardens. The rain has been adequate and timed to keep the ground moist, but not too soggy. That is the good news, but there is bad news too. Weeds in north Florida like the same environment and are growing aggressively…Read more
Walking through a forest in Maine is similar to walking through a Florida forest, but there are many differences too. Both have trees, underbrush and ground cover. The trees, underbrush and ground cover in Maine are mostly of a different species than those in Florida, even though some are in the same genus. In the…Read more
The summer solstice has passed, and the weather reflects the seasonal change. High temperatures and stifling humidity are the daily norm. Still, the sun has begun its daily retreat into the southern sky, and the northern hemisphere repeats its regular annual tilt away from solar exposure. The creatures and plants which populate the woods, swamps…Read more
