There are special rewards for those who share their talents and the joy of gardening with children

Encourage children to grow something and take care of it. They will learn responsibility and a sense of achievement. (Don Goode photo) Involving children in your garden activities can be rewarding for you and for them. Older adults often appreciate the ability of children to bend and work at ground level. Children may have more strength and stamina that the elderly. On the other hand, adults can tap into their experiences to teach children lessons of life as illustrated in the natural setting of the garden. Children open up doors of learning and entertainment for the adult as well as the child explores new things and notices things we long ago stopped observing. Saturday, January 21, 2012 Click here for full story.

January 18, 2012 23:51January 11, 2012 17:49January 4, 2012 17:18January 4, 2012 17:17December 23, 2011 22:33December 14, 2011 01:33December 6, 2011 20:33

Winter is a good time for pruning, planting and transplanting landscape trees and shrubs

The fall and early winter seasons are ideal for planting container-grown trees and shrubs. It is also an excellent time to transplant an in-ground plant from one location to another. If the plant is already established in the ground it will survive the move better if you retain the maximum amount of roots. It helps to “prune” the roots a month ahead of the move. Saturday, January 14, 2012 Click here for full story.

Backyard gardens can be versatile, attractive and make the most of small spaces

Gardening is fun no matter how much room you have! I once lived in an apartment where I had no access to the ground to grow things. I did have a small front porch though. I built a raised bed garden box, but then thought I could make this work as a multi-layer grow box. It looked bulky, but the pyramid structure was fun to work with. Let's look at some techniques you could try to make the most of your garden space. You may not have room in the yard for a vegetable garden or there Sunday, January 08, 2012 Click here for full story.

Winter is time for red and green holly, purple and pink loropetalum, yellow snapdragons and multicolored pansys and violas

As I write this article, it is an overcast, still, cold day. Winter weather is setting in. Although short-lived in Florida, the winter season can be dull in the landscape. Let's look at some plants that bring color to this “off season.” There are several plant options that offer colorful leaves, blooms or fruit during the winter season. For more striking mass plantings and showy heights consider some of these trees and shrubs: Nandinas (or heavenly bamboo) are available as several cultivars now. Some varieties stay short and make nice ground cover or flower bed plants. Others are mid-sized while the older varieties can reach heights of 6-10 feet! Sunday, January 01, 2012 Click here for full story.

Roses offer a rainbow of colors almost any time of the year in northern Florida

Many roses thrive in cool weather in Northern Florida and they add to the festive colors of the season. Even though most types originated from Asia, roses may be the number one favorite for American gardeners!  There is so much symbolism of love and friendship associated with roses.  They are available in a wide range of colors and sizes.  Some are fragrant and others are not (for those sensitive to odors).  Saturday, December 24, 2011 Click here for full story.

Clubs can enrich gardening experiences with educational and social activities

As gardeners we tend to be independent thinkers and do-it-yourselfers. It is nice, from time to time, to get together with others of similar interests to share ideas and keep the inspiration going. The Woman's club and Garden Club of Lake City offers several opportunities for those interested in gardening. Through the club you can attend educational programs and hear outstanding guest speakers. Fundraisers go to support local projects and charities. Smaller garden circle meetings are available to meet others with similar interests. Call (386) 755-0347 for more information. Saturday, December 17, 2011 Click here for full story.

Gardeners and nurseries have several techniques to control when plants will bloom

Some plants seem to bloom happily all year long such as the African violet. Other plants only bloom at a particular season (many of the flower bulbs and blooming bush plants). At least that is how it seems until you step into a floral shop or garden center and find things in full bloom when they ordinarily wouldn't be. How do they do that? The art and science of making things bloom when you want them to is called “forcing” or “scheduling” depending on the techniques used. Saturday, December 10, 2011 Click here for full story.

For North Florida gardeners with greenhouses, the growing season and the fun never ends

“Why should I use a greenhouse?” you might ask. Sometimes it would be really helpful to have a way to protect tender plants from cold weather. You might want to start your flower and vegetable transplants early to get a jump on the season. Perhaps you want to root some cuttings under more favorable conditions. You might have plants in the fall that you would like to keep growing a little longer to harvest those late tomatoes or peppers. Saturday, December 03, 2011 Click here for full story.