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Moth Balls and Your Garden Don't Mix!
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Did you know that moth balls can harm people, pets, or wildlife that may touch or eat them, or breathe the vapors? The pesticides in moth balls may also contaminate soil, plants, and water. Please don't use moth balls to repel unwanted critters in your yard or garden!
All outside uses of these mothballs, moth flakes, crystals and bars are prohibited. According to the label, these products should only be used in an airtight space or well-sealed container such as a garment bag. This ensures that the fumes they produce are trapped.
It is ILLEGAL to use moth balls in locations NOT listed on the pesticide label, such as in attics, walls, voids, crawl spaces, gardens, closets, or plastic garbage bags.
Please read and share this new Fact Sheet about mothballs from the University of Florida/IFAS:
edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/PI/PI25400.pdf
If you are trying to keep wild critters out of your home or yard, here is info that can help:
Dealing with Unwanted Wildlife
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw070
Laws that Protect Florida Wildlife
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw076
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Free "Catch the Rain" Calendar Features Student Art
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Artwork by 13 Sarasota elementary school students is featured in the free "Catch the Rain" calendar produced by Sarasota County.
The images were selected through a countywide art contest. Drawings in the calendar show ways to keep our waterways healthy and clean, such as:
- Using a rain barrel to water plants
- Picking up after your pooch (There is no Poop Fairy - it's up to you!)
- Creating a beautiful rain garden to absorb rain and prevent runoff
- Planting trees
- Making crafts from trash
Each month's artwork is accompanied by a "Challenge of the Month" that suggests simple actions we all can take to protect the waterways that make living here fun.
Calendars are available at county libraries and government buildings, along with Mote Marine Lab, Selby Gardens and other public places. Digital copies of the winning calendar artwork will be displayed throughout the year online on the Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship Team (NEST) web page.
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 | | Is your citrus tree infected with greening? Source: Bradenton Herald |
Video shares simple tips to tell if your tree has citrus greening
Manatee County Extension Agent Lisa Hickey shares some simple tips to help homeowners tell if their citrus tree has the citrus greening disease. The video was produced by The Bradenton Herald.
Citrus greening is a serious bacterial disease spread by a tiny non-native insect called the Asian citrus psyllid. Greening is a threat to the survival of our state's important citrus industry. Also at risk are the backyard citrus trees that are a beloved part of Florida's heritage for many homeowners.
Currently, there is no cure for this disease, named for the greenish, misshapen fruit it causes.
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Our wild and whimsical painted flamingo flock enjoyed a month-long visit at the New Tampa Regional Library and has flown south to the Manatee Performing Arts Center in Bradenton for February.
If you miss them in Manatee, no worries. Here is their remaining tour schedule:
March: Carrollwood Cultural Center, Tampa
April: Museum of Science and Industry, Tampa
May: Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport
June-August: Tampa Bay History Center, Tampa
The flock of 25 flamboyant flamingos painted by local artists is part of our "Be Floridian" campaign to promote easy-care landscapes that need less fertilizer and water.
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 | | Several Pinellas County vehicles are adorned with simple tips for protecting our waters, such as this one urging residents to leave grass clippings on their yard. |
Don't blow grass clippings or leaves into the street or down the gutter, where they can pollute ponds, lakes and bays. Instead, recycle them by:
-- Leaving grass clippings on your lawn. They are free fertilizer and can provide up to 25% of the nitrogen your grass needs.
-- Using those leaves as mulch! Blow or rake them into your landscape beds. As they break down, they too add nutrients to your soil.
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Need some expert advice on Gardening Like A Floridian?
Check out the Garden Coaches, Landscape Designers, Lawn Care Companies and Nurseries that support our mission to protect the waterways that make living in Florida fun by clicking here
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Classes and workshops offer free or low-cost instruction on how to save time and money by practicing Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ principles. Check out your county extension service to get started or to learn advanced skills.
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How to Design an Attractive Landscape
(Yes, You Can Do It!)
As Spring settles in, who doesn't have the urge to get outside and plant flowers or a tree? This is the perfect time to embark on that easy-care, less-lawn yard makeover you've been mulling!
Don't let your determination be derailed because you aren't sure how to mix and match plants so the final result actually looks like you planned it -- instead of an impulse-driven buy now, figure out where to put it later shopping spree. Raise your hand if you've been there and done that!
Here are some simple basics of good landscape design, whether your tastes run from manicured hedges to a less structured cottage garden look.
Plan Ahead!
- Consider how you want to use your outdoor space. Do you need a place for dogs or kids to play? Do you want a shady sitting area to read a book, or a butterfly garden? Sketch out your dream garden on paper before you go to the nursery or pick up a shovel.
- Walk around your yard. Notice where you have sun or shade at different times of day. This will help you group plants according to their sun, water, and soil needs -- a critical concept called "Right Plant, Right Place." Make sure to consider how big plants will get. A Bismarck palm that wants to be 40 feet tall will cause you headaches in a few years if you plant it under your roofline!
Ready, Set, Go!
- Plant in odd numbers (3,5,7, etc.) instead of a collection of single plants, for a pleasing look and greater impact. Butterflies and bees favor plants in groups of 3-5 so they do not have far to travel. An exception are "specimen" plants -- a larger or especially showy plant, such as a small tree or large palm -- that you want to stand out.
- Create balance and symmetry in your landscape by repeating similar elements. Balance tall plants by placing them at opposite sides of your landscape, or diagonally. Or use the same plants and patterns on either side of a garden path. Repeating colors is a great way to achieve symmetry. Do you love yellow, or red, or purple? Repeat your favorites in your landscape.
- Little plants in front, taller plants behind. This pattern draws your eye and ensures that small flowers and groundcovers get their proper due.
- Boost contrast by varying texture, height, form and color. Planting multiple grass-like plants together isn't as attractive as contrasting an ornamental grass with a plant with colorful leaves or a different texture. You can also create contrast by installing an interesting trellis or gazing ball, or placing a large colorful pot filled with flowers in a landscape bed of low-growing groundcovers.
- Plant densely. Follow guidelines for spacing on the plant label, but make sure you won't have big gaps when the plants mature. Weeds love open space - planting densely helps keep them from getting a toehold in your yard!
Learn More
Guide to Florida-Friendly Plant Selection and Landscape Design
Better Homes and Gardens' Simple Landscape Design
Don't want to go it alone? Contact one of the landscape designers or garden coaches that support Be Floridian for help.
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Thankful to Be Floridian Contest Winners
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Congratulations to Diana Bantz and Amanda Gordon, who shared top honors in our recent Thankful to Be Floridian holiday photo contest.
Be Floridian Facebook users were asked to post a photo and caption explaining why they are grateful to live in Florida. More than 50 images were submitted, and Facebook fans voted for their favorites.
Diana Bantz, who submitted a photo of a kayaker at peaceful Hillsborough River State Park, says she is "Thankful to find so many opportunities for experiencing nature by foot or by kayak."
Amanda Gordon posted a photo that resonated with every Floridian -- a beautiful sandy beach -- specifically Daytona Beach. Amanda says she is thankful to Be Floridian because she "has access to this whenever I want!"
Both winners received a Be Floridian prize pack of t-shirt, poster, and mouse pad. Thanks to everybody who entered. You can view all the great photos on our Pinterest page.
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Plants for True Floridians
Florida NativeButton Sage (Wild Sage)Lantana involucrata  Unlike the lantanas commonly sold in many garden centers and Big Box stores, Button Sage is a true Florida native lantana. It's worth the effort to visit a native plant nursery to get it. Button Sage is drought tolerant and thrives in both full and partial sun. Butterflies and songbirds are drawn to its purple berries and fragrant, nectar-laden flowers of pale pink. It can spread up to 4 feet high and equally as wide so plant Button Sage as filler in landscapes or near other butterfly plants. This low-maintenance shrub needs little attention once it's planted. Its common name comes from the sage-like scent of its leaves when crushed.
Florida-Friendly Non-Native
Camellia
Camellia japonica
A native of China, camellias are a traditional favorite across the Southeastern U.S for their delicate
 | | Photo from Hoe and Shovel |
rose-like blooms and sturdy nature. More than 3,000 varieties and hybrids of Camellia japonica are cultivated in a variety of colors from red to pink and white. A member of the tea family, camellias are shrubby trees that can grow up to 15 feet and with glossy, dark evergreen leaves. They like acidic soil and and partial shade, but can often adapt to their surroundings. They flower from late winter to early spring and make attractive landscape and border plants.
Note: Leu Gardens in Orlando has one of the most extensive collections of camellia varieties in the United States. Blooming begins in February and continues through March.
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Recipe for Relaxing
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Nobody can resist tiramisu, the elegant dessert made with layered ladyfingers  and custardy filling. Add some sweet Florida strawberries, in season now, and you have the ultimate ending to that special Valentine's Day dinner. Try preparing in a glass trifle bowl or individual wine goblets. Be sure to prepare a day in advance. Strawberry Tiramisu
1 � pounds fresh strawberries1 � cups strawberry preserves
1/3 cup plus 4 tablespoons orange liqueur
1/3 cup orange juice
1 pound Italian mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 1/3 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
1/3 cup natural sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
52 ladyfinger cookies
Whisk preserves, 1/3 cup orange liqueur and orange juice together.
Place mascarpone cheese and 2 tablespoons orange liqueur in large bowl; fold just to blend.
Using a whisk, beat cream, sugar, vanilla and remaining 2 tablespoons orange liqueur in another large bowl to soft peaks. Stir 1/4 of whipped cream mixture into mascarpone mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whipped cream a small amount at a time.
Slice half of the strawberries.
Spread 1/2 cup preserves mixture over the bottom of a 3-quart serving dish or a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange enough ladyfingers over strawberry mixture to cover bottom of dish. Spoon 3/4 cup preserves mixture over ladyfingers, then spread 2 � cups mascarpone mixture on top. Arrange 2 cups sliced strawberries over mascarpone mixture.
Repeat layering with remaining lady fingers, preserves mixture and mascarpone mixture. Cover with plastic and chill at least 8 hours or overnight.
Slice remaining strawberries. Arrange over tiramisu and serve. Makes 8 servings.
Recipe and photo from FreshFromFlorida.com
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