By Amanda Rose Newton Can do Bamboo! Bamboo effortlessly transforms a landscape into a peaceful retreat screened from distracting outside visuals and noise. While this look takes a bit of time and effort to achieve, it is easily within grasp of the average gardener if using the right clumping bamboo. Clumping vs. Spreading Bamboo is […]

By Amanda Rose Newton Now is the time when most of us are both catching a post-holiday breath and trying to jump-start big goals, such as getting out into the garden. If you have been in your current home for several years, you have probably noticed a trend of vegetables, landscape plantings, and even potted […]

By Amanda Rose Newton The New Year triggers a desire to set goals, try new things, and conquer previous shortcomings. For gardeners, starting seeds is a reminder that all organisms have the power of growth and change with the right support. This year, more than ever seems like the perfect time to get our hands […]

By Amanda Rose Newton The start of the New Year marks the beginning of resolutions to eat healthier, more natural, local food. What better way than by the simple act of adding more vegetables into your family’s weekly rotation? Even veggie veterans can resolve to get the most of their farmer’s market purchases while stretching […]

By Amanda Rose Newton Throughout history, plants have played an integral role in just about every celebration and this is especially the case for the Winter holidays. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, or the Solstice, there are many plant traditions for the Holiday Season. Last week on the blog we featured poinsettias, the most […]

By Amanda Rose Newton Poinsettias are the quintennial Christmas Plant. On average, poinsettias rake in 250 million dollars for growers annually in the 6 weeks leading up to Christmas alone! Not bad for a seasonal plant! Worldwide, poinsettias are well-loved, both as a Christmas and an Easter plant in Spain and South America. The name […]

By Amanda Rose Newton Nothing compares to the heavenly scent of a fresh cut Fraser fir during the Holiday season. For many, this scent is up there with fresh baked cookies and a roaring fire for triggering fond memories of Christmas past. Although Florida might not bring the crunchy snow and the sleigh bells, you […]

By Amanda Rose Newton One of the perks of living in the sunshine state is the luxury of year-round access to tropical fruit. Right now, the culinary world is having a moment with jackfruit, soursop, and starfruit making once hard to come by fruit the new norm. It is hard to imagine, but midcentury citrus […]

By Amanda Rose Newton Trees vs. Shrubs – What’s the Difference? Trees and shrubs are commonly grouped together as the larger plants in the landscape. Generally, the assumption is that trees are the larger of the two, but this can be deceptive. Any tree or shrub will be limited to a size that reflects the […]

By Amanda Rose Newton Fortunately, with many native varieties present in our state, blackberries are a hard-to-go-wrong-with plant no matter how black your thumb is! December is the ideal month to plant new blackberry bushes but for many, the bushes just ended their berry bonanza that can last all summer long! You really can not […]