Many of you will remember the old McKee Jungle Gardens, which closed in 1976 and most of you have visited the delightfully resurrected and enhanced (if smaller) McKee Botanical Garden that opened twenty years later. It was established on 80 acres in 1929, when Waldo Sexton (who founded the Driftwood Inn, the Ocean Grill, and the Patio Restaurant among other enterprises) and Arthur G. McKee purchased an 80-acre (32 ha) tropical hammock along the Indian River. Tropical landscape architect William Lyman Phillips from the firm of the legendary Frederick Law Olmsted designed its streams, ponds, and trails. Its indigenous vegetation was augmented with orname
Many gardeners are fighting a losing battle with whiteflies, which not only suck sap from plants but also transmit viruses. My peppers and tomatoes are under constant attack. The unseasonably warm weather has encouraged these pests, which are resistant to most eradication efforts. Soap & oil spray only kills the flies it directly hits. Insecticides kill the natural predators of whitefly. The best thing to do is to check your plants frequently and remove infested leaves. It’s much easier to deal with an incipient infestation than a full-blown one. Whiteflies on Landscape Ornamentals
UF/IFAS Publications (EDIS) • Florida-Friendly Landscaping • Solutions For Your Life • Gardening in a Minute Radio Program • Living Green •
What to Plant Bedding Plants: Plants to add to the garden during the coolest months include dianthus, begonia, pansy, petunia, viola, lobelia, dusty miller, and snapdragon. See Gardening With Annuals in Florida. Bulbs: Crinum, agapanthus, clivia, and gloriosa lily bulbs can be planted now. Provide a layer of mulch for protection from cold temperatures. See: Bulbs for Florida Vegetables: Continue planting cool season crops including beet, cabbage, turnip, lettuce, potato, and broccoli. See: Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide. What to Do This Month Deciduous fruit: Now is the time to plant deciduous fruit trees. This will give roots time to develop before the warm and dry spring months. See D
Dear fellow gardeners, I hope everyone enjoyed your holidays with loved ones. I was very blessed to have my parents with us this Christmas! I really appreciate that special time with them! By now we have either put away our holiday decorations or we’re dreading that task. It’s always more enjoyable embellishing our homes with our holiday decor, than putting it all away! When I first take down my decorations, I feel like my house looks empty, but then I think it feels clean and fresh. I love decorating for Christmas, but I also love that fresh and invigorating feeling I get once the decorations are neatly stored for next year. The beginning of a new year seems like the perfect ti
