Winter Herb Gardening

Herbs are plants which are grown for the special flavor and aroma of their various parts. Herbs in the Florida Garden will give you information on how to grow herbs successfully.

Rosemary is a long lasting plant that is well known as a culinary herb in the kitchen, a hardy long-lasting plant, a drought tolerant plant in arid landscapes. During this season rosemary is available as a tabletop christmas tree or a bonsai wreath, a gift to please any gardener. So why do we hear that it is so hard to keep these gifts alive? Rosemary has tiny, shallow, hair-like roots which require good drainage. However, the plant can not tolerate being too dry either. Other plants have leaves that wilt to give notice that watering is needed. But the leaves of rosemary don’t wilt. Rosemary doesn’t give a good clue that it is drying out until it is so dry it’s dead.

Plant herbs that thrive in cool weather. Some to try are parsley, thyme, sage, dill, fennel, garlic, comfrey and coriander.

Florida Friendly Plant Spot Light - Wild Coffee

Wild Coffee is a native to Florida and considered a Florida Friendly Plant. Wild coffee is a moderately drought tolerant plant that will perform well in a partial shade or full shade location in the landscape. This 4- to 10-foot-tall plant may be used in the landscape as a specimen or foundation plant and is very effective when planted in mass. It stays relatively small in the sun and takes to clipping quite nicely. It makes a nice base or background plant for a shrub border. Birds and other wildlife are often associated with this plant for the fruit it produces.
This photo was taken yesterday as you can see the berries are just starting to change color attracting birds daily for this homeowner to enjoy!

Check out our upcoming classes.

Home Composting - Saturday, September 12th 9:00am - 10:15am
Rain Barrel Workshop - Saturday, September 12th 10:45-12:00pm
Smart Landscape, Planning and Care - Wednesday, September 16th 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Creating Wildlife Habitats in Your Backyard - Saturday, September 19th 9:00am - 10:30am
Step 2 of the Create Your Fabulous Florida Friendly Landscape -
Landscape Irrigation Simplified - Wednesday, September 24th 6:00pm - 9:00pm

**October 3rd** Blooming Success! Best Plants in Town! - Annual Master Gardener Plant Fair.

All above classes are the Manatee County Extension Office located at 1303 17th Street W. Palmetto. To register visit http://manatee.ifas.ufl.edu/class_registration/class-registration-form.shtml or call 941-722-4524.

Should you have any questions or would like more information please contact the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Coordinator for Manatee County at MichelleAtkinson@ufl.edu.

Create Your Fabulous Florida Friendly Landscape

Create Your Fabulous Florida Friendly Landscape Series to start August 27th.

With the signing of S.B 2080 by Governor Crist many homeowners are looking for direction on Florida Friendly Landscaping™ practices.

Senate Bill 2080 states that a deed restriction or covenant may not prohibit or be enforce to prohibit any property owner from implementing FFL on his or her land; a local government ordinance may not prohibit or be enforced so as to prohibit any property owner from implementing FFL on his or her land; local governments shall use the standards and guidelines when developing landscape irrigation and Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ ordinances.

To help you develop your Florida Friendly Landscape we are offering a 5 step series. As a participant you will learn how to save water, time & money all while creating your Fabulous Florida Friendly Landscape.

Step 1 - Dazzling Designs on August 27th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Step 2 - Wise Watering on September 24th from 6:00pm yo 8:00pm

Step 3 - Magnificent Maintenance on Oct. 22nd from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Step 4 - Recycle the Rain on Nov. 19th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Step 5 - Compost Happens on Dec. 10th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

To inquire or register for this series contact the Manatee County UF/IFAS Extension office at 941-722-4524 or email michelleatkinson@ufl.edu.

Get in the Know

Learn the Dirt on Summer Turf

July 8th 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Manatee County Extension Office

Workshop topics include summer lawn pests, diseases, and maintenance. Register online for this free workshop at http://manatee.ifas.ufl.edu or call the Manatee Office at 722‐4524.

Smart Landscape - Planning & Care

July 15th 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Manatee County Extension Office

The key to smart landscaping is to develop the Florida‐Friendly Landscaping™ plan to save water, time, & money. We’ll think through and solve intended uses of your landscapes plus the care required to maintain healthy plants. Register online for this free workshop at http://manatee.ifas.ufl.edu or call 722‐4524. This class will satisfy the educational requirements for the Landscape Retrofit portion of the Manatee County Water Conservation Rebate Program.

Consult the Manatee County UF/IFAS Extension office with questions at 941-722-4524 or email michelleatkinson@ufl.edu.

Water Efficiently

Even though watering restrictions are commonplace throughout Florida, many homeowners still overwater. Overwatering does more than deplete the water supply, it also makes plants prone to pests and adds to stormwater runoff, which pollutes our water systems. By choosing and operating a watering system correctly, you can reduce water bills, insect and disease problems, and maintenance requirements. For example, the more you water your lawn, the faster it grows and the more it needs to be mowed.

Most watering restrictions limit irrigation to certain days and times. But realize that even if it is your assigned day to irrigate, that does not mean you must irrigate. Scheduled watering can waste time, money and resources. Don’t let the calendar tell you when to water look to your plants for telltale signs of water needs. Water lawns when 50 percent of the lawn shows signs of wilt: leaf blades folded in half, blue-gray color and footprints remain on the lawn.

Reduce the need for watering by choosing water-efficient and drought-tolerant plants, including hose native to your site, and plant them in the right place. If you group plants according to their water (and light) needs, you can simplify watering methods and systems. For example, separate turf irrigation zones from tree and shrub zones.

For more information on this topic and other Florida-Friendly tip visit http://manatee.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn_and_garden/fyn/index.shtml