In Your Backyard: Walking In The Woods

Great weekend leading twenty adventurous hikers on the 4.5 mile Land Bridge trek for Walk Across Marion County. We had perfect weather to enjoy the vista of long-leaf pines, rusty lyonia, and scrub oaks. Evident also were prescribed winter burns in the preserved Greenway Trails region and the Ocala Forest.



Recent burn on one side of Hwy 19 and the thick underbrush of saw palmettos and wire grasses directly across on the other side.

These burns are necessary maintenance to keep the undergrowth vegetation healthy, reduce the intensity of naturally-occuring fires (from lightning), and encourage new pine tree seedlings. Driving through the Forest, chickasaw plums were in full bloom, along with redbuds.



Blooming cherry laurels will be an integral food source for Florida wildlife in the summer.

On the outskirts of the Ocala National Forest, just outside Umatilla, I had to turn the car around and snap some photographs and video a bald eagle having a fresh meal of rabbit. He didn't mind the heavy passing traffic.



Citrus was the hot topic last week on "In Your Backyard." Issues such as dried out oranges, the sweetness of oranges, suckering, and huanglongbing, or more easily referred to as citrus greening, a devastating disease for the citrus industry.

Here's a great IFAS publication on citrus problems in home landscapes.

Looking forward to your gardening calls today! What's going on in your backyard?

In Your Backyard: "Spring Flings"

My favorite blooming season is spring. With the record-breaking cold temperatures, we should see wonderful flowering trees this year. This weekend on Valentine's Day, our spend-the-night guests included our grandchildren and more migrating robins flocking with Bohemian and cedar waxwings.

It was the first time I had seen waxwings in our yard. For the whole day our front yard was full of birds sipping and dunking in the birdbath. They were happy to sit on the thin but sturdy, native May haw trees surrounding their cement pond. My granddaughter identified the Bohemian waxwings with their rufous (red) faces and undertail area that differentiate them from cedar waxwings. They almost looked like baby cardinals at first. The holly and cherry laurel trees on our street must have attracted them. I know that if I had opened the door to take photographs they would have swooped up to the trees. It's the first time I've actually thought about putting a camoflauged hunter's deer blind on my porch or in my front window so that I would be able to take photos.

©2008 Teresa Watkins

Azaleas are starting to bloom now and flushed out by the middle of March. It's a great time to stop by your favorite nursery to find just the right color azalea for your yard.

I have seen a few tabebuias and redbuds in the full sun already blooming but my yard is still in partial shade with the sun's pattern, so mine will probably take a few more weeks to open. Dogwoods should be following soon along with the tabebuias. Tabebuias, also called trumpet trees, come in gorgeous Peter Max colors of hot pink and hot yellows.

©2008 Teresa Watkins

The shocking pink Tabebuia impetiginosa grows between 25 and 40 feet tall, should be planted in full sun, no pest problems, and is very drought tolerant when established.

The brilliant sunny yellow Tabebuia chrysotricha, usually smaller than its pink cousin, but just as striking in front of your house.

This weekend temperatures will be in the low 70's and should be an excellent time to plant trees and shrubs in your yard.

In your lawns, look out for the invasive and aggravating oxalis, Bayer Weed B-Gone Chickweed, Clover, and Oxalis herbicide will do the trick. I'll be working on my mine but saving a few for St. Patrick's Day next month. Always follow the label instructions on any chemical product you apply in your landscape.

©2008 Teresa Watkins

Listen into "In Your Backyard" at 11:05 today and call with your landscape dilemmas.

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Great calls today! Lots of citrus questions! Stay tuned to In Your Backyard next week for more citrus information.

With the help of John in Wildwood, we identified Edward's "marijuana-like" leaf shrub. It is a Vitex Chaste shrub. At this time, my vitex chaste is still dormant, but here's a great photograph of one I saw in College Park last year. Give this fragrant, lavender flowering shrub or tree lots of room to grow.

©2009 Teresa Watkins

TruGreen's Search For Liveliest Green in UK

Green space is becoming more valuable as the Earth grows in population. Here in the United States and around the world, village greens have been meeting places, markets, festivals, revolutions, celebrations, and recreation for townspeople for centuries. With less emphasis on the environment in urban planning during the mid-20th century, more cities and towns are encouraging and seeing resurgence in open expanses of lawn space for city dwellers.

To celebrate the environmental and emotional value of green spaces, TruGreen Professionals, a British division of TruGreen, the world's largest lawn care company, is looking for the 'liveliest village green' in the United Kingdom.

To qualify for entry the land must be registered as a town or village green, under the Commons Registration Act 1965 or the Commons Act 2006...

To be eligible for registration now, local people need to prove that they have used the land for ‘lawful sports and pastimes’ for at least 20 years, without being stopped and without asking or being given permission by the landowner. The registration process is set out in our book Getting Greens Registered, and it involves gathering evidence from witnesses and other material, such as ancient and modern photographs of the land, and submitting them to the commons registration authority. Once the land is registered it cannot be encroached upon or developed, other than to provide for its better enjoyment by the public for recreation.

What a great idea! I would love to see this contest in the United States. There are some remarkable centuries old village greens here, too. Do you know where this village green is located?

©2008 Teresa Watkins Photographer

In Your Backyard: "Valentine's Day Means A Lot"

When it comes to florists, one of the biggest holidays of the year is Valentine's Day. It's a day when husbands, boyfriends, children, and special friends give gifts to show their love. For gardeners, it's a great day to give plants or use your own garden blooms to show that you care. Receiving growing plants vs cut flowers depends on the occasion and the person receiving the flowers. I personally would rather have a 3-gallon rose bush than a dozen red roses, and my husband knows exactly what roses I have so he can add something new.

The History of Valentine's Day.

Flowers have great symbology and without speaking, handing someone a bouquet of a specific flower would tell the recipient exactly what you were thinking. The colors of flowers also mean different things.

• Blue: Epitomizes purity, peacefulness, security,



• Dark Red: Symbolizes constancy, continuity and immortality.



• Green: Expresses growth, joy, and optimism



• Lilac: Represents a sincere love, without the need for anything in return.



• Orange: A colour that symbolizes the joy and satisfaction for a success already obtained. On a more sentimental note it may also represent a love that has already been consolidated and gratified.



• Red: Too hot to handle, red is the expression of burning, passionate love, great courage and desire. But beware because it's also the symbol of anger.



• Rose: The color Rose (or pink) is a symbol of youth and expresses a new love or admiration.



• Violet: Expresses feelings of modesty, generosity and humility. The ‘shrinking violet' refers to its symbol of insurmountable shyness.



• White: Is the symbol of purity, innocence and modesty and expresses a sincere feeling.



• Yellow: Though commonly associated with unfaithfulness and treason, don't depair if you come home with yellow petals because it can also be the symbol of luxury, pride and success.

Roses are the most popular flower on Valentine's Day.

Great rose websites:

Growing Roses in Florida

Central Florida Rose Society

Nelson's Roses

Heirloom Roses

All American Rose Growers

Call in to In Your Backyard with your gardening questions!

GMO Eucalyptus Withstands Cold

Scientists have been successful at genetically modifying eucalyptus trees to withstand colder temperatures.

"Green biotechnology" may facilitate eucalyptus as an efficient and renewable raw material even in regions with cool winters. Scientists at the ArborGen firm have transferred a gene from a cold-tolerant plant that makes eucalyptus less sensitive to frost. In field trials, the trees withstood temperatures as low as –6°C without collapse. This would allow, for example, cultivation in the USA to expand from the southernmost tip of Florida to the entire south coast.

Research is being conducted at 29 locations in the United States for more sustainable agriculture for producing more wood in smaller areas.

What Are Lichens?

© 2008 Teresa Watkins

Lichens on young oak tree in Sawgrass Island Preserve.

Lichens are symbiotic organisms consisting of fungus, algae, and sometimes bacteria. They make their own food and can be indicators of good air quality and high water levels in a flood zone. They can grow on trees, shrubs, rocks, and in hot or cold climates. Lichens were used to create purple dyes for the robes of the wealthy and rulers in Roman times.

More about lichens here, here, and here. You can see a multitude of lichen photography here.

I love to hike through forests and photograph lichens, mushrooms, and moss but you can also see lichens on tombstones and on buildings. Churchyard Lichens

There are societies and groups of scientists and biologists that study lichens all over the world. The Lichens of North America have lichens you will see in the United States and Canada.

Lichen puzzles? Have some fun-gi!

"In Your Backyard" - Six More Weeks of Winter

Pennsylvania's favorite groundhog 'Puxatawny Phil' saw his shadow this morning. The old wives tale follows that there will be six more weeks of winter! But we knew that already experiencing La Nina's cold, wet rain this season. This has been the coldest, wettest Florida winter in years damaging thousands of Florida landscapes.

Puxatawny Phil has a distant cousin here in Florida that also causes landscape damage. Called the Southeastern pocket gopher, this little 10-inch rodent is the culprit behind all those 'sandy mounds' in your bahia lawns and on the side of the highways. They can be beneficial in aerating the soil but usually they are not appreciated when they eat your plant roots, bulbs, and tubers.

You can get rid of pocket gophers by trapping and killing them, but poisoning is against the law unless you have a Florida state permit. All the old wives tales of Wrigleys chewing gum and moth balls are ineffective.

Moles in your landscape can be seen as a problem, too but they are insectivores and rarely affect your plants. Seeing mounds in their St. Augustinegrass or bahiagrass lawns, homeowners are quick to blame the little creatures who just eat the grubs and insects attacking the turf.
Getting rid of moles in your landscape involves getting rid of their food souces. Check to make sure that you do not have active grubs or other insects. If you have them, spot treat the areas with a recommended pesticide. Once their food source is gone, the moles will move on to other not-so-green pastures.

More creatures that you might see meandering through your yard during dusk and early morning are racoons, rabbits, and oppossums. Our brave warrior Scotties treed this poor oppossum Sunday night. They were so proud of themselves. Thankfully, the oppossum didnt play dead and fall out of the tree.

Puxatawny Phil isn't so prescient. Here in Florida, we can always expect our last winter freezes before the middle of March - six weeks away. You can prune back your brown, freeze-dried foliage now. Some of my plants looked like they were okay for two days after the freeze, but as you can see this tropical Mamay Croton was affected severely.

Maybe spring is closer than we think? Did you see the thousands of orange-red breasted American robins come through Central Florida yesterday? Chirping and enjoying the warm drizzle, the spring-harbingers were as happy as larks. We will be talking about how to attact robins and other birds to your yard today on the show!

Call in with your garden questions! Listen live at 11:00am here.

Redbay Ambrosia Beetle threatens Florida's avocados.

Read an archived Jan-Feb-Mar Newsletter.

Juvenile Robin

Cardinal enjoying the raindrops in the pine tree!

Ground-Breaking Soil Research

Soil science research is being turned upside down with the latest EPA studies how water flows through soils. Working with Oregon State University scientists, the EPA study with the assistance of new technology that allows scientists to "fingerprint" water, finds that plant root systems allow for greater uptake than previously thought.

The new study by scientists from Oregon State University and the Environmental Protection Agency showed – much to the surprise of the researchers – that soil clings tenaciously to the first precipitation after a dry summer, and holds it so tightly that it almost never mixes with other water.

The finding is so significant, researchers said, that they aren't even sure yet what it may mean. But it could affect our understanding of how pollutants move through soils, how nutrients get transported from soils to streams, how streams function and even how vegetation might respond to climate change.

Jeff McDonnell, an OSU distinguished professor and holder of the Richardson Chair in Watershed Science in the OSU College of Forestry quoted:

"We used to believe that when new precipitation entered the soil, it mixed well with other water and eventually moved to streams. We just found out that isn't true... This could have enormous implications for our understanding of watershed function, it challenges about 100 years of conventional thinking."

These latest studies, published in Nature GeoScience will shed new insights and possibly different stormwater engineering policies for the future. Read the entire article here.

In Your Backyard: "Winter Blooms That Thrill, Crape Murder That Chills"

I was rousted out of bed in the wee hours with a neighboring electric transformer blowing as lightning hit it as a cold front and storm cell went through Central Florida. But thankfully it provided us with 1.5" of rain. That's enough water for ten days if the temperatures hover between the 40's and low 70's this week. Looks like we are going to get another downpour on Saturday as well, so El Nino is living up to her reputation of cold, wet winters. No need for irrigation at all.

Central Florida's subtropical below freezing temperatures this winter sent chills through everyone but one plant that loves the cold and even brightens up our landscape December through February are the lovely camellias.

Camellia Japonica © 2010 Teresa Watkins, Garden With Soul

Carl Linneaus, named lovely Asian native flowers after a Jesuit Missionary, Father George Kamel who traveled to the Phillipines in the 17th century.

There are two types of camellias sold and grown in Florida: camellia sasanquas and camellia japonicas.

Camellias love acidic soils, shady conditions, and consistant fertilizing. They're easy to grow and if you have a oak trees and azaleas, camellias would be a perfect compliment.

Great links on Camellias:

• American Camellia Society


• Camellias in Florida


• Types of Camellias

A great place to see beautiful camellias as large as citrus trees is Leu Gardens. Leu Gardens has the largest collection of camellias outside of California. The beautiful estate gardens in Orlando recently had their camellia show. They are a must see for true garden afficianados.

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The annual massacre continues as Crape Murder butchers are wrecking havoc in the streets. Some homeowners just don't realize or don't care that taking a chainsaw to their crape myrtles is a horrible way to manage them.

Don't commit crape murder!

Call in with your garden questions and I'll post them here after the show.

UPDATE:

• Ed from Bassvile Park, and Cecil from Eustis asked separately about their frozen citrus trees. The only thing to do is be patient and see if they survived. Don't prune back limbs until late May or June to see what comes back. Don't overwater the citrus trees and don't overfertilize. We still have several weeks to go before we are out of frost-danger so we don't want to encourage new growth too quickly.


• Elaine, here's Tony Avent's Plant Delights website to request a catalog. The plant catalog cover is extremely funny and such great plants ~ I could spend more than the TARP bailout trying out all his new plant finds!


• Georgia from Webster wanted to know if she could plant her ligustrums, yes, it's okay! Here in Florida, we can transplant most hardy species year round unless there is an extreme weather event (immenient freeze or hurricane) happening soon.


• Mea Culpa Mea Culpa on the radio show today - Cecil also asked about pruning grapes in Florida. My multi-tasking mind (Thank goodness you can't see what's going on during the radio show!) immediately went to the Grape workshops hosted in August at the Lake County Extension and I mistakenly said to prune grapes in August. Jerry called to correct me a few minutes later and Jerry was right. You need to prune your grapes mid-January through March before the grapes flush out in April. Thank you, Jerry for keeping me straight!

Here's more on growing Muscadine grapes and Bunch grapes .

Guess I've found my topic for next week! Note to self: Correct growing techniques for grapes!

"In Your Backyard" Growing Fruits in Florida

The Sunshine State grows 75% of the oranges in the United States and produces 40% of the world's orange juce supply. With our abundant sunshine and ample rain, Florida is a cornucopia of agricultural crops. Yet, gardeners, especially our Northern transplants yearn to grow other fruits and nut trees and we are told that you can't grow the fruit trees that you grew up in the North. There's a reason why that's partly true: provenance.

Provenance is important to remember when you purchase plants out-of-state on your travels, on the Internet or from a catalog. Provenance means the original growing region of where the plant, shrub, or tree, were produced. It's important because it means that plant will do well in that original location but if you move it to a different geographical location, it won't have the same growing conditions and may not thrive or survive. For example, a native Cornus florida dogwood in Connecticut or Kentucky would not have the same growing conditions as a native Cornus florida in Florida. Roses bought from a West Coast catalog will not survive in Florida's sandy soils. Provenance could be the reason that a plant, shrub, or tree that you purchase from a catalog out of your state doesn't survive. Your yard doesn't have the same growing conditions as the catalog's nursery.

We are fortunate that here in Central Florida we have a sub-tropical climate, all the benefits of sunny tropical winters with occasional small doses of cooler temperatures that make us appreciate what the North experiences. That was extremely evident this last month with a huge three week dose of regional pockets of snow and sleet, and state wide freezes. Your tropical landscape may not feel that it was fortunate, but for those of us who love to grow apples, peaches, nectarines, and pears, it's great! Because of these low temperatures, we can grow special low-chill hour varieties of those Northern fruits we love.

A great nursery to visit and purchase fruit trees for Lake County is Chestnut Hill Tree Farm. Bob and Debbie Gaw of Chestnut Hill Tree Farm in Alachua, Florida have a great catalog with many varieties low-chill fruit and wonderful nut trees that you can grow in Central Florida.

Listen to the gardening questions and answers on today's radio show this afternoon! If you would like to listen in on the Internet, go to WLBE's website and click on "Listen Live" or the shows are archived for one month. Don't miss a broadcast!

What's going on in your backyard? Call the show!

In Your Backyard: Chilly Willy, It's Supposed To Be Florida!

Robert Carrion's reality photographs from Montverde, Florida. Temperatures definitely hit the 20's, with wind chills in the teens.





For homeowners, watering your yard two to three days BEFORE a freeze will help keep it warmer than watering it during the freeze. Wet soil will generate more heat than dry soil. It also helps hydrate plants.

Wrapping them with frost blankets and adding lights underneath the plants will also add more warmth.

But if your landscape received snow and sleet, then you're probably going to see more damage to your plants than in a normal Florida winter. Here's how to check if your plants survived:

• Delay pruning for several weeks to see what has actually died.
• You can pull off any damaged leaves.
• Scrape bark for green growth underneath the damage. If it's black, then cut back till you find green cambium.
• Mushy stems are an indication of frost-damage. Cut back to ground.
• Don't fertilize or amend soil.
• Allow for rainfall and/or if none, irrigate once every ten days. Do not overwater.
• Frozen plants may take longer than usual (months) to recover so be patient with any plants that are favorites before digging up and throwing away.

More information on cold protection for your ornamental plants.

Why do citrus growers use micro-irrigation on their groves?

Spring blooming Trees for Florida:

Saucer Magnolia

Chickasaw Plum

Dogwood

Great Spring Catalogs:

Plant Delights Nursery

Tomato Growers Supply Company

White Flower Farm

K. Van Bourgondien & Sons

We will be talking about fruit trees for Florida with Chestnut Hill Tree Farms next week! You don't want to miss the next "In Your Backyard."

It'll Be A Cold Day In...

Not a forecast you see every Florida winter. This is going to be a record breaking year for cold temperatures. I will post snow photographs if we get the white stuff!

Carrbridge In Winter

Enjoy this lovely jigsaw puzzle. The caption says that this 300-year old packhorse bridge is in Carrbridge,Scotland and it's the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands.

UK Experiencing Heaviest Snowfall In Fifty Years

The little island empire of England and Scotland, protected by the warm Gulf Stream, seems to be out of touch with the ICCP's prediction of global climate change. The Met Office for weather issued emergency warnings for the kingdom:

Forecasters predicted that more than one foot of snow could fall in less than 24 hours in most southern areas leading to widespread chaos and disruption for millions.

The residents of Hampshire and Wiltshire were expected to be the worst hit, with as much as 16 inches likely to be dumped by the end of tomorrow. Residents and commuters in London, which ground to a halt last February following heavy falls, were warned to expect a covering of several inches by the morning rush hour.

On the roads drivers were advised not to venture out unless their journey was absolutely essential, as councils warned they could run out of grit if the conditions failed to improve.

The Met Office claimed the amount of snow forecast could be the biggest single fall since the notorious winter of 1962-63, when some areas of the country were blighted by snow and ice for more than three months.

These photos are from my sister's home in Berwick St. James outside of Wiltshire, the region expected to be one of the hardest hit. Fortunate she is a champion dog breeder and trainer, because they will definitely be experiencing a cuddly three dog night.

Feed The Birds

Previously posted on January 4, 2008

With the coldest weather occuring in 25 years, I thought you might enjoy seeing these wonderful bird photos from our 2008 Christmas trip to New England ~ Teresa.

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We're up visiting family in Taunton, Massachusetts for New Year's. In typical New England winter style, we received a blanket of 8" of snow. The birds are regular diners on the patio and flew non-stop throughout the day. How many birds can you identify? Click on the title "Feed The Birds" above to see all 200+ photographs.