It’s easier than you think to add some fruit and color to your yard. There are many options for fresh fruit from the convenience of your own home. Just think about the next time you want to make lemonade and going out back to pick the lemons with your kids. Then the next time you entertain, you can tell your friends the mint and lime in the mojitos are all home-grown. Not only … [Read more...]
In the Garden: Plant for Our Planet!
It’s out with the old and in with the new for our fall vegetable gardens. Fall is the time to clean out any surviving summer vegetable plants that have been baked by the sun and soaked by the rain. Any plants that are still looking good right now are extremely heat-tolerant like Malabar spinach, okra, and winged beans. Hot peppers and eggplants are still hanging in there, too. … [Read more...]
In the Garden: Is Your Summer Vegetable Garden a Producer or a Pest?
How in the world does a summer vegetable garden in the Orlando heat become a producer? Well, you just need to know your climate and plant-heat-tolerant, pest-resistant summer varieties of vegetables. In zone 9b, I like to focus on many Asian varieties of vegetable plants that thrive in similar scorching environments. It can be a little intimidating to try new things when it’s … [Read more...]
In the Garden: Certify Your Garden As a Butterfly Habitat
Here’s what’s happening now in the Summer Vegetable Garden. June was the last month for most of our spring vegetables to keep producing. The heat-sensitive vegetables like beefsteak tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash are all going to typically stop producing in June. Even if your plant still looks healthy when we are consistently in the 90s, the plants are just not able to produce … [Read more...]
In the Garden: Spring Vegetable Gardens in Full Bloom
The vegetable gardens in Lake Nona are in full bloom for the spring. If you planted your spring vegetable garden back in March, then your seeds have all sprouted and matured, and your starter plants have started to produce. Now is a time for fertilizing, pruning, and dealing with any insect issues in the garden. When the season started, most gardeners amended the soil with … [Read more...]