Butterfly Gardening in Florida

The UF IFAS Extension Office, has a bulletin on butterfly gardening.

Laurel oaks are not tough trees

Professor Edward Gilman
Environmental Horticulture Department
IFAS, University of Florida --

Many things can kill a tree and Laurel oaks are not known as tough trees. March, April and May were dry months and now it is raining. The fungi catch up when the once rains begin and can finish off any stressed trees.

Dr. Gilman has built a web site that covers shade tree maintenance problems, solutions, hazard trees; and common problems including leaves turning brown and dropping, and some trees even dying off regardless of age.

(Editor's note: I've gone over quite a bit of this web site and I have to say, it's marvelous. And so thorough in it's info that it will probably answer any questions you may have regarding trees.)

Beneficial insects

Here's a neat web site with great pictures of beneficial insects. Now you can tell the good guys from the bad guys!

New items added - Sept. 2010

The UF Brevard County Extension Service sends out a Master Gardener newsletter each month. It includes helpful new and revised EDIS publications such as those below.

ENY152/IN868 The Benefits of Pollen to Honey Bees

ENJ1171/EP432 Arbor, Trellis or Pergola? What’s in Your Garden: A Mini-Dictionary of Garden Structures and Plant Forms

ENH1170/EP431 New Gerbera Daisy Varieties for Large Containers and Flower Gardens

EnH1169/EP430 Landscape Design: Finding Inspiration for a Design Theme

EENY478/IN861 Cecropia Moth, Cecropia Silk Moth, Robin Moth, Hyalophora

ENH1165/EP426 Landscape Design: Analyzing Site Conditions

SL322/SS534 Pre-plant Soil Assessment for New Residential Landscapes in Florida

ENH1164/EP425 Color in the Landscape: Finding Inspiration for a Color Theme

Tiphiid wasp (Myzinum maculate) An interesting example of Mother Nature’s biological controls