Since the second day of 2010, your thermometer has not seen 60 degrees. Between January 2 and January 12, the overnight low temperature reached 40 degrees only twice. Five of those nights were at or below freezing. Anytime the temperature drops below 32 degrees, crops can be lost to freeze. Luckily, it hasn’t [...]
When we announced our plans to move to Florida from Ohio a few years ago, folks up North seemed to have one major objection: “Oh, won’t you miss the changing seasons?” Ive always been of the opinion that the seasons in Ohio are a) Almost Winter, b) Winter, c) Still Winter, and d) Road Construction, [...]
With Halloween (and Guavaween!) just a little over a month away, stores are stocking up on all those things we love to be frightened by: ghosts, bats, mummies, vampires, zombies, and those scary orange and black wrapped peanut chewy candies. (Seriously, who eats those?) And once again, I have to wonder – why are we [...]
I recently had the pleasure of watching a 4-year-old discover a Sensitive Plant. As he stroked his tiny finger along the center of the stem and watched the leaves fold up in response, he chuckled with amazement. I mirrored his actions and found the same sense of awe. Sensitive plants are delightful discoveries up close. Perhaps [...]
Local government is putting the squeeze on our favorite programs. Which ones worry you the most?
Kristen Gilpin runs the Bioworks Butterfly Garden at MOSI. She has announced volunteer opportunities available at the MOSI Butterfly Garden. If you are interested, here is what is available.
Let me start by warning you – butterfly gardening can easily become an obsession. It starts simply enough, when you notice some monarchs on your milkweed. Then the zebra longwings and gulf fritillaries start to haunt your passionvine, sending you out to look at the growing caterpillars daily. When the swallowtails start to visit, impossibly [...]
Walking through native Florida forests can feel a lot like a trip to Jurassic Park, due to the proliferation of ferns and cycads in Florida’s natural landscape. These plants have been around since the time of the dinosaurs and, like the American Alligator, have survived the dynamic changes of earth and man ever since. One of [...]
Hillsborough County will help your neighborhood take care of a local pond - for FREE!
