The Neighborhood Gardener – August

Happy gardening!

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Back-to-School (Gardens) Shopping List

It’s time for kids to go back to school, which also means it’s time for teachers to start thinking about their school gardens. You can help a local teacher and school garden by purchasing a few things on their school garden shopping list. More 

Being Safe with the Chain Saw

Summer is a great time to clean up your yard before hurricane season gets really active. Chain saws can make this really easy, but are also a tool that you want to be careful using. The chains can move up to 68 miles per hour, and the mufflers can be as hot as 900ºF. You can avoid injury with chain saws by taking a few precautions. More

Plant of the Month: Perennial Peanut

Perennial peanut is a versatile groundcover that can be planted statewide and blooms all summer long with cheerful golden flowers. It flowers best when planted in full sun, but can also be planted in partial shade. Mowing established plants will make them bloom more, but it's not required. More

August in Your Garden

Many cool-season crops such as collards and onion can be planted now, including a final crop of warm-season vegetables, such as pepper. Tomato can also be planted for the fall garden. For a complete list of what can be planted when, consult the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide. 

For more month-by-month gardening tips, check out the Florida Gardening Calendar. Three different editions of the calendar provide specific tips for each of Florida's gardening regions—North, Central, and South. More

Friend or Foe? Friend: Zebra Longwing Butterfly

The zebra longwing is the state butterfly of Florida.  It’s a regular sight in many gardens, yards, and parks.  The zebra longwing is a medium-sized butterfly with wings that are black with several bold, narrow yellow stripes. Common hosts for zebra longwings are passionflower vines, so plant a few of these in your yard to attract one of these beautiful, native butterflies. More

Featured Shows on Gardening in a Minute

• Plumbago
• Coral Honeysuckle
• Soap Aloe
• Sweet Onions

 

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