Summertime - time to get outside with your family and friends and enjoy the sunshine and warm weather in your yard. The last thing you want to do is cover up and spend the whole day checking the kids and pets for ticks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts summer 2017, to be the biggest tick-fest season ever. Why? Because there will be more ticks. The reason - last winter's mild temps weren't enought to kill these little pests.
School’s out and the kids are bored. If you are looking for a fun activity for your little ones (or maybe for yourself), look no further. You can create unique miniature plantings with containers you already have…so dust off those old tin boxes, glass bottles, or whatever else you have on hand and get inspired. Here are a few tips to get you started:
Did you know that July is National Blueberry Month? Quite possibly nature's perfect fruit, blueberries are one of the healthiest foods around, and they require no pitting or peeling. Take advantage of these little blue gems with this delightful blueberry crumb cake recipe created by our very own Chef Manu.
By Michelle Peterson, St. Lucie County Master Gardener
Plants produce nectar as a means of attracting insects, birds and other potential pollinators. One of the greatest benefits of gardening with nectar-producing plants is being able to provide an attractive habitat for a great number of wildlife, particularly butterflies, honey bees and native pollinators. A standard nectar garden includes a mix of annuals, perennials, herbs, shrubs and trees. Although there are many commonalities in nectar gardens, each has specific requirements when attracting a specificpollinator.
When creating any container, there are several factors to consider that will affect the overall impact. Color, of course, is a high priority when trying to achieve a tropical look. There are other details to consider though such as pattern, shape, texture and movement. Considering these will help you create a container you can’t take your eyes off of all summer!