{"id":10797,"date":"2024-05-30T13:56:34","date_gmt":"2024-05-30T17:56:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/?p=10797"},"modified":"2024-05-30T13:56:39","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T17:56:39","slug":"gardening-hoping-for-rain-and-the-aftermath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/mandarin\/gardening-hoping-for-rain-and-the-aftermath\/","title":{"rendered":"Gardening | Hoping for rain, and the aftermath!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Master Gardener Volunteer Lesley Arrandale<br><a href=\"mailto:mail@floridanewsline.com\">mail@floridanewsline.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spring is historically our dry season, and this year has been no exception. I\u2019m stingy with watering, because about 50 percent of Florida\u2019s precious drinking water is used in our landscapes, so up until the storm on May 10 my garden was looking a bit \u201ccrisp!\u201d Nevertheless, it had been so long without appreciable rainfall, that I had been watering the precious shrubs which are the framework of my front yard as well as recently installed flowering perennials and potted plants. The small area of Bahia grass that looks quite decent with adequate water was parched, but with rain in the forecast I had let it fend for itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now it\u2019s time for the clean-up after the storm. Some tall perennials have been blown sideways, the coral honeysuckle support is no longer vertical, and everywhere there are leaves and twigs of southern magnolia (<em>Magnolia grandiflora<\/em>). But we came off so lightly compared to people whose trees were downed by the wind. In our street, a huge hickory snapped and fell on a garage, and another neighbor\u2019s much-loved greenhouse was crushed by their favorite tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It had been a good week for watching wildlife. Fledgling bluebirds were learning to eat suet, fed by their parents. The cardinals\u2019 nest in the native coral honeysuckle (<em>Lonicera sempervirens<\/em>) had seen more action; I\u2019m guessing the adults were feeding their young hatchlings. Hopefully the storm didn\u2019t destroy them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One perennial that hasn\u2019t wilted in hot dry conditions is native petunia (<em>Ruellia caroliniensis<\/em>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fnps.org\/plant\/ruellia-caroliniensis\">https:\/\/www.fnps.org\/plant\/ruellia-caroliniensis<\/a>). I\u2019ve found that its roots go deep, which is why it\u2019s drought tolerant. The flowers are a delicate shade of pale mauve. Each one lasts only for a day, but there are plenty more to keep the show going from spring through autumn. Although it\u2019s less showy, it\u2019s a good replacement for its cousin, Mexican petunia (<em>Ruellia simplex<\/em>), which is an invasive plant and not recommended for Florida gardens (<a href=\"https:\/\/assessment.ifas.ufl.edu\/assessments\/ruellia-simplex\/\">https:\/\/assessment.ifas.ufl.edu\/assessments\/ruellia-simplex\/<\/a>). Some Mexican petunia cultivars are sterile (read the plant label!), but they spread freely as they are stoloniferous and should be kept in check. Beware if a neighbor offers to share with you. Neither of these is to be confused with the wide variety of bedding petunias, which are treated as annuals and are lovely in hanging baskets and pots and make a good groundcover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The May\/June edition of the Duval Extension newsletter, A New Leaf \u2013 Yard and Garden, is available here: <a href=\"https:\/\/sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu\/duval\/lawns-gardens-and-trees\/new-leaf-newsletter\/\">https:\/\/sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu\/duval\/lawns-gardens-and-trees\/new-leaf-newsletter\/<\/a>. (If you\u2019d like to subscribe, contact the Extension Office at (904) 255-7450.) Along with advice on what ornamentals to plant that withstand the heat, there\u2019s an article on summer vegetable gardening. But if you don\u2019t plan to plant a garden till fall, how about solarizing the soil (<a href=\"https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/5x9dmdcj\">https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/5x9dmdcj<\/a>)? Or maybe plant a cover crop (<a href=\"https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/6rrmmprp\">https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/6rrmmprp<\/a>)? Both techniques can benefit your garden. Solarizing helps kill weed seeds and pathogens. A cover crop dug into the soil will replenish nutrients. Also in the newsletter, Larry Figart\u2019s article on how to use yard chemicals safely goes into detail about why we should always read and follow the instructions on the product\u2019s label. And he has a cautionary tale to tell, which is well worth reading. Following the label will not only ensure you get the best result from the product, but you will be protecting yourself, your family, your garden, and potentially our water supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also in A New Leaf, Tonya Ashworth, our Horticultural Agent, offers advice about how to work safely in the garden in the heat of summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Master Gardener Volunteer Lesley Arrandalemail@floridanewsline.com Spring is historically our dry season, and this year has been no exception. I\u2019m stingy with watering, because about 50 percent of Florida\u2019s precious drinking water is used in our landscapes, so up until the storm on May 10 my garden was looking a bit \u201ccrisp!\u201d Nevertheless, it had [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4100,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[12],"class_list":{"0":"post-10797","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-creekline-st-johns","8":"category-mandarin","9":"tag-gardening"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Gardening | Hoping for rain, and the aftermath! - Florida NewsLine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"CreekLine, Mandarin NewsLine By Master Gardener Volunteer Lesley Arrandalemail@floridanewsline.com Spring is historically our dry season, and this year has been no exception. 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