{"id":8797,"date":"2022-03-31T13:10:25","date_gmt":"2022-03-31T17:10:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/?p=8797"},"modified":"2022-03-31T13:10:27","modified_gmt":"2022-03-31T17:10:27","slug":"gardening-gardens-for-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/mandarin\/gardening-gardens-for-nature\/","title":{"rendered":"Gardening | Gardens for Nature"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Master Gardener Volunteer Lesley Arrandale
mail@floridanewsline.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Information from the University of Florida, which master gardener volunteers rely on to inform the public, is research-based and reliable. Up-to-the-minute gardening advice and timely tips from UF can always be found in \u201cThe Neighborhood Gardener\u201d (https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/39p7t8md) and in our own Duval County newsletter \u201cA New Leaf \u2013 Yard and Garden\u201d (https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/2p899u5c).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To go directly to the source, check out https:\/\/edis.ifas.ufl.edu\/<\/a>, where you can find links to Lawn and Garden information and Natural Resources. The Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide is invaluable (https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/ysmpahnk).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you prefer, you can call the Extension Office at (904) 255-7450, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. \u2013 12 p.m. or 12:30 p.m. \u2013 3:30 p.m. and ask to speak to a master gardener volunteer. They are available to give you friendly, informed advice whenever you need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are other reliable online resources these days about gardening and related issues, which I\u2019ve found can deliver fascinating, detailed information on how our yards and gardens can be both delightful for us and a welcoming habitat for our feathered \u2014 and other \u2014 friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Birds are the most obvious visitors to our gardens. Sadly, numbers of backyard birds have plummeted in recent years. The same might have been true of game birds, but with concerted efforts to improve their situation through wetland protection and restoration efforts, their numbers have rebounded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how can we make a difference nearer to home? First, we need to understand that the birds we see in our yards are primarily dependent on insects to feed their young \u2014 and that means mainly caterpillars. We are familiar with the milkweeds on which monarch butterflies lay their eggs, but many other butterflies and moths also lay eggs on one or a few species of plants and if we don\u2019t include those plants in our yards, then the birds won\u2019t have the caterpillars they need for their young to thrive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doug Tallamy is a noted expert on developing habitat in small spaces, like our yards, and recently he gave a talk to the Garden Club of Jacksonville: https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/2n5xe4k3. It\u2019s a comprehensive and fascinating explanation of why we should and how we can use native plants to effectively support our birdlife. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a table summarizing which native plants are most useful \u2013 our \u201ckeystone species\u201d \u2014 go to the National Wildlife Federation (https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/y22cyfmk). You\u2019ll find that our oaks support hundreds of insects, and asters like goldenrods (Solidago sp.<\/em>) are superstars in the border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is another great resource. They offer online courses for a fee, but there is also a series of free videos on YouTube, and this is one that I\u2019ve found useful: https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/wwnmfxu5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out the Xerces Society (https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/2p8fcpbm), The Audubon Society (https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/mrxvuspe), and from the USDA, a useful series of links to backyard conservation information (https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/2p9h8c2c).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here in Jacksonville, the Ixia chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society holds meetings and arranges field trips. Check them out here: https:\/\/ixia.fnpschapters.org\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a warm and often too-dry start to our year. Clearing out some areas of my backyard in March, when it felt like high summer, I wondered just what the actual summer will bring. Cool season leafy vegetables have gone to seed more quickly than expected and aphids appeared at the end of February. I\u2019m expecting the beneficial insects to show up, but their food source, the pests, arrive before the predators and I\u2019ve only spotted two species of assassin bugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our average last frost date now falls between March 1 and March 10. Ironically, on March 12, local temperatures fell to the low 30s. So, averages are just that \u2014 averages. I had recently trimmed back dead stems of various perennials, which made them more vulnerable to frost. Where practical, I covered some of them to protect the tender new growth they\u2019ve already put on, but I was mainly concerned about potted plants, smaller plants and seedlings I\u2019ve been propagating, potted citrus, and house plants. Luckily temperatures weren\u2019t as low as I had feared. Here\u2019s hoping that\u2019s the last cold snap of the season!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Master Gardener Volunteer Lesley Arrandalemail@floridanewsline.com Information from the University of Florida, which master gardener volunteers rely on to inform the public, is research-based and reliable. Up-to-the-minute gardening advice and timely tips from UF can always be found in \u201cThe Neighborhood Gardener\u201d (https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/39p7t8md) and in our own Duval County newsletter \u201cA New Leaf \u2013 Yard […]<\/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-8797","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":"\nGardening | Gardens for Nature - Florida NewsLine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"CreekLine, Mandarin NewsLineBy Master Gardener Volunteer Lesley Arrandalemail@floridanewsline.com Information from the University of Florida, which master gardener volunteers rely on\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/mandarin\/gardening-gardens-for-nature\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gardening | Gardens for Nature - 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