Gardenig in state Florida. Tips & Guides

Peace Lilies are stunning tropical plants with glossy green foliage and long-lasting flower stalks that float above. The white bracts turn pale green and linger for at least a month. Blooming freely from spring, these accent houseplants need some care in fall and winter to thrive!

Hurricane Helene cast tropical storm forced winds over most of South Carolina Friday as she tore through Florida and Georgia. The western part of the state took the brunt of the damage and large areas there remain without power as of this morning (9/30). Rivers also continue to rise as floodwaters from western North Carolina make their way to the coast.

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Want to make hummingbirds see red? Plant a firebush in your garden. Also called scarlet bush, it is not only among the easiest of plants to grow, but it also stays in bloom throughout the growing season with clusters of tubular red buds and flowers. Because the Southern growing season overlaps the spring and fall migration times of the ruby-throated hummingbird, and red is by far their favorite color, these blossoms will summon them to your garden.

The fall armyworm is a native species that can’t tolerate cold very well. They only overwinter in South Florida and the southernmost regions of Texas. Since they can not tolerate cold, we typically have about four to five generations per year. They begin to show up in late May to early June, but the worst damage typically occurs in August. They migrate north yearly, but their populations are lower for some years, and their damage is minimal. Damage seems worse following droughts.

Catalpa trees, with two species native to the United States, are known for their beautiful and plentiful blooms and for being the sole source of food for catalpa worms—caterpillars that strip the tree of its foliage and eventually become the catalpa sphinx moth.

Seeing hummingbirds delight at backyard feeders is one of the many joys of birders across the South, but making sure they are kept happy–and staying at your feeder–can be an overwhelming thought.

Header image: A suited astronaut uses a touch panel in the Dragon capsule. Image credit: SpaceX

Florida’s climate is one of its most important assets. Nicknamed the “Sunshine State,” Florida boasts a humid subtropical climate in the north and central sections along with a tropical climate throughout a majority of the south. The state's native plants are already well suited for its climate and soil conditions, so they can usually thrive without additional irrigation or fertilization.

Fall armyworms (Spodotera frugiperda) are not a welcome visitor in the Southeast. They often appear in large numbers inlate summer to early fall and make the ground appear as if it’s moving as they devour every bit of vegetation in their paths. “They will march across your lawn, just like an army,” says Clint Waltz, PhD, turfgrass extension specialist at theUniversity of Georgia. “The adult moths are not a turf issue, but they lay eggs which become voracious caterpillars that can decimate a lawn and heavily damage certain types of turfgrasses.”

Outdoor spiders are hard at work, devouring home and garden pests such as ants, flies, mosquitoes, aphids, and thrips. It’s estimated they kill 400 to 800 million metric tons of prey worldwide annually.“They’re generalist feeders,” says Angela Chuang, a postdoctoral research associate at the Citrus Research and Education Center at the University of Florida. “If they can capture it and it’s small enough for them to handle safely, they’ll eat it.”

How to Grow and Care for Blueberry Bushes Vaccinium spp.

How to Grow and Care for Heavenly Bamboo Nandina domestica

It’s unsettling when an earwig scuttles across your floor with its fearsome-looking pinchers. But spotting one doesn’t mean you necessarily a huge problem. “Earwigs typically are occasional invaders,” says Faith Oi, PhD, entomologist and extension professor at theUniversity of Florida. “If you see one in your home, it’s lost and wandering around looking for food or shelter. They’re not normally found in large numbers indoors.”

Summer isn't over yet, and there's still plenty of time to update your backyard space so you can enjoy it for the rest of the season—and beyond! Design experts are weighing in with their top project recommendations that you can easily tackle this weekend or in just an afternoon. They'll make all of the difference!

These incredible blooms, including the world’s largest flower, are teetering on the verge of extinction largely due to human activity. Since we’ve excelled at putting them in this perilous plight, perhaps it’s now time to show off our planting skills in saving the most endangered flowers on the planet!

Happy Friday GPODers!

Buff Strickland

The weather in the U.S. intensifies every year. Right now, a heat wave has sent temperatures soaring across the country while Florida is experiencing a rare flash flood emergency. And it is likely to continue being extreme: according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there is an 85 percent chance that this hurricane season will have more storms than average and, with that, more rainfall.

KAITLIN GREEN

Happy Friday, GPODers!

Louisiana has tons of swamps and fresh water, so it’s home to many lovely plants and flowers. The next time you go out, keep an eye out for one of these!

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Swamp flowers are a remarkable group of plants specially adapted to thrive in moist environments where other specimens fail to grow.

How to Plant and Grow Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum) Pycnanthemum spp.

Can Tyler Cameron really do it all? The reality TV star won all of our hearts in Hannah Brown’s 2019 season of ABC’s «The Bachelorette» and is now making his way to our small screens with his new show on Amazon Prime called «Going Home with Tyler Cameron.

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We are Roger and Linda. We live in Pompano Beach, Florida. We have built this little paradise, which is our pride and joy. We cherish every moment that we sit and relax daily in our garden.

Gardeners often find ingenious ways to solve problems. Below you’ll find tips from our readers that repurpose common household items to great effect. Get an edge on gardening and peruse all of our past gardening tips here.

These are some of the most vivid options that not only give you a palette of hues that flourish in Florida’s warm atmosphere, but also some fragrant choices!

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A group of tender perennial plants, only one of which is commonly grown. This is Strelitzia Reginae, which has large ornamental leaves on long strong petioles (leafstalks), and bears brilliant orange and purple flowers, several together within a large bract, on stems 3 ft. or more high in spring. It is a native of South Africa and belongs to the Banana family, Musaceae. The name commemorates Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Whether it’s the intricate patterns on the foliage, or the vivid colors on the leaves – these artistic plants are a sight to behold!

Coming in different patterns and colors, Coreopsis flowers also signiy the deeper aspects of life. Let’s have a look at them in detail!