Gardenig in state Florida. Tips & Guides

When Virgin Galactic’s Unity 22 flew into space on Sunday, it carried one billionaire passenger and three tubes filled with plants.

This new short video from the University of Florida Space Plants Lab explains how and why they’re studying how plants react to being in microgravity.

In this NASA image from January 2020, you can see Lashelle Spencer taking measurements on ‘Red Robin’ dwarf tomato plants. Lashelle is a plant scientist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and this photo was taken inside the Plant Processing Area in the spaceport’s Space Station Processing Facility.

The role downunder played in helping track the Apollo 8 mission to the Moon.

Header image: One of the Vanguard satellites being checked out at Cape Canaveral, Florida in 1958. NASA

I was scrolling through Twitter recently when I spotted something in a picture of the Veggie growth chamber on the ISS that I hadn’t noticed before – there’s a triangular plaque at the back.

Christopher Gaffney, Lancaster University and Bethan Phillips, University of Nottingham

Join Emma the Space Gardener as she explores gardening on Earth… and beyond! There’s some great news for space gardeners this week, involving space to grow in, bricks to build with and… hibernating squirrels. And you can discover how many plants it would take to provide your own personal oxygen supply, and what would make a good houseplant in space. Oh, and there’s still time to enter the chilli seed giveaway!

NASA unveiled the Artemis I mission emblem in January 2018. The Artemis program will return humans to the Moon and is named after the twin sister of Apollo. Artemis I is the first integrated flight test of NASA’s deep space exploration system: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. 

In November 2021, Heinz announced to the world that they had successfully created a high-quality ketchup made from tomatoes grown in Martian conditions.

NBC News has made a lovely short video about NASA’s Plant Processing Lab at the Kennedy Space Center. Joshua Johnson reports on how NASA scientists are researching how to grow plants in space to make long-term space travel sustainable, and how research partners at the University of Florida are growing plants in soil from the Moon. 

Header image: The German Neumayer III Station in Antarctica. Credits: NASA/Jess Bunchek

Today we see the most important launch of the year, as Lightyear is released in cinemas. A sci-fi action-adventure movie, Lightyear tells the origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the astronaut hero who inspired the toy from the Toy Story movies. Marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth, the Space Ranger must find a way home through space and time with a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox. The biggest threat to his mission is Zurg, an imposing presence with a mysterious agenda and an army of ruthless robots.

The long weekend has given me the chance to have a little play with video today, and this is the result.

Header image: Noah Silliman/Unsplash

Header image: The Artemis II crew in an Orion simulator at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/James Blair

Because I value potable water, I prioritize its use. Edibles and newly planted shrubs and trees, which are highly vulnerable to drought stress, earn the right to receive water from my spigot. When plants become established, meaning that they’ve regenerated enough roots to sustain themselves without supplemental irrigation, they’re only watered when the need arises.

If you want a beautiful plant that brings a tropical vibe indoors with its large serrated leaves, then this guide on Philodendron Florida Ghost Care will surely help you!

With leathery, lance-shaped leaves, the Beautiful Cordyline Varieties add a dimension to any space and brings a riot of colors. You can easily grow this plant indoors or outdoors in a semi-shade location.

Experience the allure of Trees with Pink Leaves, that can add beauty and grace to landscapes with their captivating colors!

Going to the Olympics in 2016 – then combine your visit with a few garden trips.

From trying cottage cheese ice cream to adding protein powder and bananas to morning coffee, the internet is ablaze with protein hacks lately—but Trader Joe’s just announced a bit of extra protein in its Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup that you may not want to try.

Everyone loves falafel—it’s a year-round staple, and the frozen options at Trader Joe’s make it incredibly easy to prepare. But today, you should probably rid your freezer shelves of any Trader Joe’s falafel: In the company’s third food recall this week, on July 28 Trader Joe’s recalled its fan-favorite Fully Cooked Falafel after being informed by the supplier that rocks were found in the food.

A tall tree in your front garden can make a bold impression, acting as a focal point that can immensely add an appeal to the overall look of the landscape. If you want one in your yard, then check out all the information on Mule Palm Tree Care.

Most lawn maintenance chores coincide with the mowing season. If you live in Florida, lawn care can be a year-round task. Luckily, most other Southeast gardeners are able to take a break during the winter. Yet, no matter how many months of the year you tend the yard, proper lawn care is essential to grow lush, green turf in Southeastern US states.

Discover the mesmerizing charm of these stunning Black and Blue Butterflies adorned with elegant shades of black and blue.

Check out How to Grow Perfect Bunch of Peace Lilies with These Tips and ensure you have a blooming and thriving plant always!

Florida pusley is a low-branching, annual summer weed. Its pretty, white, star-shaped flowers produce an abundance of seeds, and a single plant can quickly turn into an infestation. This weed is extremely drought tolerant and can easily out compete lawns that are not irrigated during extended dry weather conditions.

It never fails that come March and April, the desire for many of our lawns to begin to breaking dormancy is met with the horror that the only things that seem to be green are the weeds that we have been ignoring throughout winter. This may include white clover, dandelions, chickweed, the painful lawn burweed, or so any other species. These weeds may be welcome to some homeowners as some serve as early pollen sources for pollinators, but they can also be a nuisance to others.

Unlike other native shrubs and trees that have become the darlings of nationwide advertising campaigns, Florida anise-tree (Illicium floridanum) struggles to achieve widespread interest. This shade-adapted understory shrub can be found growing naturally in shaded, moist to wet areas where it can reach a compact height and width of 6 to 10 ft. The olive-green leaves are 2- to 6-inches long (reminiscent of rhododendron foliage) and release a fragrant anise scent when crushed.

Whenever I encounter an introverted gardener, I engage them in conversation with this question: What wisteria do you recommend for my backyard?

Springs and seeps are more than just a nuisance wet spot in the landscape; they’re considered types of wetlands and are an expression of groundwater flowing upward and surfacing on land. Sometimes springs and seeps flow after a deluge of rain while others, like popular springs in Florida, continuously produce large quantities of water year-round. Springs emanate (originate) from a single point in the landscape and have a defined channel, whereas seeps have more diffuse distribution across wider areas. Whether surface water becomes a spring or a seep depends on how much pressure is underground. Higher pressures will result in springs, whereas low pressure will likely produce seeps. While seeps may not be as diverse as springs when it comes to flora and fauna, they may harbor unique plants and animals not found in springs. When springs and seeps are located in sunny areas, both can be quite productive with a variety of aquatic plants, invertebrates, and amphibians. For plant enthusiasts, seeps can support a diverse array of carnivorous plants. Seeps and springs are also beneficial because they provide water to headwater streams, ultimately providing the water flow to create larger river systems. They’re also essential during the cold winter months because their movement often keeps water from freezing. This serves as a refuge or drinking water source for wildlife.

Homeowners have had to combat root-knot nematodes for as long as home vegetable gardens have existed. Nematodes are microscopic worms in the soil in high numbers that can cause damage to susceptible plants. Traditionally, the vegetables most affected were beans, watermelons, cucumbers, and especially three grower favorites: tomatoes, sweetpotatoes, and okra. Although there are many types of nematodes in the soil, root-knot nematodes are some of the most common and cause the large galls or knots you see on the roots of susceptible plants

While the Christmas tree takes the front-and-center stage during this holiday season, supported by a cast of poinsettias, cyclamens, kalanchoes, Christmas cactuses, and amaryllises, hollies often find themselves relegated to wreaths, garlands, and candle adornments. Years ago, I learned from Fred Galle’s tome, “Hollies: The Genus Ilex” (Timber Press, OR 1997), that hollies were quintessential Christmas symbols extensively used for centuries in holiday wreaths and Christmas decorations. Galle wrote that in London in 1851, 250,000 bunches of English hollies (Ilex aquifolium) were sold and adorned houses, churches, street corners, and marketplaces. In some parts of England, residents retained the holly sprigs until the following year because they believed it would protect their homes from lightning strikes.

Dr. Matt Cutulle reports, “I saw my first nutsedge plants this year pop up in the plastic mulch of a fellow researcher’s trial last week in Charleston. Soil temperatures in plastic mulch systems are going to be higher, which may lead to earlier sprouting of yellow nutsedge tubers. New tubers begin forming four to six weeks after a new shoot emerges. Individual nutsedge plants may eventually form patches 10 feet or more in diameter, thus it is important to practice field sanitation once an infestation is recognized.”

A Visit to the Mounts Botanical Garden in Palm Beach County, Florida~Part 1