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The Neighborhood Gardener – April

Happy gardening!

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What's All the Buzz About?

African honey beesSpring is here, which means honey bee swarm season is also here. Calls to Extension offices throughout Florida have been increasing as swarm season gets underway. The state has a series of recommendations for handling honey bee swarms and nesting colonies, and it’s very important that everyone is made aware of them. More

More Information on Nesting Honey Bees

Only a specialist can tell the difference between the European honey bee and the more agressive African honey bee. Therefore, the state recommends the eradication of any honey bee nest that is found near people or animals. The potential harm from a swarm of African honey bees is too great a risk. More.

Plant of the Month: Confederate Jasmine

Confederate jasmineWhile neither a true jasmine or a native of the South, Confederate jasmine is an intoxicatingly fragrant vine that is grown widely in the Southeast. Its versatile nature makes it a great plant for many settings. More

Success Story: Roadside Plantings Get a Makeover

Lakewood Ranch roadside after makeoverLakewood Ranch, a master-planned community near Bradenton, recently got a "landscape makeover" when the Manatee County Extension Office helped community management improve the design of their roadside green areas. More

April in Your Garden

Plant varieties of daylilies that bloom at different points in the season to insure months of color from these low-maintenance plants. Divide clumps of bulbs or herbaceous perennials to expand garden beds or pass along to friends.

For more month-by-month gardening tips, check out the Florida Gardening Calendar. Three different editions of the calendar provide specific tips for each of Florida's gardening regions—North, Central, and South. More

Friend or Foe? Foe: Benghal Dayflower

Benghal dayflower aka tropical spiderwortBenghal dayflower, also known as tropical spiderwort, is an increasingly problematic weed in agricultural settings throughout the Southeast. This low-growing perennial has hairy leaves and small blue-violet flowers. It spreads into moist areas, including roadsides and other disturbed areas. It can quickly smother low-growing crops like peanut. More
Photo: T. Webster, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org

Master Gardener Specialist Update

This month, we are featuring an update on laurel wilt, a threat to urban and commercial avocado trees, as well as redbay landscape trees. The featured speakers will be Jason A. Smith, Forest Pathologist and State Forest Health Extension Specialist, and Jonathan H. Crane, Tropical Fruit Crop Extension. (Please note that this presentation requires the free Windows Media Player.) More

Featured Shows on Gardening in a Minute

 

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Purple trailing lantana flower

Success Stories

  • We're looking for inspiring, Florida-Friendly success stories from your county. Submit yours today at gardening@ifas.ufl.edu.

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