The Neighborhood Gardener
March 2025
The first day of spring is Thursday, March 20.
Bog Gardens
Soggy areas of the yard can pose a challenge, but not if you choose the right plants. Bog plants are fascinating in their ability to withstand water-logged soil and serve as a sponge for rainwater runoff. Some are even carnivorous, with the ability to trap and consume insect prey. If you have an area that turns into a tiny lake after every rain, consider creating a bog garden. This article on Gardening Solutions walks through the steps to creating a bog garden and offers a selection of native and Florida-Friendly plants that like to get their feet wet.
Trap Cropping
As the weather warms up and our gardens start producing beautiful flowers and tasty vegetables, the insect population will take notice. As you plot protective measures for your plants, consider “trap cropping.” This alternative form of pest management uses certain plants that pests prefer more than the crops you grow for yourself. Feeding and laying their eggs on these attractive trap crops lure harmful insects away from your precious tomatoes and cucumbers. This new Gardening Solutions article explains the process and what to plant for your trap crops.
Plant of the Month: Iris
This flower struck the earliest gardeners as so incredibly beautiful that they named it after a Greek goddess: Iris. These showy perennials can be found throughout Florida. Many species grow in wet conditions, making them ideal plants for a bog garden. Their attractive flowers and upright foliage make for an elegant addition to the Florida landscape. In this new article from Gardening Solutions we share a few irises recommended for cultivation in Florida.
Wendy’s Wanderings
This year, spring officially begins on March 20th at 5 a.m., but my spring fever kicked in about three weeks ago. Defined as a feeling of restlessness and excitement at the start of spring, my version of this seasonal energy manifests in an urgent need to fill my yard with plants and flowers. My landscape beds are already mapped out for a refresh, but this year, I want to bring color and interest up to eye level. It’s time to give my hanging baskets some extra attention.
March in Your Garden
Spring is here, and it’s time to replace winter annuals with warm-season bloomers like angelonia, gazania (pictured), and salvia. Prune trees and shrubs when new growth begins, after the end of the dormant season. Prune azaleas as soon as they’ve finished blooming; they set their flower buds for next year during the summer. In the edible garden, North and Central Florida gardeners can start warm-season vegetables. This is the last month to plant many edibles in South Florida, including cantaloupe, corn, and watermelon.
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.
Show Your MGV Love
The UF/IFAS Bookstore has new MGV items available for purchase, including a wide selection of shirts in both long and short sleeves, women’s and men’s sizes, and a choice of materials. There are also decals and accessories like hats, lanyards, even a belt bag. A portion of the proceeds comes back to the Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program.
Don’t need another shirt? There’s still time to donate to the Master Gardener Legacy Fund. A generous donor is matching donations up to $4,000. This fund awards financial support to county MGV programs to further their work in your communities.
What’s Going On?
If your Master Gardener Volunteer program or Extension office is having an event, be sure to share it with us.