End of March Blues: Over the years, I've been struck by all the blue flowers we have in our North Florida landscape now. I took this photo of savanna irises growing in our front pond yesterday. To see other March blue flowers & more, read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2019/03/end-...

#VernalEquinox2026 is at 10:46am Eastern today. To mark the occasion, I have published a guest post by Dr. Charlie Paxton, meteorologist: “Measuring Climate Change.” He begins with,” Q: Do you believe in global warming? A: We are Measuring it.” greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2026/03/meas...

Christmas (wreath) lichen(Cryptothecia rubrocincta). Unlike many lichens, this one occurs on dead wood. The red pigment, chiodectonic acid, is produced to help tolerate inhospitable growing conditions. Read: “Lichen: a three-way symbiotic organism: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2020/11/lich...

I love Randall Monroe's nerdy & scientifically accurate rendition of the US.

#GrowMoreFood! The price of fresh produce has increased dramatically in the last few months. Growing some of your own produce is a positive action that's good for the whole family. I can help decrease the learning curve: read my articles here: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/p/green-reso...

Florida's state tree, the cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto) has been abused over the years by unnecessary over-pruning. Save $$ & save your palms. Palms are monocots & don't produce wood. So, our state tree is not a tree. Read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2025/01/flor... A Jono Miller photo.

Read this NY Times gift article on better, more positive approaches to convince more people that planting natives is a good idea for the birds & pollinators. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/r...

Today's positive thought: The sun rises every day even when there are storms. I plan to do take some positive actions today to benefit my family & our only planet. What are your positive actions?

Peat moss can never be harvested sustainably. Of all the soils around the world, peat makes up only 3% of the total acreage, but it sequesters 21% of the sequestered carbon. Leave it in place to be more Earth friendly. Here's my deep dive into peat: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2021/08/peat...

#HappyStPatricksDay! Shamrocks are a symbol of the Irish. The name shamrock comes from Irish seamróg, which means "young clover." So a shamrock is a type of clover, not the oxalis as in my photo here. To answer the question in my photo, NO. Read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2020/04/a-so...

Meadow Garlic(Allium canadense), a perennial herb native to eastern North America, has edible leaves, bulbs, & flowers. Its leaves are solid which means that they withstand cooking, unlike chives(A. schoenoprasum) with hollow leaves. A comparison: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2024/11/chiv...

Mulch-only landscapes are not sustainable & not attractive. They are not inviting ecosystems for birds, pollinators, or soil dwellers such as toads. Plus, they are weed magnets & need a surprising amount of maintenance to stay reasonable looking. greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2016/04/mulc...

#Sunrise for a Sunday morning. This is Nature's message to do something positive today for ourselves, our families, our friends, and for our only planet.

White wild indigo (Baptisia alba), a perennial, is pollinated by large bees & is a host plant for butterflies. It’s native to eastern N. America. The shoots are unusual because the flower buds are fully formed as they emerge from the soil. Read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2024/04/whit...

#HappyPiDay 3.14 I love this clever Pi Pie. I use to be a math teacher and I know many of you were not paying attention. So, here's a reminder: Pi is a constant used to calculate the area of a circle. Multiply Pi (3.14....) by the square of the radius (half of the diameter) to calculate the area.

#CleanAir is important for us & for all wildlife. These bird samples tell the story. While our air is cleaner now, we can do much better & need to keep up pressure on all levels of govt. that #CleanAir is more important than $$. CornellLab bird sample story: www.allaboutbirds.org/news/from-mu...

Why is installing rain barrels & rain gardens important? Sequestering stormwater reduces pollution of our waterways & rain barrel water is better for plants & soil. Read my article for more info & further resources on rain barrels and rain gardens: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2025/04/rain...

It's almost spring we will see more caterpillars. Traditionally gardeners were warned to remove them since they eat the plants. Doug Tallamy changed the whole narrative & says that "Caterpillars are the answer!" & trees, mainly oaks, play a role: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-...

#AMomentinNature was this hummingbird feeding at a coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) flower. This is an easy-to-grow bird-friendly & pollinator-friendly climbing plant native to most of eastern North America. It's a bine, not a vine. Read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2025/08/cora...

#PlantMoreNatives Lyreleaf sage (Salvia lyrata) is native to most of eastern North America and can make quite a show in wooded areas, pollinator gardens, & unmowed yards in the spring. For more information & more photos read my article: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2024/02/lyre...

#GrowMoreFood Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) is an easy-to-grow perennial crop that supplies harvests all year in North Florida. It has flat solid leaves & so is on the garlic side of this genus. The onion side has hollow leaves. greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2014/08/garl...

Beautiful butterfly eggs! What will happen when the larvae emerge? As sustainable gardeners we need to supply non-poisoned larva food sources for the butterfly & moth caterpillars. For info on larval food sources, see: www.butterfliesandmoths.org or butterfly-lady.com/plant-host-p...

This early bird has some deep thoughts! Is your yard and your community bird friendly? Worms & other soil organisms do much better in non-poisoned areas. Read my article for more bird-friendly ideas: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-...

#AMomentinNature was this fire-in-the-sky Florida sunrise on this date 12 years ago. #NatureHeals

Celebrate International Women's Day 2026. We hold up half the sky! FYI, “Fe” is the symbol for Iron, the chemical element with atomic number 26, symbolized from the Latin ferrum. It is the most abundant element by mass on Earth.

Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) are members of the daisy family, Asteraceae. They are useful in our gardens for beauty, to attract pollinators, & as companion plants. Read my article for uses in gardens & for their interesting history around the world. greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2022/11/mari...

#Spring New spring greens & reds: our pond-side royal fern (Osmunda regalis) glows in the early morning sun. In the background a red maple (Acer rubrum) living up to its name and a sweet gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) leafing out. #NatureHeals

#PlantMoreNatives! Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) is native to most of eastern North America & most of Florida. It attracts pollinators, especially bees. Each day, 1 to 3 flowers bloom in each flower head, which has 20+ buds. It's edible. greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2024/01/ohio...

#March4th is the only calendar date that's a call to action. The news is depressing, but, "Action is the antidote to despair." Joan Baez So today, let's all do something positive for ourselves, our families, & for our only planet. #MarchForth! For ideas see www.GreenGardeningMatters.com

Trees emit ultraviolet light during thunderstorms and researchers just filmed it in Nature for the first time. #NatureisAmazing!

Southern arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) is a wonderful shrub to add habitat to your landscape. It attracts pollinators with its flowers & feeds birds with its blue berries in the fall. It's also the larval host for the spring azure butterfly. Read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2025/09/sout...

#NationalParks are America's BEST idea. To make sure they are still here for our grandkids, we need to visit & support them. We also need to elect representatives at all levels of government who will preserve them, not sell them for $$. Here I am in Bryce Canyon in coversation with a pair of Ravens.

#WomensHistoryMonth! Too often women’s accomplishments have gone unsung. The same is true for the “female” parts of flowers. Botanist in the Kitchen celebrates corn silk, the longest female flower part & saffron threads, the most expensive. gather-and-sow.ghost.io/gather-and-s...

The Birds are NOT OK! A new study found that bird populations are declining faster! The steepest losses were in FL, TX, LA, & AR. BUT, we are NOT helpless. There are many actions we can take to make our yards & our communities more bird friendly. greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-...

#BloomingNow The dazzling Florida greeneyes (Berlandiera subacaulis) is endemic to Florida. The flowers smell like chocolate! There is also another greeneyes here in Florida. They both provide #AMomentinNature, so breathe deep! For more info, read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2023/02/gree...

#NationalParks are America's BEST idea. To make sure they are still here for our grandkids, we need to visit & support them. We also need to elect representatives at all levels of government who will preserve them, not sell them for $$. This is me & my spouse at Delicate Arch @ dawn in Feb. 2022.

The Birds are NOT OK! BUT, we can help by making our yards more bird-friendly by stopping all landscape-wide pesticides, by reducing lawns, & by planting more natives, especially those that are caterpillar food. Read this NY Times gift article and then let's get busy! www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/c...

Ahhh, Spring! Time to enjoy the crocuses! But do you know the Greek saffron crocus? Male & female sex organs are the very expensive saffron. Only 1 harvest per year & it's done by hand. It takes 75,000 saffron flowers to make 1 pound of saffron spice! Either part of the flower is called saffron.

Many people think that mistletoes kill trees--They do not! Read this article about the science on how these partial parasites communicate with each other to keep their host trees alive. Here's the link to that this research: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...

#NatureisAmazing! Read this NY Times gift article on how some caterpillars trick ants into feeding and supporting them until they turn into butterflies. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/s...

This is National Invasive Species Awareness Week. Did you know that removing invasive plants costs Florida $45 million per year? Yet, many of these plants are still for sale. How did we get into this situation and what can we do about it? greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2021/10/remo...

Feeling a bit spiky this morning? Thanks to Roger Hammer for this photo of an echo moth feeding on tread-softly, which shows a diversity of spiky hairs on plants & animals. #NatureHeals! Also,If nothing is eating your plants, then they are not playing an important role in the local ecosystem.

#AMomentinNature & #ASignofSpring was this flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) blooming today in NE Florida. What looks like a single flower is a flower head subtended by 4 white bracts. It’s best used as an understory tree in moist areas in Florida. For more info: www.fnps.org/plant/cornus...

#HomeGrownNationalPark We are on the map! Over the years we've replaced more than half of the lawn in our yard, which means that our property qualifies to be part of Doug Tallamy's wonderful Home Grown National Park. I also made a donation. homegrownnationalpark.org

A Freedom Lawn is safe for your family & pets 100% of the time. It's free from fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, & synthetic fertilizer applications. It survives with natural rainfall. Also, you’ll save $$, save water, & reduce water pollution. greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2021/05/our-...

#ASignofSpring! Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) is blooming today: view from our back porch step. Can the hummingbirds be far behind? This honeysuckle is native from TX to MA & most of FL. Did you know that it's a bine and not a vine? greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2025/08/cora...

Sponges, like corals, are animals that release their sperm & eggs on certain full moon nights when a vast slick of gametes cover the ocean surface. I cover this & more in my science & nature-based cruiseship lectures. This is effective outreach: people are amazed that science is fun & interesting.

This cute cartoon is a reminder for gardeners: Spring is coming, so it's time to enrich the soil for your warm-weather crops. Looking for guidance on this? I've written several soil-building & composting articles listed here: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/p/green-reso...

#GrowMoreFood It's time to think about planting squashes. They have male & female flowers on each vine (this is a female). Pollination must occur for the fruit to mature. Nearby pollinator gardens help. Seminole pumpkin grows well in Florida. greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2017/09/end-...

This is why sustainable gardeners do not use poisons or soaps to get rid of aphids. That black and orange bug, which is eating the aphid, is a ladybug larva. In its lifetime, a single ladybug will consume about 5,000 aphids--both as a larva and as an adult. We want to encourage the beneficial bugs.