In the Garden

A bee garden is more than wildflowers – though they are important. To attract wild, native bees, trees and shrubs are also key.

We don’t see many bees during the winter months, but this is when we can help them by making sure our yards provide nesting habitat.

The question isn’t “how can we protect monarch caterpillars,” but “should we?” Recent research suggests a hands-off approach.

Some people are turned off by its thorns or its tendency to spread, but, as we see, pollinators go crazy for devil’s walkingstick.

Turkey Hill Farm and the UF/ IFAS Leon County Extension share how they build healthy soil with compost in Tallahassee, Florida.

We dig holes with the UF/IFAS Leon County Extension, learning about the soils of Tallahassee, from the Red Hills to the sandhills.

Many of the weeds growing in your yard are native plants with wildlife value. We share tips for identifying species and deciding whether to keep them.

The team at the UF/ IFAS Extension office show us how to create a pond, and fill it with native aquatic plants, to attract wildlife to our yards.

Tips for planting Florida native milkweed species. Also, we trek to where these plants grow in the wild with the St. Marks Monarch-Milkweed Initiative.

Monarchs, long-tailed skippers, black and giant swallowtails- a guide to raising caterpillars in your yard, from egg to butterfly.