Gardening in Florida

I am talking to some folks at the Ruskin Library on Saturday, June 28 at 10am, for those interested in gardening books for Florida. Here's the handout for anyone who wants an easy way to go to the links mentioned or for those who can't make it out to the talk that morning.

Gardening in Florida- resources and other food for thought…

By Dolly Cummings, Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center

There is an abundance of gardening books available. Here are a few clues to help find the very best information in print:

-       Is it written specifically for Florida? Beware of generic gardening books that just slap ‘Florida’ in the title but offer few specifics regarding Florida’s unique conditions, from soils to weather.

-       Has it been published recently? If reprinted from editions pre-2000, beware of lack of updated information- particularly regarding non-native plants.

-       If there is a USDA Hardiness Map, does it show that Tampa Bay is in Zone 9b : average minimum temperature 25 to 30 (F)?

-       Do they suggest planting Florida Holly, Brazilian Pepper, Mexican Petunia or other plants currently on the FLEPPC’s list of category 1 invasive plants- REJECT!

Online resources have the ability to be more up-to-date but you still need to make careful website selections. Here are a few to get you started :

EDIS and UF/IFAS general- http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide- http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VH021

Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Crops- http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg373

Florida Native Plant Society- http://fnps.org

USF Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants-  http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu

Tom McCubbins blog- http://www.betterlawns.com/June14/blg2.asp

Invasive Plants list- http://www.fleppc.org/list/list.htm

Pesticides and Bees- http://www.xerces.org/wings-magazine/neonicotinoids-in-your-garden

Florida Gardening Magazine- http://www.floridagardening.com

Camp Bayou Blog- http://campbayou.blogspot.com  where this list is available

​Nearby nurseries and gardens to view and/or buy plants for Florida:

Sweetbay Nursery, Parrish, Fl​- http://sweetbaynursery.com 

USF Botanical Gardens, Tampa, Fl- http://gardens.usf.edu