UF IFAS Extension My Brevard Yard

Brevard Discovery Gardens Plant & More Sale is set for Saturday, September 21st from 9 am till 1 pm

Come SHOP and LEARN at the Brevard Discovery Garden Edible Plant & More Sale
We have a large selection of heirloom vegetables and herbs, plus ginger, turmeric and Sunshine blueberry plants that have been grown by UF/IFAS Brevard Master Gardeners in the BDG FL Certified Nursery. In addition to the edible plants, we also have native plants, succulents, and ornamental plants for sale. If you are interested in the vegetables and herbs, be sure to come early as they may sell out quickly! Payment by cash or checks only.
The following FREE CLASSES will also be held:
9:45 - 10:30 - Marina Similon UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County Master Gardener - "Growing & Using Culinary Herbs"
10:45 - 11:30 - Sally Scalera Urban Horticulture Agent & Master Gardener Coordinator - "Growing Edibles Nature's Way"

For more information and to register (registration is not required) go to https://bdgedibleplantandmoresale.eventbrite.com

Mark your calendar, plant sale this Saturday, Nov. 17th from 9 am till noon!

Florida State Agricultural Response Team (Florida SART) One of the world's most invasive species has shown up, uninvited, to Florida; and officials contend they will likely not have predators in the United States.

Learn how to save money and help heal the Indian River Lagoon! Join us for our next Sustainable Floridians class on 10/30, 10/31, and 11/1.

We are offering 15% off the ticket price for a limited time. Enter promo code IRL2018 or follow the link below.

Sustainable Floridians: Reducing Your Footprint For a Better Tomorrow Have you thought about living more sustainably, but don't know where to start? Or are you interested in how you can convince others to live more sustainably? If so, this discussion-to-action program is just for you. Join UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County beginning October 30, 2018 for the University....

If you are looking for some low growing color, that will also attract butterflies, consider our native Gaillardia (also called blanket flower). This one is providing a little nectar to a white peacock butterfly!

We still have a few beds left!

Wickham Park Community Garden 2018-2019 Wickham Park Community Garden was developed by UF/IFAS Extension in Brevard County in partnership with Brevard County Parks & Recreation. The garden is located at the Wickham Park Equestrian Center. There is a mandatory meeting for all renters on August 23 at 6PM at the garden.

Registration is now open for the 2018-2019 Season! For more information and registration visit: https://wpcg2018.eventbrite.com

Wickham Park Community Garden 2018-2019 Wickham Park Community Garden was developed by UF/IFAS Extension in Brevard County in partnership with Brevard County Parks & Recreation. The garden is located at the Wickham Park Equestrian Center. There is a mandatory meeting for all renters on August 23 at 6PM at the garden.

Calling everyone who likes to eat vegetables! Our next Be Healthy: Grow Your Own Vegetables class will beginning in August. This four-week class series, held on Tuesday nights, will teach you how to grow healthy, nutritious vegetables anywhere, even if all you have is a balcony! For more information, follow this link https://www.eventbrite.com/e/be-healthy-grow-your-own-vegetables-bhgyov-4-week-class-series-tickets-46407407806

Be Healthy: Grow Your Own Vegetables (BHGYOV) 4-week class series Calling everyone who likes to grow their own vegetables or would like to learn how to grow their own vegetables! Join us for the Be Healthy: Grow Your Own Vegetables four-class series beginning on Tuesday, August 7th from 6-7 pm and held every Tuesday through the 28th . Learn how to grow vegetables....

Do you have air potato taking over your yard? If you do, come to our Air Potato Beetle Event and plant sale that will be held next Friday, July 27th from 9:30 am - 12:30 pm. To register for your free air potato beetles (which is encouraged) go to Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/air-potato-challenge-brevard-county-fl-tickets-47906237847

Air Potato Challenge! - Brevard County, FL During this event, residents and public land managers struggling with invasive air potato can come to the Brevard County Extension office to learn about this invasive pest plant and receive a supply of air potato leaf beetles for use on their properties. There is no charge for this program. The inse...

On a walk this morning, these seeds of a cardboard palm, Zamia furfuracea, were spotted right next to the sidewalk. Beware as these seeds are very toxic to both humans and animals. Since they are produced near the ground, small children and pets can easily get them!

The 2018 Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Seminar is coming to the Eau Gallie High School Auditorium on Saturday, February 17th. Come join us, for free, and learn something new! Register online at http://bit.ly/ufbrevard

Keep an eye on the weather forecast because the low temperatures for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings may still change. Low lying areas could get colder than the forecast temperatures. Plan now for what plants you may want to move inside, bundle together and/or cover up for the night!

Grocery stores and garden centers are full of plants to give as gifts now. Here is a great choice, a blooming Christmas cactus. They can be grown indoors or outdoors, in bright shade.

This wet and dewy morning, I discovered this Asian Woolly hackberry aphid on my car window. There is a hackberry (also called sugarberry) tree just 15 feet away so her presence isn't surprising. The tree isn't covered in sooty mold (yet) so the infestation must just be getting started!

If you are looking for an annual plant that can add a lot of color, check out this bright and cheery one called Amaranthus tricolor 'Perfecta'. Beware, because this colorful plant can produce lots of seeds and it can grow up to 3 feet tall.

Now is the time of year when you may find the mushrooms (fruiting bodies) of Armillaria which goes by the common name of mushroom root rot. This fungus attacks and decays the roots of all woody trees and shrubs. For more information, check out this bulletinhttp://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/EP/EP47800.pdf

After hurricane Irma's visit, this sweet gum tree had once again lost more limbs. The owners had the tree topped instead of having the failing tree removed. When the new limbs grow, they will actually create a tree that will be more hazardous than the original tree!

I was amazed to see the bald cypress trees pushing out new growth with the dead leaves still attached. Hackberry and maple trees are already have full canopies of new leaves!

This picture demonstrates why large trees should not be planted in small rooting areas. If the roots aren't able to spread out 2-3 times past the ends of the branches, in all directions, the tree is prone to being blown over!

Hurricane Irma brought strong winds that lasted for hours and hours and the foliage of plants paid the price! If you have noticed all of the shrubs and trees with brown leaves, fear not. The leaves have already begun to shed and new leaves will be produced soon. This hibiscus plant clearly shows which side faced the winds!

Living in Florida means dealing with hurricanes so here are some pointers for preparing your landscape.
Remove all coconuts from your palms as they become projectiles for your neighbors!
Gather container plants together, either in a garage, on a porch or up near the house, so they are not blown over or worse, become projectiles too.
Gather you lawn furniture and either throw it in a pool or bring it indoors.
Walk your entire yard and look for any item that could be picked up by the wind (i.e. bird feeders, watering cans, containers, trash cans, grills, lumber, etc.) and bring them inside or secure them.

The Jamaica caper, Quadrella jamaicensis, shrubs are decorated with their interesting and colorful seed pods now. This attractive native also produces beautiful flowers and it attracts bees and birds!

This hot pink rain lily flower is called a Cuban rain lily, Zephyranthes rosea.

Photo of rain lilies blooming

Rain lilies are attractive ground covers that produce beautiful flowers. These white flowers are not our native Zephyranthes atamasca, but they are just as pretty! They grow well in partially sunny to shady locations and will only bloom after rain because of a change in barometric pressure. Irrigation doesn't promote flowering!

Rain lilies are attractive ground covers that produce beautiful flowers. These white flowers are not our native Zephyranthes atamasca, but they are just as pretty! They grow well in partially sunny to shady locations and will only bloom after rain because of a change in barometric pressure. Irrigation doesn't promote flowering!

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is offering parasitic wasps that control the psyllids that spread citrus greening. If you are a homeowner who is growing citrus trees, or even orange jasmine (Murraya spp.), you can request a small vial of the tiny wasps to be sent to your home! Just follow this link http://bit.ly/2vfcI5V

Tamarixia Release Application / Biological Control of Asian Citrus Psyllid in Dooryard Citrus and Ornamentals / Asian Citrus Psyllid Biological Control / Biological Control / Bureau Of Methods Development & Biological Control / Bureaus and... Learn more about some of the most popular programs, services, and pages available on the FreshFromFlorida.com website below.

Have you noticed the large flowering yellow trees blooming high up in the tree line? Those are yellow poinciana, Peltophorum pterocarpum. This large growing tree has lacy foliage.

This summer has been wonderful for watching butterflies. Here is a photo of a Monarch chrysalis that was found on the handle of a bench in the butterfly garden at the Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science in Cocoa!

Spring has sprung and so are our native Fringetrees, Chionanthus virginicus! These gorgeous white flowers are followed by the foliage, then berries and then birds!

Attention all parents and dog owners! Be watchful for cardboard and coontie plants that have produced seeds. These seeds are extremely toxic when ingested. The colorful seeds are produced close to the ground and are easily accessible to both small children and dogs!