2018 has been a great year for wildflowers, and summer looks to be no exception. Unlike last summer, when many areas were dry, rain has been frequent enough to keep wildflowers blooming in showy displays. Learn where to find the best of summer’s showy displays.
The Florida Wildflower Foundation has awarded 2018 Seedlings for Schools grants to 33 schools in 18 counties across the state. Each grant includes wildflower plants, expert guidance from the Foundation, and curriculum resources, including the Foundation’s Wild About Wildflowers! Activity Guide. Teachers will receive plants in the fall and will be eligible to receive more plants in spring 2019 if their fall gardens are successful.
Chimney bees like the Mustached mud and Hibiscus bees are solitary ground nesters that have serious architectural talent! Both bees superficially resemble bumblebees in appearance. They’re fast flying, robust bees with dense yellow hairs on their thorax. (Hibiscus bees also have yellow hairs on their face.)
The pollinators we depend on are struggling. We can’t afford to lose them — they provide every third bite of food we eat. It’s up to us all to reverse their decline. But how? These new resources can help.
With interest mounting in using wildflowers in urban landscapes, there is a huge demand for information for those new to Florida’s native plants. Enter “20 Easy-to-Grow Wildflowers,” a new publication from the Florida Wildflower Foundation. The free 24-page magazine features a selection of 20 “tried and true” species that are easy to grow and maintain.
Want to draw more flitting hummingbirds and vibrant songbirds to your landscape? It’s simple. Just add wildflowers to provide nectar, seeds and insects and the birds will come.
Dr. Walter Taylor presents at the 2014 Florida Wildflower Symposium.