Ginny Stibolt, a naturalist
with a master's degree in plant taxonomy, moved from Maryland to
Green Cove Springs in northeast Florida. Follow along
and learn with Ginny as she tackles a wide range of Florida gardening
and environmental subjects: native plants, butterfly gardening,
plant mythology, stinkhorn fungi, rain gardens, rain barrels, and
more. Ginny is writing a book, "Sustainable Gardening for Florida,"
to be published by University Press of Florida.
<<
After all winter of no mowing, Ginny's lawn is only
1 to 2 inches higher than her neighbor's. The yellow line marks
the property line and as you can see, there's not very much difference
and the neighbors had a lawn service mow, edge, and blow every
week or so all winter long. See the latest article: The
Lawn Less Mown.
Sign up for the Great Sunflower Project, today!
It's a great project for kids of all ages: Do your part to help
research urban and suburban pollinators: www.greatsunflower.org.
(The date indicates when originally
published in The Times Union's www.jacksonville.com
.)
The Lawn Less Mown(4/26/08) Ginny found treasures in her lawn after a winter of no mowing. A New Bed... and Standing Stormwater(4/4/08) Ginny expanded
her veggie bed, but ran into a problem with standing water. Rain Barrels Revisited(3/19/08) Everything
you wanted to know about rain barrels. Pot Bound!(2/28/08) Ever end up with
pot bound plants? Sweet Treat Carrots(2/2/08) Ginny's carrots
live up to their name: Burpee's Sweet Treat. Follow the Yellow Mulch Road(1/21/08)
Tree trimmings is the most sustainable mulch. Cutting Edges(1/6/08) Ginny makes
an annual tour around her lawn to keep the grass from escaping. Poinsettias are NOT Poisonous(11/27/07)
Ginny busts this myth and covers more about this popular holiday
plant. Just Say No to Poisons(11/7/07) Ginny's
rant on a business opportunity to install an automatic misting system. Palmettos in the Landscape(10/30/.07)
Nothing says tropical like a palm or palmetto--get the skinny on
palms. No Need to Beg for Beggarticks(10/4/07)
All the rain this fall in northeast Florida has encouraged Ginny's
weeds, but one is also a butterfly magnet. Jewels of Summer(8/15/07) In this hot,
fairly dry summer, Ginny's zinnias have shown like jewels in her
meadows. The Skinny on Onions(7/28/07) When Ginny
planted her onion sets last fall, there was alot she didn't know.
How did her onions grow? A Scented Garden(3/4/07)--Herbs
have been in cultivation for 5000 years. Ginny's Rosemary has grown
a lot in just two years. Gardening To Do List—2007(1/10/07)--Killing
off aliens and other exciting items on Ginny's list for the year.
Winter Solstice Poem(12/14/06)--A
bit of holiday fluff.
Fall Roundup in the Landscape(11/20/06)--See what's worked and
what hasn't in Ginny's gardens. Pulsating Purple in the Fall Meadow(11/3/06)--The
color purple provided by an assortment of berries is appreciated
by birds and humans alike. An Interview with Gil Nelson,
Noted Nature Author and Photographer(9/28/06)--Ginny's interview
with Gil Nelson. There's Gold in Our Meadows (9/18/06)--After
a long dry summer Ginny's GOLDenrod shines in her meadows, but don't
blame it for your allergies. A more likely culprit is Ambrosia!
Sensational Sunflowers
(8/8/06)--Ginny has been experiementing with various types of sunflowers
and provides some background info. How did these North American
natives become Russia's national flower? Managing a Natural Meadow
(7/11/06)--After two years of not mowing in several areas of Ginny's
lot, how does her meadow grow? Tomatoes are for Summer
(6/19/06)--Ginny's growing three types of tomatoes this summer.
Ginny compares her experience so far with Burpee's sales hype. Pond Pleasures(5/30/06)--A
natural pond graces Ginny's front yard. It's a continuing sources
of pleasure, but there's some upkeep required to keep it in balance. Hidden Ginger Lilies and
Other Intriguing Monocots(4/29/06)--Ginny found some unusual
pink flowers in her garden and it's taken her a while to figure
out what they are. Spring Garden Dectective
(4/13/06)--Ah, springtime in the garden, but what's a weed
and what is not. Creating Backyard
Habitat (3/9/06)--Celebrate Earth Day and National Wildlife
week in April and get your backyard certified! Composting for Your Garden
(1/30/06)--Every gardener needs to compost for better soil: whether
you have sandy soil or clay soil, compost is the answer. Plus it's
the right thing to do. A Gardener's Resolutions
for 2006 (1/4/06)--Ginny has a gardening to-do list for 2006.
What are your gardening resolutions? Seasonal Notes: Preparing
Christmas greens and other winter house & garden ideas (12/8/05)--
Wait! Before you bring in boughs of holly, magnolia, or other greens
for your mantle or a cut Christmas tree, prepare for a longer lasting
display. Reducing the Lawn in your
Landscape (10/22/05) -- Less lawn in your landscape saves money,
saves time, and helps the environment. Florida Natives for your
Landscape (9/28/05) -- presents a case for using natives in
your garden to increase regional diversity. Instant Landscaping? (8/24/05)
-- It's accomplished in 2 days, but is it the best choice for your
landscape? Vicious, Vigorous, and
Vibrant Vines (8/9/05) -- a look at some of north Florida's
most typical vines. Troublesome Spot?
Convert to Containers (7/11/05) -- some ideas for container
gardens. Ooh la la, French drains
(6/23/05) -- working around French drains in your gardens. Homesick for a Real
Mid-Atlantic Spring (5/13/05) -- Spring in northern Florida
pales in comparison to the Mid-Atlantic's season. I Covet My Neighbors' Ebony
Spleenworts! (4/25/05) -- a look at some common ferns in northern
Florida. Rain Lilies for My Rain
Gardens (4/6/05) -- Rain gardens are designed to handle stormwater
runoff from gutters, French drains, driveways and other impervious
surfaces. Rain Barrels (3/18/05)
-- Rain barrels capture rain water from downspouts and provide a
source of untreated water for your plants. Pee-yew! Those Smelly Stinkhorn
Fungi (1/20/05) -- It's great to find surprises in your garden,
but not these obnoxious winter fungi. Myths and legends of
Mistletoe and Magnolias (12/11/04) & Holly,
Ivy, Poinsettias and more… (12/21/04) -- Winter festoons of
plants in our houses pre-dates Christianity. These two articles
examine the myths, stories, and traditions of holidays & plants.
My Magnificent but Messy
Magnolias (11/15/04) -- The grand Southern Magnolias (Magnolia
grandiflora) seem to typify southern elegance for most people,
but there's a problem... Hey! My Sago's not a Palm.
(10/23/04) -- While sagos look like short palm trees, they're Cycads.
What's
Been Eating My Bushy Seedboxes? (9/28/04) -- Bushy Seed Boxes
(Ludwigia spp.) volunteer on Ginny's property, but she noticed that
the leaves had been eaten...
Ginny Stibolt would like to hear from readers who have suggestions
and questions. After all, there are more than a few transplanted
gardeners here in northeast Florida trying to figure out what works
and what doesn’t in planting zone 8/9. Now Ginny is working on a
book, "Sustainable Gardening for Florida" to be published
by University Press of Florida. You may contact her or read extra
details on her articles and other information posted on her website:
www.transplantedgardener.com.
Read
Ginny's 
