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 has written a book, "Sustainable Gardening for Florida," published by University Press of Florida.

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Ginny is a community columnist for Jacksonville's
    Florida Times Union
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Florida's cold snap tests the sustainability of your landscape. As discussed in the article, F... Fr... Frigid Florida: What's a Gardener to do?, our tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) will probably die back to the ground, but they were blooming right up until last week, as shown in this photo. Our native scarlet hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus) plants prepared for the cold by shedding their leaves in the late fall."

The comparison of the two hibiscus species reminds me of the old Aesop fable of the ant and the grasshopper. The tropical hibiscus, blooming right up through last week, would play the part of the grasshopper not preparing for the cold. The scarlet hibiscus would be like the ant, which prepares for the winter. The garden moral of this story is that it's more sustainable to grow plants that know what to do as the days grow short.

I'll be appearing at several garden festivals this spring where native plants will be offered. I will add to my native plant collection so that my own landscape will become even more sustainable. Check out all my spring appearances. Hope to see you soon.

Ginny's Gardening Articles

(The date is when originally published.)

Frigid Florida: What's a Gardener to do?(1/9/10)
Green Gators: There's More to University of Florida Gators than Just Football...(12/2/09)
Where Are Florida's Wildflowers?(11/19/09) Volunteer to help locate Florida's wildflowers.
The (Almost) Ghost Orchids of Clay County(10/6/09) Read how residents saved orchids from their county's "improvements."
Lawn Reform Coalition(9/14/09) Think differently about your lawn. Grass isn't always greener...
Trees & Shrubs: the "Bones" of Your Landscape(8/31/09) Learn the best practices in woody plant care.
Public (Garden) Education(7/14/09) Gardeners can learn lessons from public gardens, parks, zoos, etc.
Rain gardening in the South: a Review(6/23/09) With all the rain we've had this year, this book is appropriate reading.
Give Peace (Lilies) a Chance(6/7/09) Peace lilies, those popular house & office plants have a secret life.
A Plant by Any Common Name...(5/6/09) Why do we need those hard-to-pronounce scientific names anyway?
Three More Rain Barrels(3/31/09) Ginny now has seven rain barrels, but these last three are elevated!
Florida Blueberries(2/23/09) Blueberries for Florida are different than those famous Jersey berries.
Longleaf Pines(1/20/09) Longleaf pines are important trees for habitat. Read about Ginny's introduction to them in her yard.
Grow more veggies in 2009: Kids can help(1/1/09) Read for some ideas how to have a more bountiful year.
Recycled Christmas Wreath(12/18/08) Using greens from the wild areas in her yard, Ginny reused last year's wreath frame.
The Royal Herb: Sweet Basil(12/8/08) Ginny's basil is a staple in her herb garden.
Red Bays are Dying(10/29/08) A sad story of how a beetle in shipping crates brought into Georgia in 2002 is killing these trees.
Invite Birds to Your Yard(10/6/08) Some guidelines to a bird-friendly yard and habitat.
Edible Flowers(9/12/08) See how Ginny has used edible flowers over the years.
Rain Garden Expansion(8/25/08) See how Ginny expanded a rain garden and installed a blind drain under a path.
Win a Gardening Book!!(7/31/08) Help Ginny choose photos for her book for a chance to win a copy.
From Stump to Butterfly Haven(7/8/08) This transformation created great habitat.
Tale of Two Parsleys(6/11/08) The best laid gardens still surprise us, sometimes.
Planning for Microclimates(5/14/08) Read this article to see the various ways Ginny has planned for her microclimates.
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.

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