Looking for general information about Florida plants, crops and agriculture? Florida-Agriculture.com, is the official web site of the Division of Marketing and Development, which is part of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Want to find out about U-pick farms? There's a link on their site. Want to learn more about Florida produce - where crops are grown and when your favorite fruit is in season? There's a link for that as well.

The Florida Marketing Bulletin provides access to purchase seeds, plants and trees, among many other things, or you can request what you're looking for as well.

This is a pretty interesting and informative site and well worth spending time reading it through. You can even download a cookbook! Happy Florida Gardening.

except here in Florida! No surprise to anyone, it is dangerously dry here and no relief in sight. We have had several brush fires in the area and have been lucky that nothing was destroyed.

Of course, our water use has been seriously restricted. Being a good environmental citizen I have watered my gardens only once in the last three weeks, and that was only because the shrubs were so wilted it was sad. We have a rain barrel we were going to install, but haven't felt the need to do so yet. The weather guy tells us we can expect rain tomorrow and we are doing a rain dance to make it so.

So with the gardens looking so bad is anything in bloom? I have to say a hardy yes to that. My old favorite bougainvillea is absolutely gorgeous right now with its fuchsia bracts and little white flowers. Would you believe my periwinkles are blooming to beat the band? They are absolutely huge and these are last year's plants constantly being beaten up by the sun with little moisture. The miniature roses I planted under my pindu palm last year have a couple of buds. But the plant that just blows me away with its profusion of flowers is...drum roll please...lantana! Yes folks, the multi-colored lantana shaded by the palm trees has grown into a sprawling shrub and is just blooming like gangbusters.





These plants sure look cheery even with the severe lack of water. I hope we get some rain around here soon. Otherwise I'm going to have to figure out how to recycle the water we use in the house for the plants. Happy Florida Gardening. Care to join me in the rain dance?

I am now a member of the Florida Native Plant Society. For 25 bucks a year I get information about native plant workshops and sales, planned field trips and other community activities. There is also a quarterly magazine, The Palmetto, a bimonthly newsletter, The Sabal Minor, and information and a discount to attend an annual spring conference. The conference is a four day event with field trips, well known speakers, panel sessions, plant sales and more.

The letter and newsletter were received by mail about 2 weeks ago along with the Guide for Real Florida Gardeners published by the Association of Florida Native Nurseries. This publication lists all native nurseries and garden centers in Florida and even lists a few in Georgia. It also provides a list of websites that are of interest including the North America Butterfly Association, the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council and the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants.

To learn more about the Florida Native Plant Society and chapters in your area, go take a look at their website. Native plants are the way to go. Happy Florida Gardening.