So did I, but you may want to think again. Keep Pinellas Beautiful has a quiz to test your litter knowledge. I was very surprised to only score 10% - what an eye-opener. How well can you do? Happy Florida Gardening.

The Gulf Restoration Network GRN formed in 1994 is a network of environmental, social justice, and citizens' groups and individuals committed to restoring the Gulf of Mexico to an ecologically and biologically sustainable condition. Their efforts, among others, include:

• Fishery management
• Protecting and restoring Gulf waters
• Reducing Mercury emissions
• Restoring wetlands

Of course close to all gardener's hearts is why we shouldn't use cypress mulch for the garden, and, in conjunction with Save Our Cypress Coalition, GRN explains why it's so important.

GRN has the opportunity to receive a percentage of a $50,000 grant from Luzianne Coffee Co. To increase their percent, you need to vote by visiting End Bitterness. You can vote once a day until mid-March to make a difference for this worthwhile charity. Happy Florida Gardening. I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2008.

Did you have a favorite Crayola crayon color as a kid? Mine was burnt orange, a vibrant eye-grabbing hue. My husband's choice? "I liked them all - they all pretty much tasted the same." Anyway, I was pulling a few weeds from around the plumbago bushes yesterday and a butterfly landed on the lantana in back. It was gorgeous and burnt orange in color. There wasn't enough time for me to grab my camera, but I was able to identify it as a Gulf Fritillary.

I love butterflies and enjoy watching them glide on air to each flower as they gather their nectar. I've read various articles about folks who are tired of the larvae eating their plants and flowers. They have even asked for advice on how to rid themselves of these marvelous creatures because their precious flowers are being fed upon. Well, every living being has to eat something and if they eat a flower or several who cares? The beauty is in the emergence of these wonderous insects and the regrowth of the host plants. There are many, many websites out there offering information and pictures of butterflies in every area. The Butterfly Site provides lots of great info on gardening, biology, and places in your state to learn more. Wikipedia is also a good butterfly information source. Enjoy the butterfly and your crayons. Happy Florida Gardening and special thanks to Jonathan Zander for this gorgeous photo.

It's herb planting time in Florida now that we are moving into cooler temps (yes we really are). Herbs can be added to your gardens or I like to put them in containers close to the kitchen door so I can just reach out and snip what I need. Coincidentally, you can plant in time for Herb Day on October 13. HerbDay.org is a group formed to share all the uses of herbs for cooking, beauty and health. Visit their site to see all the events taking place on Herb Day. For more information about herbs we can grow here visit the University of Florida IFAS Extension. Among others, Seminole Springs Rose and Herb Farm sells herbs to grow in our climate. FNGLA also provides a list of herb growers/sellers. Happy Florida Gardening.

I finally hit the big time! Can you imagine opening a well respected magazine and finding your name in print? All I can say is Wow! Thanks to Susan Myers of iloveplants.com and GardenBargainsOnline.com, Florida Gardening Magazine's October/November issue lists several Florida garden blogs and this one is included. Huge thanks to Susan for mentioning me and many of our fellow Florida bloggers.

By the way, Florida Gardening magazine is one of the premier sources of information on gardening in Florida. When I relocated here over ten years ago, I had a very difficult time finding a recurring resource for gardening. When I found this one I became a regular subscriber and have never looked back. Happy Florida Gardening.