February Table of Contents: Adding Color to Your Garden with Foliage by Linda Porter, Master Gardener. Right Plant, Right Place

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1 MARION COUNTY GOVERNMNT Table of Contents: Adding Color to Your Garden with Foliage Right Plant, Right Place Come to the Spring Festival Upcoming Events Published by Norma Samuel UF/IFAS Extension Marion County Horticulture Agent Timely Gardening Tips for MARION COUNTY by Josephine Leyte-Vidal, UF/IFAS Extension Marion County Master Gardener It s almost azalea time. The shrubs should be full of fattening buds that will open to spectacular color all over town. Do not fertilize your azaleas until after they finish blooming. Also, do not do any pruning except for one or two of those wild branches that shoot out because the buds for this Spring s bloom were set last summer. Our daffodils have emerged and should be about to bloom. They are a welcome sight among the still dormant plants in your garden. If you re February 2015 Adding Color to Your Garden with Foliage by Linda Porter, Master Gardener Even the most recently arrived resident of the Sunshine State knows that the word Florida refers to flowers. Newcomers and more seasoned gardeners alike might not realize that colorful effects can come from foliage as well as flowers, and with less effort. There are so many plants that can brighten up a dark corner with variegated foliage. One of my favorites is Caladium x Hortulanum. There are over a thousand cultivars of caladiums available in shades of red, pink, green, and white. These plants are readily available as bulbs in the early spring or plants in the summer. While they do tend to lie down and die away during the cooler months, their oversize, heart-shaped leaves give a tropical look for much of the year. Newer varieties of caladium have been developed to take direct sun, Caladium hort.uga.edu but leaf color will be more vibrant if the plants get some morning light but are protected from the sun in the afternoon. Consider using some in hanging baskets to bring the color to a higher layer in the landscape. Something like 98% of all caladium tubers are grown in the Lake Placid area so we know they are well-adapted to our region. Coleus is another popular variegated plant, with shades of pink, green, burgundy, and even yellow. Like caladiums, they can take the summer heat while still wowing us with their beauty. They do well in containers and hanging baskets, but can also be planted in the ground. Pinching the young plants will result in bushier growth. Removing the flower stalks as they appear will also improve the appearance and vigor of the plant. The University of Florida has active breeding programs for both caladiums and coleus, so stay tuned for new cultivars as they are released.

2 Page 2 Timely Gardening Tips for MARION COUNTY by Josephine Leyte-Vidal, UF/IFAS Extension Marion County Master Gardener (continued from page 1) interested in daffodils, contact the Florida Daffodil Society. Those seeds you started last month should be about ready to be hardened off before planting mid-month. Hardening off is the process of adapting the seedlings to the outdoor environment. This is done over a period of two weeks. The first week, place the flats outdoors in partial shade during the day and bring them back inside at night. The second week, leave them out until you put them in the ground. Don t forget to keep the flats moist. A word of caution: don t overexert those underworked winter muscles. Pace yourself. Bend at the knees and lift with your legs, not your back. Playing in the dirt should be fun, not painful. Adding Color to Your Garden with Foliage by Linda Porter, Master Gardener (continued from Page 1) Your foliage garden can also include plants with colored bracts, modified leaves that look much like flowers, such as those of poinsettias and bougainvillea. The actual Coleus hort.cornell.edu flower is insignificant while the vivid bracts steal the show. Bromeliads can add a touch of tropical exuberance with nary a flower in sight, though many bromeliads also have exotic flower spikes. The amount of light the plant receives has a direct bearing on the leaf color. There are many bromeliads with a variety of cultural requirements. When working with foliage, keep in mind that the basic principles of design are more important than ever. For example, when designing a perennial border, place low mounding plants in front with drifts of spiky plants just behind them. Add groupings of shrubs with a more vase-shaped structure for the final layer. The interplay of height and shape adds interest and variety. Drama can come from the juxtaposition of roundedness and spikiness, leaf size and color, and placement. A garden designed around plants with great leaves will have staying power year round, even when the blooming season is over. One variegated plant to avoid is Chinese privet Chinese privet ifas.ufl.edu (Ligustrum sinense), a non-native plant that is becoming increasingly invasive in Florida s natural areas. Asparagus fern is another non-native often planted for its vivid red berries, but it is also an invasive plant. Instead, choose native or Florida-Friendly plants to enhance your landscape. Not sure which plant might be right for you? Call the UF/IFAS Extension Marion County Office at and ask to speak to a Master Gardener.

3 Page 3 Florida-Friendly Landscaping : Right Plant, Right Place by Marylou Klein, Master Gardener Hopefully we are all using methods of gardening that are friendly to our Florida environment. This kind of gardening is based on nine principles that should reduce your failures and cost you less money in the long run, while helping to preserve our groundwater. If you search Florida-Friendly Yard on the internet, the site will lead you to the nine Florida-Friendly principles. I am going to only discuss the first one: Right Plant, Right Place. As you plan your spring and summer garden, take into consideration several facts. Is your garden in the sun or shade? How much sun does it get? Anything less than six hours will not provide enough sun for many sun-loving plants to perform at their best. If a plant that requires full sun is planted in an area that gets only two or three hours of sun, it probably will not bloom and flourish as you would like, while a shade-loving plant would do just fine. Sun requirements are frequently shown on the plant label by a bright sun, a sun half bright and half dark, while a shade loving plant is shown by a dark sun. I need to add that since most plant labels are not made lt.unt.edu specifically for Florida s sunny climate, six hours can be considered full sun. What about water requirements? That is usually listed on the label with water drops, 1 for little water, 4 for lots. There is nothing wrong with planting a water loving plant, as long as you plant it in the right place. Do you have a lower area in your landscape that does not dry out readily? Perhaps it is a little shady also? Your water loving plant should do well there without needing too much water. Group your plants by water and sun requirements. If everything in one place needs similar care, it will reduce the amount of time you need to care for them, and you can adjust your water use accordingly. For lists of plants that will do well in sun and shade, and filtered sun, again go to the websites above and you will find listings of them. I hope this will help you get started on a successful garden that will provide you lots of satisfaction through the year UPCOMING LECTURES/EVENTS: Educational seminars and events are presented by UF/IFAS Extension Agents and/or Master Gardeners. Unless otherwise indicated, to pre-register, please call or terry.holt@marioncountyfl.org. February Basic Gardening February 13, 2015 Organic Vegetable Gardening February 20, 2015 Fort McCoy Library Master Gardener Series Your Spring Garden February 21, :00-11:00 a.m. Fort McCoy Public Library NE Hwy 315, Fort McCoy Forest Public Library Master Gardener Series Native and Invasive Plants February 21,2015 2:00-3:00 p.m. Forest Public Library 905 SW 314A, Ocklawaha Annuals and Perennials February 27, 2015

4 Page 4 UPCOMING LECTURES/EVENTS: March Dunnellon Satellite Plant Clinic March 3, :00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Dunnellon Public Library Robinson Rd, Dunnellon Freedom Public Library Ask the Experts: March 6, :00 a.m. 11:30 p.m. Freedom Public Library 5870 SW 95th St, Ocala Fruit Gardening March 6, 2015 Ft. McCoy Public Library Ask the Experts: March 21, :00 a.m. 11:00 p.m. Ft. McCoy Public Library NE Hwy 315, Ft. McCoy Come to the Spring Festival by Anne Lambrecht, Master Gardener One of the best plant sales around is the legendary Marion County Master Gardener s Spring Festival to be held this year on March 14 th and 15 th. More than just a plant sale, this is a huge, dizzying festival, big enough to satisfy plant freaks of every nature. The Spring Festival gets bigger and better each year. This year there are over 90 plant-related vendors, selling flowers, vegetables, herbs, garden décor, fountains, pond accessories and much more. Orchid purveyors, native plant growers, bromeliad and succulent people will be there with tables and tables of colorful annual Photo courtesy of Marion County Master Gardeners collections. There are vendors selling garden gizmos, pond and waterfall equipment, and drip irrigation supplies. Of course, the Marion County Master Gardeners will be buzzing around in their green shirts, all of them willing and able to answer any of your gardening questions. In addition to the vendors, during both days the Master Gardeners provide free lectures and seminars by big name horticulturalists, professors, county experts and other professionals. They will speak on lawn care, composting, growing tomatoes, palms for central Florida and insect control. There are also intimate in-garden talks held right in the Master Gardeners demonstration gardens. These talks include vertical gardening, raised gardens, organic pest control and many more. University of Florida plant publications will also be available for sale in the vendor area. Also, check out the Extension Bookstore on your way in. Now, you needn t be concerned if you can t carry all your purchases around. There s a holding area manned and protected by our wonderful 4-H youth volunteers. When you re completely satisfied that you ve shopped til you ve dropped (or the money runs out), these wagonequipped 4-Hers will bring your treasures to our plant pick-up area where you can load them into your vehicle. Don t worry about parking close; there are regular tractor trams transporting happy gardeners to the festival and back again. There is a $1 charge to enter the festival. Kids under 12 enter free.

5 Page 5 Speaking of kids, there is an area just for kids in the auditorium called the Kids Gardening Zone. I am the Queen Bee of this area come and see me! Giant butterflies and bugs, huge colorful flowers and plant displays will greet you upon entering the Zone. Educational and super fun activities all about gardening and our natural world will be held in our new auditorium. This year s theme for the zone is Pollinators! Birds, Bees, Bats and Butterflies. Kids and their parents will learn about our amazing pollinators while having fun constructing native bee nests and making muddy clay seed balls. Kids will be able to plant seedlings of Seminole pumpkin, watermelon and Teddy Bear sunflowers to bring home. New this year is a bat cave where the kids and their parents can walk through a cave and see bats all around them and hear their actual sounds. We will have plenty of kid-sized wings and masks of pollinators to decorate and wear (the kids are so cute flying around the festival!) A real Source: stockphoto.com working bee hive will be on display, courtesy of the Marion County Beekeepers Association. And the Bug Man will be back with his many glass cases of Florida insects. The University of Florida s automated weather network (FAWN) station will be there to teach kids about the tools used for weather alerts, forecasts, temperature, wind and rain. Captain Compost and the worm hotel will be there. Kids can actually see worms working hard to make new soil! Our 4-H team will be there to do some fun crafts about entomology and pollinators. Lots of fun children s activities are planned by some of Marion County s local civic organizations. The Ocala Police Department is providing a Kids Safety Program. The Marion County Public Library will have fun and easy bookmarks and a seed packet craft for awareness of the library and its many offerings for young people. Stop by the Education First booth to find out how you can host an International student this summer. So, come on out to the festival. You will have a tremendously fun time I guarantee it! For more information call Like us on our Facebook page: Come to the Spring Festival by Anne Lambrecht, Master Gardener (continued from Page 4) For those of you born in February your birthday flower is the violet. The violet symbolizes faithfulness, humility, and chastity. There are about 400 species throughout the world, mainly in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Flower colors vary in the genus; many are violet as their name suggests, and some are blue, some pink, some white, and some are bi-colored.

6 Page 6 Items below are available for purchase at the UF/IFAS Extension Marion County. We also have many other items available in our Shop Extension store. The store is open Mon-Fri from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Please come to see these environmentally-friendly products, as well as many other agricultural-related items. Source: stockphoto.com Meet Our Newest Extension Agent by Norma Samuel, Master Gardener Coordinator Hi folks, I m Yilin Zhuang, the Community Resource Efficiency Agent at UF/IFAS Extension Marion County. I was born and raised in Shanghai, a busy but beautiful metropolitan city in east China. I came to the U.S. in 2009 and got my Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering at the University of South Florida in My area focuses on water and energy. The programs that I offer include drinking water safety, home water treatment systems, home water and energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and environmental stewardship. If you d like more information, or would like to learn about events on water and energy, please like my Facebook page: Source: UF/IFAS Extension Marion County Foundation for the Gator Nation An Equal Opportunity Institution