Monthly Meeting & Program

Supporting Regional Conservation
through Plant Science: Brooksville's USDA
Plant Materials Center

featuring Janet Grabowski, Manager, PMC
Monday September 8, 2008 – 7:00 pm
Hernando County Cooperative Extension Service

The USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service Plant Materials Program was created to develop plant materials and plant-related technology to solve conservation concerns. This Program consists of a nationwide network of Plant Materials Centers (PMC), of which there are currently 27, and associated Plant Materials Specialists.

The PMC in Florida is located on the north side of Brooksville on Highway 41 (Broad St.), near CR 476 (Lake Lindsey Rd.). The Florida PMC has been in existence since 1947; however, it has only been located at its current site since 1967. The area that we serve covers all of Florida, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, as well as the coastal sections of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. The primary conservation concerns in this region include water quality, controlling erosion on cropland and disturbed areas, forage for livestock, and wildlife habitat. There are more than 20 named selections of plants, both native and introduced, that we have tested and determined to be superior in addressing these environmental challenges.

Current research is focused mainly on native plant species. We have also documented numerous successful methods that can be used to grow and process seed, propagate plants, and establish these materials on sites ranging from the harsh conditions found on coastal dunes and phosphate minelands to much more moderate conditions in pastures and home lawns. For more about the program and its resources, see http://www.fl.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/pmc/flplantmaterials.html

Our speaker, Janet Grabowski, became the Manager at the PMC in Brooksville in 2003. Prior to relocating to Florida, she worked for more than 13 years at the Jamie L. Whitten PMC in Coffeeville, Mississippi. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she received both her BS and MS degrees in Horticulture.

Monthly meetings and programs of the Hernando Chapter are held on the first Monday of the month, and are open to the public, free of charge. Due to the Labor Day weekend, September's meeting will be held on the second Monday. Meetings are held at the Hernando County Cooperative Extension Office – 19490 Oliver Street (next to the County Fairgrounds) in Brooksville. For more information about this program or the Florida Native Plant Society, contact the Hernando Chapter Board at hcfnps@gmail.com.

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Chapter News

September 27 is National Public Lands Day: Spend a Morning Giving Back to Hernando

This nation-wide event encourages everyone to give back to public lands by volunteering a work day. Chinsegut Nature Center, Southwest Florida Water Management District/Land Use, Hernando County Environmental Sensitive Lands and Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area are our County's partners for local activities. The Hernando Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society joins Hernando Audubon Society as co-sponsors for these events.

At Chinsegut volunteers will place the finishing touches to the new butterfly garden by adding mulch to the walkway paths. The butterfly garden is a collaboration with University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History and IFAS, and will showcase Florida native plants. Micro-irrigation, supplied by rain barrels, and regulated by timers will regulate the watering of the plants. A short demo and talk about the plants and gardens will be given by UF staff prior to the work, at 8:00 am.

Hernando County will sponsor a Preserve Cleanup on at Peck Sink Preserve. Meet at 8:00 AM Saturday, September 27, at the new gate at the southeast corner of the property on Wiscon Road, just west of Mobley Road. Work will be completed by noon. Volunteers should bring gloves, insect repellent, sun screen, drinking water, and a five gallon bucket or other container for collecting trash. To see the complete schedule of Hernando County Preserve workdays, download the schedule (pdf doc).

After the work is done, participants from all four work sites will have an "after party" at Bud McKethan Park in Brooksville (across the Quarry Golf Course) including food, drinks, and celebration. Come celebrate and be a part of National Public Lands Day with us and have a great time doing it. Check out the national web-site at http://www.publiclandsday.org/

Volunteer at Our Plant Sale

Chinsegut Reptile and Amphibian Festival, October 11, Saturday,  9 a.m. - 4 p.m.   
We’re excited about our plans for this year's plant sale. To support Chinsegut’s native plant display initiative, we will be arranging our plants for sale to the public according to habitat. This will allow us to better address what plants “go together” and what plants will succeed under what conditions. A sign-up sheet will be available at our Sept 8 meeting. Or let us know you’d like to participate by writing hcfnps@gmail.com.

Exhibit til October 15, 2008
From Devastation to Reforestation: The Withlacoochee State Forest Story

Learn about the Withlacoochee Resettlement Land Use Project: Great Depression Era and the Legacy
Brooksville Railroad Depot Museum, Russell Street, East of S. Main, 2 blocks
Tuesday, Wednesday,Thursday Noon till 3 p.m.
More info. at 352-799-0129

Presented by Sid Taylor and Wayne Dean,
The State of Florida Division of Forestry and The Old Courthouse Heritage Museum, Inverness, Fl

Next Retail Day at All Native Flora Saturday, Sept. 6

Retail Day will happen at the Smaller Material Nursery, where material #15 and smaller will be available at prices lower than retail. The "Smaller Material" nursery is located at 33601 Kiefer Road, Zephyrhills Florida 33545; see http://www.allnativeflora.com/Directions.htm to get there. To prepare for your visit, visit their wonderful website at http://www.allnativeflora.com to see the plant gallery feature that allows you to search and research Florida native plants by type (shrub, tree, wildflower); common names; or scientific names, with a full bio for each plant including needs, sizes, and pictures.

Plant Sale at Brooker Creek Preserve, Sat. Oct. 4th, 9am-3pm

The annual "Fall for Natives" plant sale will be at Brooker Creek Preserve in Tarpon Springs next month. If you haven’t visited the preserve, it is a great time of year to do so.

Society Resources

Great Outdoors Holds On-line "Dog Days of Summer" Book Sale for FNPS Chapters

Up to a 55% Discount on these titles, but hurry! Offer is limited to current stock (no back orders). Order online with coupon code SUMMERDOG. Great Outdoors is a business member of the Pinellas Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society

Titles for Sale (click on title to order on-line at Great Outdoors)

Big Trees: The Florida Register
Daniel B. Ward & Robert T. Ing
Sale Price: $4.95 each
Champion trees' are the subject of this book. It contains an inventory of the largest examples of each species of native and nonnative tree in the state, where they are and who owns them. Other sections address 'giants of yesteryear', common causes of death in trees, rates of growth, rankings of species by size, and information on how to measure and nominate trees for special champion designation.

Florida's Garden Butterflies ID card
Katy Roberts
Sale Price: $4.95 each
Eighteen butterflies, those most often seen in residential gardens, are pictured in color on their host plants on this handy ID card. Common and scientific name, average wingspan, season of greatest activity, and larval food(s) are listed in the adjacent text.

Gardening for Florida's Butterflies
Pamela F. Traas
Price: $16.95 each
Bring life to your garden and experience the magic of metamorphosis! This book tells you how. It describes 23 species of butterflies and shows them in color photos - adults, caterpillars and chrysalises, as well as dozens and dozens of larval and nectar food plants. Complete growing information is included for each plant: family, plant type, geographic region, mature size, flowering time, color, light, water and soil requirements, propagation methods and salt tolerance.

The Right Plants for Dry Places: Native Plant Landscaping in Central Florida
Suncoast Native Plant Society
Price: $14.95 each. This revised and expanded second edition has more plant species and more photos, and all the information you need to incorporate natives into your central Florida garden. It tells how to identify, where to use, and how to care for 46 native trees, shrubs, groundcovers and vines. It also gives blooming and fruiting times, mature size, wildlife value and ethnobotanical uses. Choose native Florida plants for your home landscape--it's s great way to celebrate our state's environmental heritage, provide food and cover for wildlife and conserve our natural resources.

Shade Gardening for Florida
Monica Moran Brandies
Price: $19.95 each
Having it ~made in the shade~ can sometimes be a problem as well as a godsend for the gardener. Lawns, roses, and some flowering plants may not thrive or bloom as well there as in full sun. But there are many foliage and flowering plants that absolutely love the shade. Learn what you can plant in different kinds of shade--deep, dappled, or something in between--and how to maintain your trees and landscape to keep the level of shade you want, whether your ideal garden evokes an exotic tropical jungle or an enchanting woodland forest!

Xeriscaping for Florida Homes
Monica Brandies
Price: $18.95 each
This common-sense guide will tell you how to make the most of water used in your home landscape. You'll have a greener, more productive yard, fewer failures, and overall much less water use. Organic gardening principles are described and recommended to protect ground water quality. Revised plant charts feature water-thrifty native trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers. An important, must-have guide for every gardener and homeowner in this thirsty state!

Building Inside Nature's Envelope
Andy & Sally Wasowski
Price: $14.95 each
SALE! List price $27.50 In this book, the authors introduce a new and exciting technique for salvaging the natural land upon which we build new structures. To help builders and prospective homeowners to tread lightly on their property and preserve its intrinsic character and wildlife, the authors introduce the idea of The Envelope, an approach to construction that is cost effective, simple, and environmentally responsible. The concept is illustrated with profiles of sites throughout North America. Also highlighted are useful techniques for revegetation, the importance soils, and the desirability of preserving and maintaining natural habitats where we live and work.

Butterfly Gardening with Florida's Native Plants
Craig Huegel
Price: $7.95 each
This excellent handbook on butterfly gardening using wildflowers and native plants has inspired many Floridians to create butterfly habitat on their property. It's a superb introduction to the subject, with sections on 'Butterfly Biology', 'Providing Butterfly Habitat', 'Designing the Garden', 'Selecting Your Butterflies', 'A Gardening Guide to Larval Food Plants' and 'Nectar Plants for Adult Butterflies'.

Coastal Dune Plants
Austin, Honychurch & Bass
Price: $7.50 each
Common plants native to southeast Florida's oceanside communities. Includes general discussion, history, benefits to man and ecosystem, scientific and common names, range, fruiting and flowering times, and botanical description.

Coastal Hammock & Mangrove Plant Guide
Austin, Honychurch & Bass
Price: $7.50 each
Native trees, shrubs and vines of hammocks, mangroves, and other swampy areas. Includes general discussion, history, benefits to man and ecosystem, scientific and common names, range, fruiting and flowering times, and botanical description.
Click here to learn about hardwood hammocks & mangroves.

Common Grasses of Florida and the Southeast
Lewis L. Yarlett
Price: $9.00 each
SALE! List price $18.00 If you've traveled Florida's highways in the fall, you know how gorgeous our grasses can be. This book describes over 100 species of native and naturalized grasses. It discusses grasses in history, origin of grass names, distinction between grasses, sedges and rushes, and grass taxonomy and biology. Each species of grass is described, as well as its distribution, growth habit and environmental significance.

Everglades Wildflowers
Roger L. Hammer
Price: $24.95 each
This is the ultimate field guide to more than 200 wildflowers of the ecoregion that stretches from Lake Okeechobee south, from coast to coast to coast. Packed with vivid color photos and informative text, this valuable reference will help you identify and appreciate the varied flora of this vast watershed. Written for novice and expert wildflower enthusiast alike, the species are grouped by flower color.

The Family Butterfly Book
Rick Mikula
Price: $16.95 each
With lively text enhanced by more than 200 full-color photographs, this book shows how to identify, care for, and raise butterflies in your own backyard. With 40 species profiles, 12 step-by-step projects, and a wealth of informative drawings and maps, this book belongs on every home bookshelf. Inside you'll learn how to: hold and hand-feed a butterfly, grow host plants and nectar plants, make butterfly nets and rearing cages, identify common and endangered North American butterflies.

Flatwoods Plant Guide
Austin, Honychurch & Bass
Price: $10.00 each
Flatwoods are open woodlands that appear on nearly level plains and are dominated by pine trees. They are one of the most diverse associations found in Florida, as well as the most common. In a representative flatwoods parcel there may be as many as 140 plant species. This book contains profiles of 51 of those species, with botanical description, range, seasonality, protected status, ecological significance, human news, scientific name derivation, and miscellaneous notes for each. Each profile is accompanied by a botanical illustration and a photograph.

Florida Butterfly Caterpillars and Their Host Plants
Marc C. Minno, Jerry F. Butler and Donald W. Hall
Price: $34.95 each
Size 6 in. x 9 in., 352 pages, color photos throughout.
This practical guide provides everything the butterfly gardener or naturalist needs to know about the relationship between caterpillars and the plants that help them turn into butterflies. Covers anatomy, biology, ecology, habitat, behavior, and defense mechanisms.

Florida Butterfly Gardening
Marc and Maria Minno
Price: $34.95 each
This is a complete reference for Florida gardeners who wish to attract butterflies to their gardens with both host and nectar plants. It provides sound information on how to identify butterflies, including skippers, as well as an understanding of their biology, behavior, life cycle and Florida habitats. Both useful and beautiful, it is the first book to cover, in full color, the adult, larval, and pupal stages and host plants of more than 60 butterflies and a dozen of our most interesting moth species.

Florida Keys Wildflowers
Roger L. Hammer
Price: $23.95 each
This guide to the common wildflowers found in the lush Florida Keys features 250 beautiful color photographs. Detailed plant descriptions and line art aid in plant identification for botanists and novice enthusiasts alike.

Florida Trees & Wildflowers
James Kavanagh & Raymond Leung
Price: $5.95 each
This ID card has four panels devoted to trees and shrubs, most native but also including four species of introduced exotics.Six panels are devoted to wildflowers, which are organized by flower color. There is also a map showing the location of 8 of Florida's botanical gardens.

Florida Wild Flowers and Roadside Plants (paper)
C. Ritchie Bell and Bryan J. Taylor
Price: $19.95 each
A tremendous tool for identifying native and naturalized plants, this authoritative guide has a color photograph of each species, as well as information about blooming season, habitat, distribution, legal protection, etc. Wildflower species in this book are organized by plant family.

Florida Wildflowers in Their Natural Communities
Walter Kingsley Taylor
Price: $24.95 each
Detailed descriptions and 450+ color photos , scientific and common names, flowering time, habitats, distribution and geographical range make this a most useful reference for wildflower watchers, native plant gardeners, and anyone interested in protecting the ecologically unique communities that sustain Florida's wildflowers. Species are organized by plant community.

Florida's Best Native Landscape Plants
Gil Nelson
Price: $34.95 each
This illustrated guide is for landscape designers, home gardeners, and restoration professionals. Published in cooperation with the Association of Florida Native Plant Nurseries and the Florida Department of Transportation, it provides technical information on the design and maintenance of native plants that are readily available from the state's native plant nurseries for use in Florida gardening and landscaping.

Florida's Incredible Wild Edibles
Richard J. Deuerling & Peggy S. Lantz
Price: $6.00 each
Florida's varying habitats are blessed with a wide variety of native plant species, with roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, and seeds that provide good and interesting food for people.

A Gardener's Guide to Florida Native Plants
Rufino Osorio
Price: $26.95 each
Size 8.5 inches x 11 inches, 358 pages, flex binding, 359 color photos, appendices, index, bibliography.
This guide provides detailed descriptions and methods of cultivation for 350 of the most attractive and easily grown native plants, including ferns, wildflowers, shrubs, trees, vines, aquatics, and epiphytes. Written for the beginner and the experienced gardener, it includes basic garden concepts as they apply to native plants. The author demonstrates how native plants enhance any landscape or home garden layout and provides photos of horticultural landscape techniques using native plants.

Good/Bad Garden Bugs of the Southeast
Mac's Field Guide
Price: $4.95 each
This card helps you identify the good guys and bad guys in your garden. Beneficial insects are shown on one side, pests on the other. Size range in millimeters is given for each, as well as what they eat-for the beneficials, it's other bugs; for the pests, it's plants. For the pest species, the habitats (crops, gardens, orchards, moist soil, lawns, e.g.) are also listed.

Guide to Florida Wildflowers
Walter Kingsley Taylor
Price: $26.95 each
You don't need to be an expert in taxonomic terms or know about plant families to look up an unfamiliar blossom in this field guide. Because the wildflowers are grouped by their color, amateur naturalists find this book especially easy to use.

Healing Plants: Medicine of the Florida Seminole Indians
Alice Micco Snow & Susan Enns Stans
Price: $24.95 each.
This book is a compendium of knowledge on Seminole herbal medicine and ancient healing practices, passed down orally to Alice Snow from generations of her Native American ancestors. An overview of Seminole history and native medicine places the healing practices in their cultural context and describes actual treatments. Charts with plant names in Creek, Mikasuki and English and a list of plant properties with their common and botanical names offer easy reference. Color photos provide clear illustrations of many of the plants.

Landscaping for Florida's Wildlife
Joe Schaefer and George Tanner
Price: $12.95 each
Step-by-step, this book tells how to create a landscape that takes into account the needs of both people and nature. Drawings, tables and worksheets illustrate procedures for determining what wildlife is likely to use your property and how to add native plants and non-plant elements (like birdhouses) to make your property a wildlife-friendly habitat. Has an extensive list of native plants, lists of public agencies and private conservation organizations, a reading list, and a table showing which wildlife species use various ecosystems.

The Life Cycles of Butterflies
Judy Burris & Wayne Richards
Price: $12.95 each
SALE! List price $16.95 For every person who has ever watched and marveled at the magic as a butterfly emerges from a chrysalis, this book is a treasure chest of amazing butterfly transformations. Readers are invited to explore and experience the life cycle stages of many common backyard butterflies in this unique collection of stunning full-color, up-close, all taken in a live garden setting.

Requiem for a Lawnmower
Sally & Andy Wasowski
Price: $11.95 each
SALE! List price $16.95 Today, more than ever before, people are realizing that water is a finite and endangered resource. This is why homeowners and professional landscapers alike are turning to drought-tolerant and hardy native plants. In Requiem for a Lawnmower, Sally and Andy Wasowski offer a timely manifesto for taking a more environment-friendly approach to gardening.

Scrub Plant Guide
Austin, Honychurch & Bass
Price: $7.50 each
Plants of dry, sandy scrub areas, many in danger of extinction due to development. Includes general discussion, history, benefits to man and ecosystem, scientific and common names, range, fruiting and flowering times, and botanical description.

Wild Love Affair: Essence of Florida's Native Orchids
Connie Bransilver
Price: $24.95 each
Size 9 in. x 12. in., hardcover with dustjacket, 128 pages, color photos throughout

Wild Orchids of Florida with References to the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains
Paul Martin Brown
Price: $24.95 each
In more than 100 years of orchid research in Florida, this is the first field guide to be published for this orchid-rich state. Over 400 color photos, as well as line drawings by Stan Folsom, distribution maps, illustrated keys, detailed descriptions of 118 species, and tips on orchid hunting will enable even the novice to easily identify any of the orchids found growing in the wild.

Wildflowers Golden Nature Guide
Herbert S. Zim and Alexander C. Martin
Price: $6.95 each
This is a practical beginner's guide to the most common American wildflowers. Emphasis is on those with showy petals and those that the amateur is most likely to see. Special features include where to look for wildflowers, tips on how to collect and grow them, and simplified range maps. As an added aid to quick and easy identification, the flowers are grouped according to color.

Wildflowers, Blooms and Blossoms
Diane L. Burns & Linda Garrow
Price: $7.95 each
This Take-Along guide helps kids identify 30 favorite wildflowers. It also tells what creatures might eat them, where they're commonly found, and what they've been used for. Activities include making a friendship band and planting a container rainbow
Category: Kids, Gardening, nativeplants