For your native plant listening pleasure: The Native Plant Podcast, a new audio show "in the spirit of the guys from Car Talk but focused on the power of native plants" (per Megan Haidet at Seeds of Success). Described as a mix of botany, nurserymen, hillbilly and fun — sounds like FANN fodder to us! Passed along to FANN by board member Jenny Evans (SCCF) and our partner Florida Wildflower Foundation.

From our Vanessa Campoverde and our UF/IFAS extension colleagues in Homestead ...
Do you want to learn about an alternative to the neonicotinoids (chemical insecticides) for your plants?
Are you looking for more "green" alternatives to advertise your business?
Are you having resistance problems in your pest control?

Attendees will visit a nursery utilizing these natural enemies at the end of the class.
Now more than ever, this timely program will teach you about environment-friendly alternatives to chemical pesticides when dealing with pests in your plants.

Once again, FANN teamed with University of Florida and FNGLA to promote Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) practices to condo and homeowner community managers, their staff and board members at the Communities of Excellence gala in West Palm Beach May 13, 2016. Claire Lewis, UF Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program Coordinator (and landscape architect), provides university publications and other resources; FNGLA promotes its certified landscape professionals program and FANN promotes native plants as the natural choice for FFL.

Several FANN members and show registrants attended a a business education presentation by Lois Perry, Central Florida Chapter Chair for SCORE, a nationwide nonprofit, at FANN’s Native Plant Show on Thursday, March 31, 2016. Lois gave some impressive testimonials on how SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, has helped small businesses achieve their goals and is ready to help you achieve yours.

As campaigns about pollinators gain momentum and the media continues to publish stories about the pollinator decline, consumers are being increasingly exposed to information surrounding pollinator health. But how important are pollinator-friendly insect management practices compared to other factors when it comes time for consumers to purchase ornamental plants? How do they stack up with other high-profile challenges such as the droughts in California? Are consumers willing to pay more for plants with eco-friendly practices?

Imported forest pests cause billions of dollars in damages each year, and U.S. property owners and municipalities foot most of the bill. Efforts to prevent new pests are not keeping pace with escalating trade and must be strengthened if we are to slow the loss of our nation's trees. So reports a team of 16 scientists in a new paper published online in the journal Ecological Applications.

We did it! In just one day, FANN transformed Bradenton homeowners Berni & Brad Volkmann’s landscape – and life. You’ll soon be able to watch it on television as well as on HowtodoFlorida.com.

FANN is so proud that our own Heather Blake, owner of Natural Treasures Farm & Nursery (with a "day job" at Chestnut Hill Tree Farm), is being recognized with the "Outstanding Chapter Leader" award by FNGLA at their annual convention this June.

Hatchett Creek Farms, LLC is a leader in providing a nationwide market with young plants. It recently expanded its tropical line with the addition of shrubbery and tree liner production. We need experienced assistance in accomplishing this growth and facilitating future growth as well.

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) Native Landscapes & Garden Center seeks an energetic and hardworking intern to assist in day-to-day nursery operations and work with our landscape installation and maintenance services. The Native Landscapes & Garden Center offers a unique working environment, as it is a non-profit retail nursery dedicated to landscaping for the improvement of native habitat and wildlife on and around Sanibel and Captiva Islands.

For more events, click here.

Greenhouse growers have been practicing integrated pest management for decades, but it’s becoming increasingly more important with the continued scrutiny of conventional pest control by a number of "regulators" — government, retail, and consumers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) released the results of its first ever Honey Bee Colony Loss survey today. The survey queried more than 20,000 honey beekeepers about the number of colonies, colonies lost, colonies added, and colonies affected by certain stressors and gleans state-level estimates on key honey bee health topics. The survey was developed as part of the "National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators" released last summer, and gleans state-level estimates on key pollinator health topics.

As we’re moving further into the tech age, mobile access to information is critical. We’ve compiled a list of apps that are useful for day-to-day activities.

Current research indicates that mixing native and non-native plants in a designed landscape increases pollinator habitat. Do you agree? We’d love to hear critical review of this information from FANN members, partners and others. There’s a lot of money in pollinator propaganda these days.