Ginny Stibolt
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Ginny Stibolt
@ginnystibolt.bsky.social
3.5K followers 2.3K following 920 posts
I'm a naturalist, botanist, gardener, and award-winning garden writer. I live in NE Florida with my husband. My website has links to my 7 books & 200+ articles: www.greengardeningmatters.com
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#ThereisNoPlanetB! As my daughter and granddaughter move into the future, I wish to leave our Mother Earth in the best shape possible. This is why I work so hard for environmental causes. Won't you join me?
My article lists ideas to fight back: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2016/01/a-gr...
Photo of the back of a woman with long blond hair walking along a road. She's wearing a blue with white polka-dotted shirt and is carrying a small child wearing a red shirt and green pants with white polka dots. The child is facing the camera and is waving.
January 3, 2026 at 1:40 PM
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#PlantMoreNatives! Wax myrtle (Morella cerifera) is an easy-to-grow evergreen shrub that's native fron NJ to TX. It's dioecious (male and female flowers borne on separate plants). Female trees produce waxy fruit that feed migrating birds in winter. greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2022/01/wax-...
Photo of branches filled with gray-colored fruit and stiff green leaves. Traces of blue sky are in the background. The text says, "Female wax myrtle (Morella cerifera)"
January 2, 2026 at 7:35 PM
ginnystibolt.bsky.social
#Sunrise A murder of crows decorated this sepia-toned sunrise on this date a few years ago. Sunrises are a great reminder that doing something positive for others or for our only planet each day leads to a better world in the long run.
Photo of birds perched on and flying near a winter tree without leaves. There are also pine trees and other trees shown in silhouette with a sepia-colored sky.
January 2, 2026 at 7:28 PM
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Florida betony (Stachys floridana) is an aggressive perennial wildflower. It's also known rattlesnake weed because of its rattle-like tuber, which are edible when harvested in the spring when they are firm and white. Read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2026/01/flor...
Photo of ridged white tubers laying on the palm of a hand. Pine needles are covering the soil under the hand with some sprouting plants with opposite green leaves. Text says, "Florida Betony Stachys floridana"
January 1, 2026 at 2:09 PM
ginnystibolt.bsky.social
#happynewyear2026! I wish ample harvests for you in the coming year!
Here's a link to my article on growing tomatoes and a bit of their surprising history as a crop: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2021/02/the-...
Photo of a smiling woman wearing a flowered shirt and a large straw visor who is holding a white colander filled with tomatoes. Her hand is holding a bunch of cherry tomatoes still attached to the plant, which is taller than the woman and dominates the whole background of the photo.
December 31, 2025 at 4:13 PM
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Looking for a planet-friendly resolution for 2026? The easiest, most significant action you can take is to commit intentional "Lawn-i-cide." Thanks to Billy Goodnick for this quote that we used in "Climate-Wise Landscaping: Practical Actions for a Sustainable Future." www.ClimatWiseLandscaping.com
December 30, 2025 at 11:36 AM
ginnystibolt.bsky.social
#GoodNews for our only planet in this NY Times gift article:
"We Asked for Environmental Fixes in Your State. You Sent In Thousands." www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Readers Share Eco-Friendly Projects Happening In Their Communities
Readers submitted more than 3,200 ideas for our 50 States, 50 Fixes series. Before the year ends, we wanted to share just a few more of them.
www.nytimes.com
December 29, 2025 at 11:20 AM
ginnystibolt.bsky.social
#NewYear2026 Of all the resolutions you could make for the new year, stopping all landscape-wide applications of pesticides and fertilizers is the easiest to do; is healthier for you, your family & pets; has the most impact on our only planet; & you'll save money. #ThereisNoPlanetB!
Drawing of a water ecosystem showing tall grasses, a heron, a from on a lilypad, a turtle, & 3 fish under water indicated by wavy lines. Text says, "Those chemical you put on your lawn, guess where they end up... Avoid lawn chemicals" Graphic by Bee-Friendly Gardening
December 28, 2025 at 12:26 PM
ginnystibolt.bsky.social
#JaneGoodall was my hero. As 2025 comes to a close without her, take a moment to reflect on steps we’ve each taken to make the world a better place. Whether planting a tree, reducing waste, or advocating for wildlife, every action adds up to something bigger. 🌍
It's up to us to carry her torch.
We see Dr. Jane Goodall in profile as she sits on the beach of Gombe with her silver hair pulled back in her iconic ponytail. She is wearing khaki pants and a green shirt and holding a glass of whiskey as she looks out thoughtfully towards the water off camera.
December 28, 2025 at 12:19 PM
ginnystibolt.bsky.social
#NewYear2026 I urge you to be more active in #EcosystemGardening in your yard & your community (including shared community property, school yards, church yards, municipal properties & more) in the new year. Enjoy!
Read my birds-of-prey article: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2020/06/bird...
A drawing & a photo. The B&W drawing on the left is of a sign that says "Wildlife is Welcome to this native Florida yard! There is a drawing of a butterfly in a circle at the top middle of the sign and a leaf after the first line of text. Both in front of and behind the sign are native plants including palm trees, palmettos, bunching grasses, coonties, & more. The photo on the right is of a Red Shouldered Hawk perched on a corner of a garage with green roof, a white gutter & downspout. Sunlit trees are in the background.
December 27, 2025 at 1:24 PM
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Every day is an opportunity to do something to improve our only planet. #ThereisNoPlanetB!
Photo of two women throwing trash into a trash can. Trees and a lake are in the background. Text says, "Christmas hike 2013"
December 26, 2025 at 12:00 PM
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#BoxingDay We celebrate with roselle pie & Greek yogurt for breakfast. Yummy!
For more on roselle, how to grow it in Florida, & the recipe for this pie (Nantucket cranberry pie but made with roselle instead) in this article: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2021/11/rose...
Photo of a tourquiose plate with wedge of pie topped with white yogurt held over the rest of the pie sitting on a granite countertop.
December 26, 2025 at 11:55 AM
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#Science Read this NY Times gift article: Fairy lantern (Thismia selangorensis) is a mycoheterotroph, a plant that parasitizes fungi. It has short, stumpy roots that the researchers describe as “coral-like,” wherein fungi are likely housed and manipulated. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/s...
Who’s the Parasite Now? This Newly Discovered ‘Fairy Lantern’ Flower.
www.nytimes.com
December 25, 2025 at 12:18 PM
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#Holidays2025 A gardener's wish for a bountiful holiday season and beyond.
December 25, 2025 at 12:17 PM
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#Chritmas2025 Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is a drought-tolerant, winter-blooming Mediterranean shrub. It's an herb which has been immortalized in song and classic literature, plus it plays a part in a charming legend of Christmas. Read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2017/12/holi...
Photo of rosemary twigs, red, black & green olives, and balls of white mozzarella cheese arranged like a wreath on a white plate.
December 24, 2025 at 11:26 AM
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#WinterSolstice2025 is 10:03am EST. This has been celebrated for millennia because the days will get longer. So, I wish you a happy Winter Solstice, Saturnalia, Christmas, New Year's Day & know that your plants also celebrating the longer days. greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2020/12/cele...
Photo of a sunrise over a river with a short palm tree & grasses silhouetted in the foregorund. The sky is mostly cloudy with a curved break near the horizon where yellow & orange light breaks through and these colors are reflected in the slightly wavy water.
December 21, 2025 at 6:52 AM
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#Holidays2025 Make a resolution to add more native plants and remove more lawn this coming year. Doug Tallamy's research shows that even for small yards, natives make a big difference for birds and pollinators. Tallamy wrote the Foreword for "Climate-Wise Landscaping" www.climatewiselandscaping.com
Photo of an open wooded area with sun rays shining through a ground fog. A wildflowered meadow is between the trees. Text says, "To me the choice is clear. The costs of increasing yhr percentage of natives in our suburban landscapes are small, and the benefits are immense. -Doug Tallamy" Image by Larry Weiner.
December 20, 2025 at 7:04 AM
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Tropical sage (Salvia coccinea), a beautiful, easy-to-grow wildflower in the mint family, is native to SE states & most of Florida. It has a long blooming cycle, so in Florida, its red flowers are usually available for holiday decorations.
greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2021/12/trop...
Photo of a bouquet of red flowers in a white vase placed on a glass top table with green & tourquoise chairs around it. Text says, "Native Tropical Sage Merry Christmas from Florida."
December 19, 2025 at 7:43 PM
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Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), a Mexican native, is the most popular potted plant in the US, but 90% are sold in just 6-weeks. I'd planted these 2 & put them where they'd get no artificial nighttime light, because they need long nights to bloom the next year. www.sky-bolt.com/garden/poins...
Photo of blooming poinsettias planted in a large gray container on a front step. There is also a smaller red flowering plant in the pot as well.
December 18, 2025 at 2:06 PM
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#Holidays2025 We will be spending more time outside during the holiday season to find peace that is offered by Nature every day. A bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) silhouetted by the sunrise over the St. Johns River at Spring Park in Green Cove Springs, Floirda.
Sunrise photo over a body of water where an orange sun is just above the trees on the far side of the water. The clouds in the mostly blue sky are orange and lavender. An asymmetric leafless tree is silhouetted in the foreground.
December 18, 2025 at 6:46 AM
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Photos of 2 hibiscus plants on the same Dec. day in North Florida. The native hibiscus, scarlet rosemallow (Hibiscus coccineus) loses its leaves for winter, while exotic hibiscus plants keep blooming until they are killed back by frost.
Read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2023/05/hibi...
2 photos. The one on the left is of a pink hibiscus flower in full bloom. Text says, "Garden rosemallow in December in North Florida" The one on the right is of 3 yellowing leaves each with 5 to 7 deeply divided lobes. Ferns and blue sky reflected from the surface of water are in the background. Text says, "Scarlet mallow in December."
December 16, 2025 at 3:19 PM
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#Holidays2025 The holidays are a good reminder to take better care of our only planet.
To help you get started, Sue Reed & I have provided 100s of Earth-friendly actions in our award-winning book, "Climate-Wise Landscaping: Practical Actions for a Sustainable Future." www.climatewiselandscaping.com
Cartoon showing gloved hands of Santa Claus pulling an Earth ornament from a box filled with straw and labeled "Fragile Handle with Care" and getting ready to hang it on a Christmas tree.
December 15, 2025 at 7:07 AM
ginnystibolt.bsky.social
#PlantMoreTrees because:
- Trees actually cool the air.
- Trees sequester carbon.
- Trees produce oxygen & absorb pollutants including carbon monoxide.
- Trees provide important habitat.
- Trees remove pollutants & sediments from stormwater runoff.
greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-...
PowerPoint slide with one photo of an overhead view of a forest showing white clouds hovering over the top of a dark green forest canopy. Text says, "Tree in our local landscapes add to the global population. Protect our tree because they: - reduce actual temperatures (585 calories/gram of H2O @ 68 degree F) - increase water vapor in the atmosphere Text says, "To create a good working ecosystem, plant a wide variety of native trees and shrubs." Text says, "For each acre of forest protected, the threat of deforestation and degradation is removed. By protecting an additional 687 million acres of forest, this solution could avoid carbon dioxide emissions totaling 6.2 gigatons by 2050... Paul Hawken, Drawdown 2007"
December 14, 2025 at 1:31 PM
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The Lorax's message is more important than ever. Our grandkids are counting on us to overcome today's anti-environmental policies.
altnps.bsky.social Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 22d
Caring is an act of resistance in a system that thrives on indifference.
December 14, 2025 at 1:13 PM
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This fire-in-the-sky Florida sunrise was #AmomentinNature!
Photo of orange & purple clouds stretched out diagonally across the sky. Some blue sky is behind the clouds. Silhouettes of palms and other trees are in the foreground.
December 13, 2025 at 6:21 PM