Vegetable Gardening 101 in Tallahassee

Today was the first Organic Vegetable Gardening 101 course held at Native Nurseries in Tallahassee. New to vegetable gardening? New to Tallahassee? Looking for a refresher course? This workshop is for you! Joe Walthall goes over the basics of organic vegetable gardening – preparing a bed, soil building, what to plant, when to plant, and more. This is an outdoor workshop that features a demonstration in Native Nurseries’ vegetable garden. Missed today’s event? Never fear – this special workshop will occur again on March 6th at 10 a.m. EST. 

PLEASE NOTE: Registration is required by phone. There is a $5.00 fee; your payment holds your spot in the class. Please call (850) 386-8882 to pre-register. Class size is limited to 15 people. Masks are required. When parking, please use the driveway next door to the nursery with ‘Workshop Parking’ sign seen from Centerville Rd.

National Bird-Feeding Month

Here in the Florida Panhandle and surrounding areas, the health of our local ecology plays a huge part in helping migratory (and local) bird populations. February is National Bird-Feeding Month, dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of providing wildlife with necessities as well as encouraging healthier, sustainable bird feeding habits. Birds have it tough in winter as they have new families to feed and the natural resources to do so aren’t as plentiful as at other times of the year.

Want to help? Most importantly, make sure you are only putting out seed that is natural to the diet of birds in your area. Secondly, be sure to squirrel-proof any bird feeders or baths you put out. As birds often gather in places where food, shelter, and water are reliable, being consistent and generous is the best way to get to see a wide variety of species. Furthermore, bird watching in your yard or surrounding land will not only help you relax and make you happier but also help provide the right resources to get those birds coming back again and again. Spotting patterns and identifying species will help you identify what kind of feed is most beneficial, what plants will help encourage birds to land, and what kind of water sources are most useful. 

National Holiday and Local Library Spotlight

Did you know that February is National Libary Lovers’ Month? It is a month dedicated to recognizing the value of libraries as well as work to assure that libraries in the U.S.A. will continue to serve their patrons. 

In celebration of this month-long celebration of school, public, and private libraries, let’s highlight a local public library that is continuing to provide wonderful experiences despite the restrictions of the time. Calhoun County Public Library turned 181 years old this January and is continuing to host its weekly Storytime every Thursday at 10 a.m. via Facebook. 

Visit the Calhoun library’s official website HERE or go straight to their Facebook page to access future storytime events and more by CLICKING HERE!

Special February Full Moon

Tomorrow morning is a special event for those interested in astrology or those who enjoy the beauty of the moon – February 27th at 2:17 a.m. there will be a Full Moon! Also known as a Snow Moon, this modern-day name is derived from a combination of Native American, Anglo-Saxon, and Germanic month names. This particular Full Moon is named after the snow on the ground. 

Interestingly, some North American tribes call February 27th’s full moon The Hunger Moon because they historically had to deal with food shortages and difficult hunting conditions during this period of mid-winter. Other names attributed to the Snow Moon are Storm moon, Chaste Moon, and March Full Moon. Even more mind-blowing is that, about once every 19 years, February does not have a Full Moon at all! This event is known as a Black Moon. 

Fairy Tales

Tomorrow, February 26th, is National Tell a Fairy Tale Day! Celebrate by reading your favorite fairy tales, watching TV or movie adaptations, or retelling a tale from your own childhood to family or friends. The term ‘fairy tale’ was coined in 1697 by Madame d’Aulnoy. However, some fairy tales originated as early as the bronze age over 6,000 years ago according to historical research. 

Love Your Pet

Today is National Love Your Pet Day! Humans have a longstanding tendency to keep other animals as pets, something that makes us different from most of the animal kingdom. As far back as 12,000 years ago, dogs and cats were buried with their humans – clearly, the deep connection between pets and their parents is one that has persisted for generations on generations. About sixty percent of Americans are current pet owners which led to the 2004 adoption of February 20th as National Pet Day in the U.S.A. So hug your pet close today, and don’t forget to give that pooch a smooch and that cat a scratch!

Valentine’s Day

Today is Valentine’s Day! It is also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine. The Feast of Saint Valentine was established in 496 AD by Pope Gelasius I. It was an annual event celebrated on February 14th in honor of Saint Valentine of Rome, who died on the 14th in 269 AD. Saint Valentine’s Day became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries with the rise of courtly love. In 18th-century England, it grew into an occasion in which couples expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, confectionery, and sending greeting cards.

In fact, greeting cards (now referred to as valentines) were created in 1797!  A British publisher issued The Young Man’s Valentine Writer, which contained suggested sentimental verses for young lovers who were unable to compose their own sweet words. Printers had begun producing a limited number of cards with verses and sketches based on The Young Man’s Valentine Writer sometimes called “mechanical valentines.” These mechanical valentines have grown into the valentine industry (worth over $19 billion as of 2018) that is known today.

Victorian England-era Valentine Card

Galentine’s Day

Today is Galentine’s Day, a day for women to celebrate women! February is the month of love and the 13th is designated to celebrating the important female friendships and relationships in our lives. It’s a relatively recent phenomenon; it was created by Amy Poehler’s Parks and Recreation character Leslie Knope. It was debuted in 2010 during the holiday special. It is a day to celebrate your female friends, a day to recognize the importance of friendship in order to strengthen and cherish them.

Black History Month

February is Black History Month! An annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history, the event is the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson. Since 1976, February has been acknowledged as Black History Month in the U.S.A. Other countries around the world such as Canada and the United Kingdom also devote a month to celebrating Black history.

Historically, Black History Month grew from Carter G. Woodson and prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland’s Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). ASNLH was an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent. It grew into a month dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating the incredible effort put into the creation of the U.S.A. as we know it by African American and Black communities.