Northwest Florida's weather patterns can present challenges to maintaining a healthy lawn. Heavy rains promote fast growth and relentless sunshine causes lawns to fade.

In the last 200 days, we have received at least 68 days of rain. While the rest of Florida was experiencing record drought earlier this year, the Panhandle was experiencing torrential downpours.

With every drop of rain, your spring fertilizer is being metabolized by the lawn, reducing how many nutrients remain in the soil. Even the best slow-release fertilizer will only last 3-4 months. The message is: "It's time for more fertilizer."

A healthy lawn is an important component of the urban landscape. Not only do lawns increase the value of a property, they also reduce soil erosion, filter stormwater runoff, cool the air, and reduce glare and noise. A healthy lawn effectively filters and traps sediment and pollutants that could otherwise contaminate surface waters and groundwater. Lawns require nutrients throughout the growing season to stay healthy. In Northwest Florida, the growing season is typically April to October.

Proper fertilization consists of selecting the right type of fertilizer and applying it at the right time and in the right amount for maximum plant uptake. The type of fertilizer should be based on a soil test, available through the University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension. The timing of application and amount of fertilizer is dependent on the research-based recommendations for the grass species and the fertilizer analysis of the product being used.

(See the chart for application rates.)

Select only a fertilizer that states that the product is for use on residential turf. Do not use a fertilizer meant for flower or vegetable gardens on lawns. By Florida Administrative Code, Rule 5E-1.003, the Urban Turf Rule requires that the fertilizers being applied to residential lawns are labeled for the site and the application rates are followed. Typically, these products will contain both slow-release nitrogen and low or no phosphorus. Slow-release nitrogen will provide a longer-lasting response from the grass and reduces the potential for burning. Go to http://www.edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/EP/EP35300.pdf for more information on the Urban Turf Rule.

With frequent rain, the soil is also losing iron. Keep in mind that the green fading to yellow appearance in your lawn may be an iron deficiency. Before applying your summer fertilizer, put out a liquid chelated iron. It will improve the health of the lawn while you are trying to find a dry day to fertilize.

While it is necessary to water in fertilizer with one-fourth inch of water to reduce burn potential and volatilization, never apply fertilizer when heavy rain is expected. The rainfall over one-fourth inch can encourage runoff or leaching of that fertilizer, which can be costly and environmentally harmful.

Sheila Dunning is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: The grass is getting 'hungry'

You may not see it in the greeting card section of your local drugstore, but August is "What Will Be Your Legacy Month." So it's a good time to think about the type of legacy you'd like to leave.

Of course, "legacy" can mean many things. In the broadest sense, your legacy is how you will be remembered by your loved ones, friends and the communities to which you belong. On a practical level, establishing your legacy means providing your family and the charitable organizations you support with the resources you'd like them to have.

And that means you may need to take the following actions: create your plans, communicate your wishes and review and update your documents.

Let's take a quick look at all these steps:

•Create your plans. You will want to work with your legal professional, and possibly your tax and financial professionals, too, to draft the plans needed to fulfill your legacy wishes. These plans may include drafting a will, living trust, health care directive, power of attorney and other documents.

Ideally, you want these plans to do more than just convey where you want your money to go — you want to impart, to the next generation, a sense of the effort that went into building the wealth they receive. Without such an appreciation, your heirs may be less than rigorous in retaining the tangible legacies you've left them.

•Communicate your wishes. It's important to communicate your legacy-related wishes to your family members as early as possible. By doing so, you can hopefully avoid unpleasant surprises and hurt feelings when it's time for your estate to be settled — and you'll also let people know what tasks, if any, they need to perform. For example, if you're choosing a family member to be the executor of your estate, or if you're giving someone power of attorney over your financial or health-related matters, they should be prepared.

•Update your documents. During your life, you may well experience any number of changes — new marriage, new children, opening a family business, and so on. You need to make sure your legal documents and financial accounts reflect these changes. For example, if you've remarried, you may want to change the beneficiary designations on your IRA, 401(k) and other retirement accounts — if left untouched, these designations may even supersede the instructions left in your will. And the directions in life chosen by your grown children may also dictate changes in your will or living trust.

In any case, it's a good idea to review all your legacy-related documents periodically, and update them as needed. In addition to taking the above steps, you also need to protect the financial resources that go into your legacy.

So, when you retire and begin taking funds from your IRA, 401(k) and other retirement accounts, make sure your withdrawal rate is sufficient for your living expenses, but not so high that it eventually jeopardizes the amounts you planned to leave to your family or to your preferred charities. A financial professional can help you determine the withdrawal rate appropriate for your situation.

With careful planning, and by making the right moves, you can create the type of legacy you desire — one that can benefit your loved ones far into the future.

This article was written by Edward Jones on behalf of your Edward Jones financial adviser.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: How to leave the legacy you desire

My wife and I like reading mystery novels. It is enjoyable reading all the clues as the story unfolds, attempting to determine before the big reveal at the end who the culprit is. Sometimes we are correct; other times we are way off the track.

People love to solve mysteries. There is a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment when all is revealed. However, if the answer is left hanging, or if the mystery remains unsolved, there is a sense of frustration.

Since the onset of scientific reasoning centuries ago, people expect to have answers to every question that arises. Science has answered many questions. The intricacies of DNA and genetics, the exploration of the vastness of the universe, medical advances, and technology are all wonderful. Delving deep into the questions and mysteries of life has brought about fantastic answers and advancement to humanity.

Mystery after mystery has been solved. With the solving of one mystery, more questions arise that beg to be answered. People keep researching and digging deeper until answers are found.

Some people are relentless in their pursuit of answers, with the exception of one mystery. It has baffled scientific minds for generations, and its answer defies logical conclusions and eludes scientific method. It is a mystery that cannot be solved through hypothesis, research, experimentation, and results.

This mystery is God.

God cannot be put into a test tube, placed under a microscope, or dissected with a scalpel. God cannot be figured out and then pigeonholed to fit neatly into the vast data banks of scientific knowledge.

Because God defies all scientific and logical examination, many refuse to believe in him. He does not fit into the nice, neat, tidy boxes where so many want to place so much of life, checking off those things that have been understood and, in essence, conquered.

God is a mystery. God will never be fully understood, or fit into a nice, neat package tied up with a bow. That is one of the great aspects of our Creator.

However, God does reveal more and more of himself as people grow in faith and understand in their mind and heart how God is presently acting in their life.

The more we experience God, the more we learn. The more we learn, the more we understand. And the more we understand, the easier and more exciting it is to live without having all the answers.

Don't expect God to fit into your expectations of who he is or what he does or will do. That will severely limit your experience of him. Allow yourself to live with the fact that God is a wonderful mystery beyond your comprehension, and rejoice in the freedom that not having all the answers brings.

Science says, "Open your mind to the possibilities," except when it comes to experiencing God. Faith says, "Open your mind to the possibilities," especially when it comes to experiencing God.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Enjoy God's mystery

Summer vacation for many families is almost over. In just a few short weeks, school will be back in session for another year.

Did your family go on a memorable destination vacation, such as a cruise, overseas, or to a theme park; or did you stay close to home and take day and weekend trips to our wonderful beaches and parks? We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful area where we can drive short distances to terrific places of interest.

How much reading did you and your family accomplish? Did you finally read that special book you've been wanting to read? We are so fortunate that we have such a well-stocked library in Crestview with such a helpful staff. They are always a pleasure to be around.

Was there a list of partially finished projects you wanted to tackle this summer? Like me, did you try and catch up on your hobbies, finish up some sewing projects or scrapbooking? Many of you spend hours in your yards and gardens — did you accomplish what you set out to do? 

While I love plants in my garden, I seem to do better with potted plants on my porch. I have some beautiful hibiscus plants that are happily blooming, even in this heat. My begonias are still in bloom, although I need to transplant them to a larger pot and the petunias haven't done well with all the rain we have had. I think I need to buy some new ones and put them on the porch where they won't get so much rain. 

What are you proud of that you completed this summer? Perhaps it is a room that you redecorated, painted or rearranged. Perhaps you got a closet or cupboard cleared out and organized.

There are always many tasks on my to-do list. While I didn't finish everything, there were a few items I checked off the list. I read the book of Romans in the Bible in anticipation of my fall bible study. I rehearsed music that I will be singing for church, and picked out some new pieces to learn. 

I also began two new books on the history of our country and hope to finish them soon. I have closets that need to be cleaned out and organized. I hope I can finish them before September.

Another summer goal area residents may have is purchasing items for the upcoming school year. The back-to-school sales tax holiday is the weekend of Aug. 4-6.

Clothing and shoes that are less than $100 each will be sales tax free, as well as school supplies that are less than $15 each and computers that are less than $750. If you need to invest in a new computer, this would be the weekend to purchase. Start making your lists now, so that you can take advantage of the savings.

Make the most of these final days before school is back in session and your schedule gets crowded.

Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Make the most of your summer vacation