Mobile County-Alabama Extension

🌧️ Is Your Home Rain Ready?

Every time it rains, stormwater runoff can carry pollutants into our creeks, rivers, and bays. The good news! Simple landscaping solutions can make a big difference.

✅ Rain Gardens
✅ Bioswales
✅ Permeable Pavement
✅ Other Nature-Based Solutions

Eligible homeowners may receive up to 75% reimbursement for qualifying projects, with additional funding available for HOAs and businesses.

👉 Learn more and apply: rainready.auburn.edu

Get a Rain Barrel for Your Home for Just $30 Shipping!

Turn rain into a resource! Join a free 1-hour online workshop and learn how to collect and reuse rainwater to benefit your landscape and garden.

After completing the workshop, you'll receive a discount code to order a rain barrel delivered to your door for just $30 shipping.

🌧️ Save water
🌱 Help your plants thrive
💰 Reduce outdoor water use

Open to all Alabama residents. Limit one barrel per household.

👉 Register today: rainready.auburn.edu

Need a Septic Pump-Out? We Can Help!

✅ Prevent costly system failures
✅ Protect local waterways and water quality
✅ Extend the life of your septic system

If you're in a qualifying Alabama watershed, you may be eligible for 75% reimbursement (up to $500) for a septic pump-out.

Check your eligibility and apply today:
🌐 rainready.auburn.edu

🌿 Meet Our Friday Night Keynote Speaker! 🌿

Throughout August, we’ll be highlighting the knowledgeable speakers joining us for the 2026 Homeowner Gardening Conference, taking place September 25–26 in Mobile!

We’re excited to welcome Dr. Todd Lasseigne, Executive Director of Bellingrath Gardens & Home, as our keynote speaker during Friday night’s opening dinner. Dr. Lasseigne will present:

“Gardening Today: Forget the Rules and Have Fun!”

Join us for an inspiring evening of great food, gardening education and fellowship as we officially kick off the conference.

Registration is only $25 and includes Friday night dinner, Saturday breakfast and lunch, educational sessions and more.

🌱 Register today: aces.edu/go/6407

We can’t wait to introduce you to all of our outstanding speakers throughout the month!

Mark your calendars and get ready to put your eagle eyes to work! The Great Southeast Pollinator Census returns August 21–22, 2026.

This fun, hands-on citizen science project gives people of all ages the opportunity to identify and count pollinators in their backyards, gardens, and communities. Every count contributes valuable data that helps researchers better understand and support pollinator conservation across the Southeast.

Participating is simple:
Print a counting sheet from the link below.
Choose a plant.
Count and identify each insect that lands on the plant for 15 minutes.
Upload your results.

Will you join Aubie and help count pollinators? We hope to see you participating August 21–22!

Learn more about the Great Southeast Pollinator Census and download your counting sheet here: https://www.aces.edu/go/GreatSoutheastPollinatorCensus

🌿 Whether you’re new to gardening or have years of experience, this conference is designed to inspire, educate, and connect gardeners from across our community. Come learn from experts, discover new ideas, and grow alongside fellow gardening enthusiasts!

Fire ant bait can be an effective and economical control option, but timing and proper application matter. Before treating an area, consider where the bait is labeled for use, whether the ants are actively foraging and how the product should be stored and applied.

Learn how to select and use fire ant bait effectively in this Alabama Extension article: https://www.aces.edu/go/6593

Alabama Extension’s At Home Beekeeping webinar series is back this month with an important topic for beekeepers.

Rogan Tokach of North Dakota State University will share expert guidance on Varroa control, including how to determine what treatments to use and when to apply them.

Join us live Tuesday, July 28, at 6:30 p.m. Central. Hosted by Alabama Extension’s beekeeping team, the webinar will also feature a live Q&A, giving participants the opportunity to get answers directly from the experts.

Register today: https://www.aces.edu/go/2820

Have you registered for the 2026 Homeowner Gardening Conference? 🌿

Join us September 25–26, 2026, at the Jon Archer Agricultural Center in Mobile, Alabama, for a day and a half of research-based gardening education designed for South Alabama homeowners.

This conference will bring together university experts, local gardeners, and Master Gardeners to share practical information on topics such as pollinators, lawn care, backyard greenhouses, new plants for the garden, and much more.

The registration fee is $25, and lunch and dinner are provided. Space is limited, so be sure to register early!

Click here to register: www.aces.edu/go/6407

We hope to see you there as we learn and grow together! 🌱