As a general statement, azaleas don't do as well here in Charlotte County as they would further north. Our soil is generally too alkaline, and our climate is a bit too warm. However, in my travels around the county I have noticed a few ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
A native wild shrub that has worked its way into the nursery trade - and our hearts - is the wild coffee. While it is a plant native to Florida, it is not coffee. However, it is an attractive shrub resembling the gardenia, a close relative. ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
So many plants require full sun locations. As such, most palms also do best in full sun sites for best performance. However, the lady palm, also known as Rhapis excels, is a palm that does best in low in light environments. Growing ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
I have always wanted a starfruit tree and two years ago I finally bought one. It has grown relatively quickly and even survived the hurricane with some leaves missing, but still alive and in one piece. People that have a starfruit tree ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
There are many, many types of kalanchoe in cultivation with over one-hundred and twenty-five species available to know and grow. While some are invasive, there is one that most people are fairly familiar with – the Christmas kalanchoe ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
I always get inspired to work in my landscape once I see the bulb/tuber section pop up in garden centers. The pictures of the various perennials are bright and colorful promising a spectacular result in return for your investment in planting ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Some plants do not deserve the name they originally had. Take the Pig’s Ear for example. This name was once attached to the calla lily by Afrikaners who called this South African native Varkoor or pig’s ear. Horticulturists shared ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Florida is home to several native palms of interest including the one named after Charles H. Wright, a 19th-century American botanist - Acoelorrhaphe wrightii aka Paurotis palm aka Everglades palm. You have likely driven by a one or ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
There is still some relatively cooler weather ahead before we get into true spring here in southwest Florida. As such, be sure to take advantage of flowering bedding plants that thrive at this time of year. Violas are splendid flowers ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Exotic flowers are the name of the game in our area. Beautiful, complex, and colorful flowers not only offer curb appeal, but also conversation starters that broaden the mind and your plant palette. The mussaenda fits the bill in all ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes