By Ralph E. Mitchell Bringing you back to the Nature Park in Punta Gorda, I wanted to introduce (or reintroduce) an underutilized perennial that fits into Florida-Friendly Landscaping™, has bright orange flowers from summer on… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell Imagine a nice patch of yellow and orange flowers which bloom practically every day – this is the reality of the blanket flower – Gaillardia pulchella. Perfect for hot, sunny areas,… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell The flax lily has been around for several years now and is a common component in numerous landscapes. There are many great characteristics attributed to this Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ approved plant that… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell Planted right in our own Centennial Park parking lot we have an often-under-utilized shade tree called the ‘Drake’ Chinese elm. While my first exposure to this tree was in Sarasota County,… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell Have you seen the yellow flowering trees in bloom on Cochran Blvd in Port Charlotte? Their relatively short show provides eye-catching beauty that reinforces the appreciation for our subtropical climate! What… Read More
In commemoration of National Arbor Day, UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County will be holding a tree give-away of native trees, Friday April 30th from 9:00a.m.-1:00p.m. These free trees will be given to those that pre-register and… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell Do you have a Raphiolepis indica or two in your landscape? If you don’t have the Indian Hawthorn in your landscape, you will probably see them included in many landscapes as… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell Do you like to use native plants in your landscape? If you do, the wax myrtle may be your plant. Useful as a plant for above ground planters, as a hedge,… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell Flowering varieties of Salvia are a gardener’s favorite as they provide a wide range of color and form. With colors from scarlet red to blue to white, in both annual and… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell If you like perennial plants that flower almost all-year round, you may be interested in pentas. Named after the Latin word for “five” due to the five-petalled flowers, pentas have bright… Read More
