While orchids are not my specialty, I have dabbled with them from time to time. Perhaps the most success I have had is with cattleya orchids. Giant spectacular blooms, fairly easy to care for and somewhat forgiving of my occasional neglect, ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Our office is often asked what type of groundcovers are best to plant or is there even a turfgrass alternative. While several come to mind, one popular choice is called sunshine mimosa. Sunshine mimosa is a great native groundcover and ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn
Why is the shrub known as “Golden Showers”, “Rain-of-gold”, or Thryallis considered a great Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ approved plant? Flowering almost all year round, this graceful shrub is a low-maintenance evergreen that ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Freezes and frosts – just like death and taxes – can be expected even here in Southwest Florida. I remember twenty-six years ago when I first arrived in Charlotte County. I planted a couple of marginal plants that I thought would ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Many plants in our landscape are just not going to tolerate shade to any degree and look usefully ornamental - they often become leggy, lose foliage color or never flower. There are a few exceptions to this rule however and one example ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
While many crape myrtles do best with cooler weather found north of us, there is one type of this beautiful flowering tree that actually benefits from warmer, subtropical temperatures. This crape myrtle reigns supreme in flower and leaf ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
I wanted to write once more about the ylang-ylang tree as I saw some in the area during early fall that spurred my memory. Fragrance in the garden can be subtle or sometimes overwhelming, but always memorable. When I lived in the West ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Imagine a nice patch of yellow, red, and orange flowers which bloom practically every day – this is the reality of the blanket flower – Gaillardia. Perfect for hot, sunny areas, blanket flowers are wonderful short-lived perennials (sometimes ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Make some horticultural resolutions now for The New Year that will benefit any landscape. Let's look at some resources that will make your landscaping experience in Southwest Florida the best in 2026 – we can help! Start the year ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes,
Ixora can be found in just about every landscape in Charlotte County as it provides colorful flowers, tropical foliage and variety of size that makes this shrub so popular. However, with our predominately alkaline soils, growing acid-loving ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes