Florida homeowners have unique landscaping challenges. In Southwest Florida’s Zone 10a, landscapes must endure intense sunlight, high temperatures, sandy soils, heavy summer rainfall, periods of drought, and the occasional hurricane. ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
A somewhat uncommon tree/big shrub for our area - the chaste tree - is a favorite throughout Florida. Sometimes seen at a few at local garden centers, the chaste tree is noted for its lavender, lilac-like blooms resembling those of the ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) Program takes a science-based approach in advocating for healthy, properly managed turfgrass. The first principle of FFL is Right Plant, Right Place, and that principle applies to turfgrass just ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping
Looking for an easy way to conserve water, reduce stormwater runoff, and keep your landscape healthy? A rain barrel is one of the simplest and most effective tools available for homeowners. Rain barrels collect rainwater from your roof through ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping
Florida-Friendly Landscaping™: Simple Practices, Big Impact! FFL protects the state’s natural resources while allowing individual expression and encouraging beautiful landscapes! Developed by the University of Florida's Institute of ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
The “summer snapdragon”, better known as Angelonia, is a great warm-season flower that grows from one to three feet tall and produces three-quarters to almost one-inch wide white, blue, white, lavender, purple, and pink flowers arranged ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Over fifty years ago, I received a small mail-order Over fifty years ago, I received a small mail-order bougainvillea plant and grew it in on a windowsill indoors up north. I actually got it to bloom, and it brought color and tropical ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Some plants have a number of uses across a broad spectrum – Bahia grass as an example where it is used both in pastures and as a landscape turf. Another crossover plant in the same vein is the turf alternative called perennial peanuts. ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn
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