Introduction
Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM (FFL) promotes nine principles to protect water resources in designing and maintaining landscapes. The practices can be applied at scales ranging from individual yards to parks to communities. Landscapes designed around the FFL principles can satisfy a range of aesthetics, work well across sites inland and coastal, and suit properties large and small. The more examples we have of FFL, the better we can picture the possibilities it offers.
This article offers a profile of a the Golden Gate Median project, recognized last year as our first FFL Gold roadway project in Martin County. Martin County Horticulturist Carly Batts led the project in collaboration with the Martin County Public Works & Community Redevelopment Agency. The Golden Gate Median project highlights the FFL principles of “recycle yard waste” and “water efficiently“. Recycling vegetative debris means that the nutrients within the recycled material can be used to grow ornamental plants and enrich soil health. In turn, soils with more organic matter can hold more water for plant roots to take up. This in turn reduces irrigation demands. Here is how Carly Batts describes her and her team’s effort:
Golden Gate Road Median Project
In 2022, Martin County’s Horticulturist identified the ‘Welcome to Golden Gate’ median landscape as a priority project because of its age and gateway status in a Community Redevelopment Area. Due to the location of the median, the project called for the use of potable water to irrigate the plants. This is of course the least desirable water source for irrigation since it uses drinking water, an arguably nonrenewable resource. To reduce water use and be better stewards to the environment, Martin County’s Horticulturalist decided to find a more efficient way to provide irrigation. During the project design phase, county staff learned about the research done on water conservation strategies by Dr. Eban Bean at the University of Florida’s Center for Land Use Efficiency. Dr. Bean demonstrated that a three-inch layer of compost could reduce the need for irrigation by 55% and reduce runoff by 25%. Realizing the amount of compost that would be needed, staff found a way to make this as cost-efficient as possible. Instead of purchasing the compost
, they decided to compost their own dredge materials from the routine excavation of stormwater ditches. Field Operations partnered with the Transfer Station to stockpile materials as well as to have the pile turned regularly, a key component to the composting process. By implementing in-house composting, the County achieved a double win for the environment: diverting waste and creating compost that will minimize irrigation needs—all the while saving taxpayer dollars! The project is clearly thriving with only two twenty-minute waterings a week. The project was certified as Martin’s first ‘Florida Friendly’ roadway median landscape by the University of Florida, achieving ‘Gold’ status by additionally using only solar power and native or Florida-Friendly species.
Be Recognized!
Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension office to learn more about the FFL principles and apply them in your yard or community. If you’re in Martin County, reach out to our UF/IFAS Extension Martin County FFL Yard Advisors at (772) 288-5654 or MCMasterGardenerFFL@yahoo.com. Our knowledgeable Master Gardener Volunteers will review the FFL recognition checklist with you on your property and identify practices that would qualify you for Gold or Silver status!
Seek or Become a FFL Certified Professional
Property owners seeking to work with landscape professionals knowledgeable in FFL can find certified professionals online in the FFL Certified Professional (FFLCP) Directory. FFLCPs earn their qualification by completing six hours of instruction, taking part in a 3-hour field module, and passing the certification exam.
Landscape professionals, if you are seeking FFL certification, contact your local Extension office. In Martin County, contact Yvette Goodiel, 772-419-6962 or goodiel@ufl.edu. You can also learn more in the blog, “Landscape professionals: Add Florida-Friendly to your resume.”
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