The University of Florida has begun construction on a new Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) demonstration garden at Malachowsky Hall, the second such project on campus. The garden will serve as an example of how to create an environmentally friendly landscape, with a goal to inspire students and visitors about what’s possible in their own yards.
The project will create a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere for students, faculty and visitors alike, while also creating a space that showcases the nine FFL principles.
“We wanted to create a space where students could get outside, walk around, and feel relaxed,” said Claire Lewis, state specialized agent and FFL program coordinator. “By incorporating flowering plants, native species, and shade-providing trees, we’ve designed a beautiful space that also serves an educational purpose.”
Malachowsky Hall, a seven-story, 263,000-square-foot building on UF’s campus, is the center for data science and information technology at UF. Malachowsky Hall is across from the J. Wayne Reitz Union, the student union at UF, and features a large lawn along Museum Road, where the new garden will be located.
The area will feature signs identifying various plants and explaining FFL principles, making it a living classroom for sustainable landscaping practices. Some of the plants that will be incorporated are palmettos, dune sunflowers, drift roses, plumbagos, agapanthuses, white muhly grasses and thryallises. The installation will also include trellises, walking paths and benches.
“When using evergreen shrubs and groundcovers, you get good foundation planting that remains interesting even in the winter when the flowering perennials go dormant,” she explained.
The grass used will be a Zoysia grass cultivar called CitraZoy™, a UF-developed heat- and drought-tolerant grass variety that flourishes in Florida’s environment. CitraZoy™ has a good tolerance to insects, weeds, shade and salt. It keeps its green color well throughout the year and is a hybrid between two types of Zoysia grasses.
“We are proud to use UF-developed cultivars in our projects,” said Lewis.
The FFL project at Malachowsky Hall is the second campus installation, following a FFL Natural demonstration garden that features native plants and no irrigation at the UF/IFAS Field and Fork Farm and Gardens office on Museum Road.
“We like to make Gators aware of FFL and show people how to do landscaping in a Florida-friendly way,” added Lewis. “By using Florida-friendly plants and reclaimed water, we’ve addressed drought conditions while creating a stunning and educational landscape.”
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ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
ABOUT THE FLORIDA-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING PROGRAM
Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) program promotes sustainable alternatives to “conventional” landscaping by providing guidance to homeowners and industry professionals on low-impact, environmentally friendly and science-based landscape practices that use less water and reduce pollutant loading to Florida waters. Sponsored in part by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the overall goal of the FFL program is to reduce nonpoint source pollution through proper fertilization, irrigation, and pesticide use on residential and commercial landscapes.
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