Interested in adding some Florida-Friendly Landscaping practices to your yard?  Depending on the municipality you live in there are various incentive programs to help you reduce your water use in the landscape.

If you are an Orange County Utilities (OCU) customer you can get a free rain barrel:

http://www.occonservewater.net/

If you are in Winter Park you can get a free compost bin:

https://events.cityofwinterpark.org/event/introduction-to-composting-online-class

City of Winter Park also offers free trees:

https://cityofwinterpark.org/news/drive-up-for-the-trees/

City of Orlando has a Free Street Tree program where they plant a 30-gallon tree in your front yard. You get to pick the tree species.

https://www.orlando.gov/Parks-the-Environment/Trees/Request-a-Free-Street-Tree 

City of Orlando also offers free compost bins:

https://www.orlando.gov/Trash-Recycling/Request-a-Free-Composter 

City of Orlando also offers rain barrels to their residents:

https://www.orlando.gov/Our-Government/Departments-Offices/Executive-Offices/CAO/Sustainability-Resilience/Green-Works-Focus-Areas/Clean-Water/Rain-Barrel-Workshops

If you are an Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) customer you can get a rebate for Florida-Friendly activities in your landscape such as installing a rain barrel or converting to low volume irrigation.

https://www.ouc.com/residential/save-energy-water-money/residential-rebates-information

If you are interested in converting to an alternative lawn we have a blog about some of the different plant selections you can consider:

https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/orangeco/2021/06/11/low-maintenance-florida-friendly-alternatives-to-turfgrass-lawns/

There is also the Flip My Florida Yard TV series that we participate in: https://www.flipmyfloridayard.com/

Check out what they are doing in Pinellas County:

https://www.pinellascounty.org/environmental/flip.htm

If you are looking for a tree removal permit contact your local municipality.

Tree Removal Permit for Orange County Florida:

https://www.orangecountyfl.net/PermitsLicenses/Permits/TreeRemovalPermit-DevelopedProperty.aspx#.Ys3i9nbMKUk

Tree Removal Permit for City of Winter Park:

https://cityofwinterpark.org/departments/parks-recreation/urban-forestry/tree-removal-permit-application/

Tree Removal Permit for City of Orlando:

https://www.orlando.gov/Parks-the-Environment/Trees/Apply-for-a-Tree-Removal-or-Encroachment-Permit

If you need someone to come to your site to consult on a tree please find an ISA Certified Arborist:

https://www.treesaregood.org/

I hope this provides you with some helpful information. Want to learn more?  Check out horticulture classes offered by UF/IFAS Extension Orange County at www.ocextension.eventbrite.com.  Read about Florida-Friendly Landscaping™  https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GardenFlorida/, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/oc_extension/ and visit our website https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/orange/home-lawns-landscapes-and-gardens/florida-friendly-landscaping/.

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