Join us in celebrating 30 years of Florida-Florida Friendly Landscaping™ this blog series. Since 1993, Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ has served as the state of Florida’s premier Extension program that promotes sustainable alternatives to “conventional” landscaping, providing guidance on low impact, environmentally friendly, science-based landscape practices that use less water and reduce pollutant loading to Florida waters. In this series, you will learn:
1. Five FFL Facts to Know to Help you Grow
2. What’s the Word? Five FFL Terms to Know
3. Take Some Action in Five Simple Steps!
4. Five Steps to Become a Florida Friendly Landscaper
5. Five Ways to Know You are a Florida-Friendly Follower
How will you know when you have “made it” as a Florida-Friendly Landscaper? Here are a few (fun) clues! We would love for you to share how you knew you were a “Florida-Friendly Follower” in the blog comments!
You know you are a Florida-Friendly Landscaper when…
- You text photos of different stages of your butterfly caterpillars to friends and family.
- You finally accept that keeping up with weeding in your beds is the best way to go, and approach routine weeding as an opportunity to be in a peaceful part of your yard, listening to birdsong, and watching the antics of bees and butterflies as they enjoy the nectar your plants provide.
- Your garden “chemicals” cabinet has nearly bare shelves and consists of one each: Neem spray, insecticidal soap spray and slow-release fertilizer.
- You scare fellow car passengers as you witness roadside trees and shout out, “Volcano Mulching”! or “Crape Murder”!
- Your tee shirt logos now share similar theme logos: trees, birds, bees, flowers dragonflies, life-cycle of a monarch and more!
Resources:
Here is the website for FFL in Polk
Florida-Friendly Landscaping(tm) Guide to Plant Selection & Landscape Design
For more information, contact UF/IFAS Extension Polk County at (863) 519-1041 or visit us online at http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/polk. The Plant Clinic is open Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-4:00 pm to answer your gardening and landscaping questions. Give us a call or email us at polkmg@ifas.ufl.edu.
If you are not in Polk County, Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Clinic.
The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a volunteer-driven program that benefits UF/IFAS Extension and the citizens of Florida. The program extends the vision of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, all the while protecting and sustaining natural resources and environmental systems, enhancing the development of human resources, and improving the quality of human life through the development of knowledge in agricultural, human and natural resources and making that knowledge accessible.
This article was written by Master Gardener Volunteer Molly Griner under supervision of the Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator and Residential Horticulture Extension Agent Anne Yasalonis.
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