A landscape can be more than a beautiful view from the street. It can conserve water, support wildlife, protect Florida’s natural resources, and inspire an entire community.

UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County is proud to recognize Karma Thomson, a resident of Riverland, for achieving Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) Gold Recognition.

For Karma, this recognition means more than having a beautiful yard. It represents a commitment to creating a landscape with purpose.

As a resident of an HOA community, Karma also hopes her Florida-Friendly yard will inspire other homeowners to see their landscapes as opportunities to make a positive difference.

Her message is simple: Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ is possible in every community, and every yard can make an impact.

What Is Florida-Friendly Landscaping™?

Florida has a unique climate. Our warm weather allows us to enjoy our yards and gardens throughout the year, but it also creates challenges.

Florida homeowners need to think about water use, stormwater runoff, fertilizer, pests, and the needs of wildlife. The plants we choose and the way we care for our landscapes can affect more than our own yards.

The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program provides science-based recommendations to help homeowners create healthy and attractive landscapes while protecting Florida’s natural resources.

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ is not one particular style of landscape. A Florida-Friendly yard can be colorful, formal, tropical, traditional, or natural-looking.

Instead, FFL focuses on making good choices about how a landscape is designed and maintained.

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ in HOA Communities

Many Florida residents live in homeowners’ association (HOA) communities. Some homeowners may wonder whether they can have a Florida-Friendly landscape while still following their community’s landscaping standards.

The answer is yes.

Florida-Friendly landscapes do not have to look wild or unmaintained. They can include colorful gardens, flowering plants, shade trees, turfgrass, mulch, and other traditional landscape features.

The goal is not to create one specific look. The goal is to make informed choices that work with Florida’s environment.

Florida Statute 373.185 recognizes the importance of Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ practices and encourages landscape management practices that conserve water and protect Florida’s natural resources.

Karma’s Gold Recognition in Riverland demonstrates that homeowners in HOA communities can create landscapes that are attractive, intentional, and environmentally responsible.

Karma’s Florida-Friendly Success

Karma’s Florida-Friendly journey has also been a journey of learning.

Through UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County, Karma has had opportunities to build her knowledge of Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ and apply research-based practices in her own landscape.

Karma is also a Florida Master Gardener Volunteer (MGV) with UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County. Through her involvement with the MGV program, she continues to learn about horticulture and ways to share science-based information with her community.

Her learning has included participating in the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Field Module, a hands-on educational experience that helps participants understand how Florida-Friendly principles can be applied in real landscapes.

These educational opportunities have helped connect the concepts of Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ with practical decisions homeowners can make in their own yards.

For Karma, her landscape is more than a place to enjoy her home. It is also an opportunity to demonstrate what Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ can look like in a real neighborhood.

By incorporating Florida-Friendly practices into her landscape, Karma has created an example that other homeowners can see for themselves. And that visibility matters. Sometimes the best way to learn about a new idea is to see it in action.

One Yard Can Inspire a Community

A single Florida-Friendly yard can become a living example for an entire neighborhood. When neighbors see attractive plants, visiting pollinators, and thoughtful landscape practices in their own community, they can begin to see new possibilities for their own yards.

For Karma, that is part of the purpose behind her landscape. She hopes her yard will show other HOA residents that Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ can be beautiful, practical, and achievable while still fitting within community standards.

Change does not have to start with an entire neighborhood. Sometimes, it starts with one yard.

Karma hopes her landscape encourages other HOA residents to think about the purpose of their own yards and how small changes can create meaningful benefits.

A Florida-Friendly yard can become:

• A place for pollinators and wildlife
• A healthy outdoor space for families
• A demonstration for neighbors
• A place to learn about Florida’s environment
• A contribution to protecting Florida’s natural resources

Could Your Yard Become Florida-Friendly?

You do not have to completely redesign your yard to make a difference.

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ starts with small, informed choices.

You might begin by:

• Choosing the right plant for the right place
• Improving irrigation efficiency
• Adding mulch
• Using fertilizer appropriately
• Planting to attract pollinators and wildlife
• Managing pests responsibly
• Reducing stormwater runoff

The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program also offers the FFL Home Landscape Recognition Program. The process begins with the Florida-Friendly Home Landscape Checklist. Homeowners can use the checklist to look at their landscape, identify areas for improvement, and learn how to incorporate more Florida-Friendly practices.

Homeowners in St. Lucie County can contact UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County to learn more about Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ and the Home Landscape Recognition Program.

Leading by Example

Congratulations to Karma Thomson for achieving Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Gold Recognition and for showing what is possible in an HOA community.

As both a Florida Master Gardener Volunteer and a Florida-Friendly homeowner, Karma is putting her knowledge into practice and helping demonstrate how research-based landscaping practices can make a difference at home and in the community.

Her landscape is more than a beautiful yard. It is an example of how thoughtful landscape choices can support wildlife, conserve resources, and create a healthier environment.

Most importantly, Karma’s landscape gives her neighbors an opportunity to see Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ in action.

Your yard is more than a landscape. It is an opportunity to create a healthier Florida.

One yard can inspire a neighbor. One neighbor can inspire a community. And together, our landscapes can make a difference.

Learn More

If you’d like to learn more about Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Learn and register here.