As Florida is developed the native flora is often replaced with non-native plants. Wildlife habitat is reduced; water, fertilizer and pesticide usage increases; and the appearance of Florida is altered. But you can help reduce the damage being done to our ecosystems by viewing your yard as part of the natural system. This book will help you make a plan that will work for your yard and choose the native plants that will thrive there. You will have the joy of creating an aesthetically pleasing, life-supporting, and environmentally sensitive landscape. Methods for a small fruit and vegetable garden are also covered.
More and more Florida residents are deciding to replace highly fertilized, over-watered, pesticide-dependent lawns with native plants. They want to reduce their carbon footprints; save time, water, and money; and attract birds and butterflies. But where to begin? This illustrated guide will help you create new outdoor spaces that are both sustainable and beautiful. Taking the common ⅓-acre lot as an example, Ginny Stibolt and Marjorie Shropshire provide a sample layout for a basic native plant landscape. They use a grid system that allows gardeners to work on their yards in small sections instead of trying to revamp the entire landscape at once. The grid system can also be reduced or expanded for yards of varying size. By breaking down the process into individual steps, creating a Florida garden is achievable for beginners and experts alike. The first step is assessing your property and choosing which plants to keep and which to remove. Then, design your landscape to soak up more stormwater through the use of rain barrels, rain gardens, or ponds. The next steps involve planting trees, understory plants, and installing butterfly gardens. There are additional instructions for building wild areas into your landscape to provide habitat for birds and pollinators; creating a flexible outdoor room perfect for your family's needs today and into the future; and using plants to cool the air, provide screening for privacy, buffer incoming winds, and reduce noise. By following these methods, anyone can convert all or part of their yard into a more natural area without using pesticides or artificial fertilizers, which will save money, reduce pollution, and help support wildlife. Complete with detailed diagrams, a timeline for growth and maintenance, and lists of suggested plants for each step, this guide will help readers set up an environmentally friendly habitat and give them the time and peace of mind to enjoy it.
Florida is home to an entire library of native plants that evolved to thrive in its range of climate regions. Native Plants for Florida Gardens profiles 100 Florida native wildflowers, shrubs, vines and trees that can transform typical Florida landscapes. Striking color photography showcases species and flowering characteristics. With the expertise of the Florida Wildlife Foundation, anyone can create lovely, low-maintenance gardens that will tolerate Florida’s roughest conditions, resist disease, and support biodiversity.
Many counties in Florida now require that new commercial landscapes contain a percentage of native plants. Native landscapes are easier to maintain, use less water and thrive without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Native Florida Plants describes every type of regional flora—-from seaside foliage and wildflowers to grassy meadows, shrubs, vines, and aquatic gardens—-in 301 profiles and accompanying color photographs.
Abundantly illustrated in full color, this guide provides detailed descriptions and methods of cultivation for 350 of Florida's most attractive and easily grown native plants, including ferns, wildflowers, shrubs, trees, vines, aquatics, and epiphytes (air plants). 359 color photos.
The standard landscape plant manual for Florida now revised and expanded! From reviews of the original edition: "The bible of Florida landscaping. . . . The book has listings for more than 400 plants containing excellent information about cultural and climatological requirements and such interesting tidbits as seasons of maximum color and how the plant is best used in the Florida landscape."-- Cape Coral Breeze "One of Florida's best garden manuals. . . . All residents of Florida will find much useful information to help them with their garden problems in this book."--John Popenoe, former director, Fairchild Tropical Gardens This is the revised and expanded version of the book that has long been the standard landscape plant manual for Florida. The authors have included 70 additional native plant species along with updated botanical names and additional general information on many of the plants. They have also removed all invasive exotic species from the book. Each description contains a detailed drawing for easily identifying the plant, and both the common name and the botanical name are given. Following the general description are entries on propagation, soil and light requirements, culture, hardiness, salt tolerance, pests, and landscape uses. Descriptions of foliage, fruit, and flowers are enhanced by useful information about the season of maximum color.
From Sassafras to Dandelions to Wild Onions and Garlic, readers will enjoy the flavors of the Sunshine State in an all new way with this helpful book. Florida is filled with an abundance of native plants with roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, and seeds that can provide tasty and nutritious food for people. Salads, teas, soups, and even breads can be made from flora that grows wild and can be foraged throughout the year. This guide offers identification tips, recipes, and other useful information for foragers interested in venturing out to sample the bounty of the land. Clear pen-and-ink illustrations aid in identification of leaf, fruit, and root shapes—key to harvesting the delicious and interesting plants that can be found throughout the state.
With the recent decline of the European honey bee, it is more important than ever to encourage the activity of other native pollinators to keep your flowers beautiful and your grains and produce plentiful. In Attracting Native Pollinators, you’ll find ideas for building nesting structures and creating a welcoming habitat for an array of diverse pollinators that includes not only bees, but butterflies, moths, and more. Take action and protect North America’s food supply for the future, while at the same time enjoying a happily bustling landscape.
