lillyrose67-blog

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Florida-Friendly program has long history in Hernando

In the late 1990’s the University of Florida developed a program which they based on Denver’s Xeriscaping and various Water Wise Landscaping programs throughout the country. They wanted to expand the principles to include larger water resource protection. Thus, Florida Yards and Neighborhoods was created.

The term Florida Yards and Neighborhoods (FYN) denotes that no one is an island. What one person does in their yards affects their neighbors, and so on down the line. Eventually our actions affect the waterways and the aquifer where our drinking water comes from.

This homeowner program was established in the state’s county extension offices and is based on nine principles: Right Plant, Right Place; Water Efficiently; Fertilize Appropriately; Mulch; Attract Wildlife; Manage Yard Pests Responsibly; Recycle; Reduce Stormwater Runoff: and Protect the Waterfront. The principles were also taught to professionals in the landscaping business and to builders and developers. In 2009, the three groups were brought together under the term “Florida-Friendly Landscaping.”   Check out this link to find out more http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep440

 I worked as an assistant in a county extension office when the program was introduced. The yard I grew up in was a beautiful, magical garden made from my mother’s old fashioned knowledge and very little chemicals or extra water use. I knew I could get on board with this program and stay with it as a lifestyle.

Due to budget reasons in 2011, the FFL programs in Hernando and Citrus Counties were relocated from county extension offices to county water departments, under water conservation. It is a good fit. It is very beneficial for the program coordinator to have access to information about residential water use, and to develop teaching tools based on that criteria.

Fast forward to the summer of 2014.  The Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program Coordinator position came open in Hernando County and I was hired. I have always believed in the program, and it is a blessing to get up every day knowing that I am in a position to enact positive changes for the world. I teach, I blog, I Facebook post, I conduct workshops, I visit homeowner’s yards, I visit schools, I have the time of my life!

To learn more about Florida-Friendly Landscaping, please check out my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HernandoFFLProgram/

Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program Coordinator, Lilly Browning, demonstrates stormwater runoff and non-point source pollution to District Science Fair winners at JD Floyd Elementary School in Spring Hill, Fla. on March 17, 2017. (Photo/ Christina Ellis)

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Florida turf grasses bring benefits/disadvantages

One of the trickiest aspects of a Florida yard seems to be lawn maintenance. Millions of dollars are spent each year to keep patches of turf as green and vibrant as possible. What can a Florida homeowner do to gain control over their lawn, and stop their lawn from controlling them?

Florida-Friendly Landscaping is not an anti-turf program. Turf has many benefits, such as providing oxygen, reducing noise pollution, cooling the area around it, erosion control and of course, a good-looking lawn increases property value. A Florida-Friendly lawn doesn’t use excessive amounts of water and chemicals to maintain and it enhances the landscape.

The most common turf grasses in Central Florida are Floratam (a variety of St. Augustine), Bahiagrass, Empire Zoysia, Bermudagrass and Centipede. We will discuss the first three, as they are the most common types found in our area.

Floratam is dense and dark green (compared to other southern turf grasses.) It requires ½ inch of water per watering event, and will require supplemental irrigation in the dry times, as well as a frequent fertilization schedule. It is known to attract a pest called chinch bug and to contract a fungal disease called Take All Root Rot. It is a high maintenance lawn.

Bahiagrass can survive on natural rainfall and doesn’t require frequent fertilization. It will turn brown and crunchy, but green-up with the first rain. The downside is that it has an open growth habit, and weeds tend to encroach in the open areas. Some homeowners don’t like the seed heads which pop up about two feet high each week in the growing season.

Empire Zoysia is seen throughout The Villages here in Central Florida. Many people like its fine texture and dark green color. It has the feel-good sensation of a northern turf variety between your toes. The drawbacks include high water and fertilization needs, problems with Hunting Bill Bugs and Large Patch Disease and a tendency to turn brown for the winter season with the first frost.

Each one of these warm-season grasses requires six to eight hours of sunlight every day, all year long, to thrive.  There is no getting around that. If you have an area that is shadier than that, or for other reasons just doesn’t allow turf to grow, you should consider an alternative ground cover.  

As turf is a large consumer of public water, Florida-Friendly Landscaping encourages the use of turf for practical reasons, such as a play area or a dog run. Use of alternative ground covers and the expansion of plant beds, shrubs and trees will require less water to maintain. Turf can be a part of a Florida-Friendly Landscape, if used wisely and maintained with water conservation and environmental protection in mind.

For more information on groundcovers in Central Florida, click on this link  http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/groundcovers.html

A combination of turf and Florida-Friendly plants create an attractive, drought tolerant neighborhood. (Photo University of Florida)

http://www.floridayards.org/landscape/gallery.php

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Plant diversity, shelter, food sources invite wildlife to yards

Florida-Friendly Principle Number Five is “Attract Wildlife.” An improvement in the national economy has boosted development in Central Florida. More homes for people usually equals less homes for the animals which have previously called Florida home.

We can make the situation a little better by creating a yard that welcomes some of the critters we have displaced. If more people provide habitat for butterflies, birds, lizards, frogs, beneficial insects and pollinators, they would have a natural corridor to travel. A little planning and proper plant selection is all it takes to make your yard a wildlife oasis.

The easiest way to attract wildlife to your yard is to incorporate native plants. Native plants attract native wildlife. One doesn’t have to go completely native to attract wildlife. Many “well behaved” exotic plants attract a flutter of life to a critter-friendly landscape.

Diversity of plant species, along with diversity of plant height and width will provide wildlife with a safe- haven to nest and travel. The more cover weprovide, the happier and safer wildlife will be.  A large expanse of open lawn is a ‘zone of terror’ to a small animal, where they are exposed to prey.

To attract butterflies, arrange in large groupings of the same plants. A mass of butterfly friendly plants is easier for butterflies to find than one or two solitary plants. Hummingbirds also benefit from a mass of red tubular flowers.

If you invite friends over, you usually feed them. Birds like insects, frogs, lizards, berries and seeds. Clearing your yard of those snacks will not be inviting to our feathered friends.  A water source is a necessity for wildlife.

Pesticides and a wildlife-friendly yard just don’t mix. Butterflies are extremely sensitive to pesticides. If you have a problem, such as fire ants, spot treat the problem area; broadcast spraying your whole yard is a dangerous practice for your wildlife guests.

To find out more about attracting wildlife to your yard, and a list of plants to use click here http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw175

Diversity of plant species and height/width attracts wildlife to your yard. (Photo/ Southwest Florida Water Management District)

http://floridayards.org

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Stormwater runoff can be reduced with simple changes in landscape

Congratulations, Hernando County! You are a major step ahead when it comes to dealing with a possible drought declaration.  You have been maintaining your lawns and landscapes on one-day-a-week watering restrictions for 12 years, so if the Southwest Water Management District enacts drought measures which include one-day-a-week watering, we won’t have to learn new habits.

With a possible drought coming our way unless we get some significant rainfall soon, it is important to make the most of every drop of rain that lands on our landscapes. Stromwater runoff is water which rushes down our municipal drainage systems before it soaks into the ground. It picks up pollutants from yards and streets as it rushes into the nearest open or closed water basin.

Rain barrels are a tried and true way to capture rain for future use. This old idea is back in style, and is embraced by many communities. Hernando County Florida-Friendly Landscaping offers rain barrel workshops every month. To find out how to particpate, call 352-540-6230.

Rain gardens are a beautiful and unique way to filter rain water into your soil. Merely a depressed garden bed with a berm to keep water in, this system allows water to percolate into the aquifer. Simply follow the path of water in your yard and create a rain garden in an area which will detain the water temporarily and stop it from flowing down the road.

Inspect your downspouts in your gutter system.  Are they sending water down your driveway and into the street? A simple purchase of a couple of gutter elbow extensions could send that water into a flower bed, or into your lawn.

Permeable landscapes allow water to soak through the soil. Asphalt and cement encourage stormwater runoff. Permeable surfaces such as brick, mulch, gravel, or crushed shells allow the water to soak through the ground and recharge our aquifer.

In Hernando County, our water for drinking and everyday use comes from one resource, the Floridan Aquifer, which is a system of underground caves and springs. Whether you are on a municipal water system or you have your own well, we are all drawing from the same resource.  Unfortunately, it is not an unlimited resource and we all must take measures to protect it.

For more information on reducing stormwater runoff from your property, click on this link http://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/FFL/storm-water-runoff.html

A Florida-Friendly yard allows rain to soak through permeable surfaces, and reduces stormwater runoff.(Photo/University of Florida)

http://www.floridayards.org/landscape/gallery.php

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Florida newcomers often make gardening mistakes

Florida gardening is like no other. When people first move here, I tell them, “Forget everything you ever knew.” With that first step, let’s explore common mistakes made by newcomers and longtime Florida residents.

Get in the zone! Hernando County is in horticultural zone 9a, as developed by the United Stated Department of Agriculture. Knowing this will help  you choose plants wisely. We are in a subtropical zone, which means the tropical plants you may have dreamed of are not going to make it in our area.

Timing is everything! After a while,  you’ll figure out that you can have many of the same plants you did “up north”, but at different times. For example, pansies and petunias will make beautiful colorful additions to your winter landscape when many other plants are brown and dormant.

We will not have green lawns all year long. Winter is the time our warm seasons grasses turn “golden.” This is okay. Trying to force it into new growth during the cold months could potentially damage the turf in the event of frost or freeze.

More is not more; less is more. More water, fertilizer, and pesticides will damage your lawn and landscape. We can love our landscapes to death.

Avoid weed and feed combination products. Preemergent herbicides should be applied in very early spring, such as February. Fertilization shouldn’t occur (by county ordinance) in Hernando County until April 1st. Also, herbicides in combo products have  been known to damage the roots of trees and shrubs.

Don’t prune too soon. If a plant has cold damage, live with the ugly until danger of frost or freeze is over. Pruning encourages new growth, which is susceptible to cold damage, and brings the damage closer to the heart of the plant.

Know where to turn. Your county extension office has staff and volunteer Master Gardeners who are very willing to bring you research based scientific information from your land grant university (University of Florida, in Florida.) This information is free, and no one will try to sell you a particular product.

In Hernando County, Master Gardeners can be reached at 352-754-4433 and Florida-Friendly Landscaping can be reached at 352-540-6230. Click her for more information about Hernando County’s Extension Office: http://extension.hernandocounty.us/

Another common mistake is the over-pruning, or hat-racking of Crapemyrtle trees.  (Flyer/Lilly Browning)

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Photo One - A hidden gem in the heart of Brooksville, Fla. The Hernando County Master Gardener Nursery, located at 19490 Oliver St., Brooksville, Fla, offers “Florida-Friendly” landscape plants at very reasonable prices to area residents. On Saturday, March 25, 2017, the volunteer Master Gardeners prepared for their Spring Plant Sale, which will be held on April 8, 2017 from    9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Photo/ Lilly Browning)

Photo Two - On Saturday, March 25, 2017, a walking Iris blooms at the Hernando County Master Gardener Nursery at 19490 Oliver St., Brooksville, Fla. Waling Iris prefers moist soil and a party sunny site. Plants are propagated by highly trained volunteers, who learn research-based, scientific gardening information from the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Office. (Photo/ Lilly Browning) 

Photo Three - Master Gardener Sharon Beatty, of Spring Hill, Fla, enjoys working on the cool morning of Saturday, March 25, 2017, at the Master Gardener Nursery, 19490 Oliver St., Brooksville, Fla. Beatty spends her volunteer hours organizing the nursery stock and keeping everything tidy. She finds pulling weeds from the potted plants a relaxing task. (Photo/ Lilly Browning)

Photo Four - Gertrude “Grandma” Ruppel, of Spring Hill, Fla, has been a Florida Master Gardener for 25 years. Playing in the dirt, as Ruppel calls it, keeps the octogenarian feeling young. On Saturday, March 25, 2017, Ruppel pulls weeds in a plant bed at the Master Gardener Nursery, located at 19490 Oliver St.,in Brooksville, Fla. (Photo/ Lilly Browning) 

Photo Five - Beach Sunflower shows off its yellow flowers on Saturday, March 25, 2017. It is a native ground cover that is offered at the Master Gardener Nursery,19490 Oliver St., Brooksville, Fla, along with dozens of other “Florida-Friendly” plants. Beach Sunflower grows best in sunny, dry locations. (Photo/ Lilly Browning)

Photo Six - The nine principles of the Florida-Friendly Landscaping program include: Right Plant, Right Place; Water Efficiently; Fertilize Appropriately; Mulch; Attract Wildlife; Control Pests Responsibly; Recycle; Reduce Stromwater Runoff and Protect the Waterfront. Volunteer Florida Master Gardeners are trained by the University of Florida/ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences to follow and encourage Florida-Friendly Landscaping principles through their advice, educational programs and plant material sold at their nursery, located at 19490 Oliver St., Brooksville, Fla. On Saturday, March 25, 2017, a sign posted above a rain barrel highlights the nine principles, while a compost bin recycles discarded plant material into rich soil in the background. (Photo/ Lilly Browning)