Monthly Archives: February 2014

•

carolina-yellow-jasmine

Spring can be elusive, especially in Florida where the sun is shining, birds are singing and plants are blooming, while snow is falling in record numbers once again, in the north.   So, when and how do we determine if Spring is here?  When can we start our spring cleaning of our landscape and gardens?  Well, I would say that the time is now, and I will tell you why I think that and what I look for.

Firstly, I look for blooms on Day Lily and Carolina Yellow Jasmine.  Day Lily are mostly an "iffy" plant for Tampa, but when planted in their perfect place, they are one of the earliest bloomers, and can provide a welcome display of fabulous colors, for those weary of gray days, typical of Florida winters.  Not to be outdone, Carolina Yellow Jasmine is another one of those plants that welcome in the spring, with small yet fragrant flowers that can surprise you with it's deceptively small "rest of the year" presence, both with it's mass of flowers and it's subtle perfume scent that carries through the dense evening nights.  It's a true "wallflower", until Spring.  While many plants will bloom throughout a mild winter, these two plants are a true harbinger of Spring.

Secondly, I watch the trees, particularly the large hardwood shade trees.  While some large trees like Sycamore and Maple drop their leaves early, Oaks take a little longer.  With that said, Live Oaks seem to be the most stubborn, waiting to the very last minute to drop the rest of their leaves, even to the point that Maples have already seeded and begun new leaf growth.  With the Oak's last leaf drop, they will soon seed (called catkins), and drop them within weeks, which can create as much of a mess as the leaf drop itself.

Lastly, I watch the moon phases and trust my instinct, after 25 years of experience.  Old timers say that there will be no frost after the full moon in February, and I would say that prediction has held true 90% of the time.  Of course, it's the other 10% of the time that is the concern.

Today, I see Carolina Yellow Jasmine blooming, and Day Lily with buds.  The Maples have seeded already, and are putting on new leaves.  The Oaks have dropped most of their leaves, and some are even flushing with new leaves.  The majority of Live Oaks, though, have not seeded and dropped their catkins, but I do believe that will happen soon, and it will be a small production yield this year, not near as bad as last year.

With that, Spring is very near, and it is time to make your plans.  To get the full benefit of what a Spring garden can bring to your home, now is the time to prepare to take action, with regards to Spring cleaning of your landscape, seasonal plantings, new plantings, vegetable and herb gardening, as well as fertilizing and pest control.

In the next few days, I will post a guide as to what to do and how to get started.....Don't let Spring pass you by, with all of it's glorious wonder.  Let's get growing, Folks!

Donell

•

spring2

With a beautiful day like today, so reminiscent of Spring, it beckons to my Gardener's heart.  Early Spring, though, has a beguiling nature, offering promises that may not be fulfilled, should one respond to it's call too early.  With that said and my many years of personal experience, my Landscaper's mind cautions me to not rush in.   Winter owns this day, and at least another twenty more.

A Quote by Henry Van Dyke:

"The first day of Spring is one thing, and the first Spring day is another.  The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month."

How true!  The official first day of spring is March 20, 2014, but I suspect that we won't have to wait that long.....

•

bell-pepper2

Even though spring is still several weeks away, it is not too early to start preparing and planting your spring vegetable garden.  Whether you have a designated garden area established or need to create one, this is the time of year to add or freshen soil, supplement the soil with compost and fertilizer, design your garden layout, and purchase the plants (or start from seed).  Most of the vegetables that you may want to include in your spring vegetable garden will need to be planted in February and March, so it is time to get plowing!

Today's vegetable gardens have grown in concept and popularity from the days of past.  You no longer have to have rows of vegetables at the back end of your lot.  You can add them to your landscape beds, mixed in with your landscape plants,  or you can grow them in pots on the patio and in the landscape beds.  Growing your own vegetables could never be easier or more fun, just use your imagination!

Once you have determined your vegetable gardening site(s), you will need to select what you want to grow.  Most vegetables do have a preferred growing season, so to be most successful, you will need to choose what will grow best in spring for Tampa, and Central Florida.  Fortunately, there are a lot of options to choose from:

  • Beans (pole, bush, Lima)
  • Canteloupe
  • Corn
  • Cucumbers
  • Eggplant
  • Okra
  • Peppers
  • Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
  • Squash
  • Pumpkin
  • Tomatoes
  • Turnips
  • Watermelon

So, let's get busy....time is a-wasting!  As always, Johns Palms Landscaping can help you with all or any part of the process, from free advice to set up and installation.  Just call our office at 813-493-3373.

Also, a great resource for any gardening or agriculture related topic is the Institute of Florida Agriculture Services (IFAS).  In particular, an in depth article about creating and growing your vegetable garden can be found at this link:  http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021

 

•

CAM00382

front yard garden flowers
front yard garden flowers

What exactly is a landscape ground-cover?  By all that I have ever known in my many years as a landscape designer, it defines any landscape plant that grows under 3' tall. I find that to be a confusing definition, so I am going to discuss a new definition of landscape ground-covers: landscape plants that do truly cover the ground and grow to heights of under 1' tall, more or less.

When I think of ground-cover plants, I think of potential sod substitutes, and I want a plant that will cover the ground!  With that concept in mind, there are only a handful of plants that will truly crawl or creep and eventually fill in the bare spots in your landscape.  They are:

  • Minima Jasmine (also called Dwarf Confederate Jasmine, Asiatic Jasmine):  best in full shade or part shade, variegated varieties also available
  • Ornamental Peanut, also called Perennial Peanut:  full sun only, and not deer resistant
  • Mimosa Plant:  full sun only
  • Blue Pacific Juniper:  full sun, part shade, not a true vine runner like the other 3 above

Naturally, there are other plants that will "pup" or multiply, with mature heights of one foot or less, but they will only fill in a small space and cannot be relied upon to cover large areas.  With that, while they may "qualify" as a  landscape ground-cover, they are unpredictable, at best, in their overall potential performance in the landscape, with regards to cover large areas as a sod substitute.  Beyond that, though, they are fabulous landscape plants for any home:

  • Bulbine
  • Aloe
  • Purple Queen and Wandering Jew (those are two different plants, btw)
  • Dwarf Oyster
  • Mondo and Dwarf Mondo
  • Blue Daze, Heather, Kalanchoe
  • Sedum
  • Fireball Bromeliad
  • Dwarf Mexican Petunia
  • Portulaca-Rose Moss

Ground-covers, clearly, are an awesome addition to any landscape, no matter what height the plants grow to.  However, fabulous landscape designs can only happen when we have a better understanding of what plant should go where, based on it's value to the landscape design.  The more we know, the better our landscapes grow, yes?