Tampa is a city that is rich in landscaping, with many older homes having large and majestic  shade-producing trees.  While a healthy mature shade tree can reduce the air temperature in the shade by ten degrees, and can add thousands of dollars to the appraised value of your home, they can also create some unique challenges when trying to landscape around and under them.  Fortunately, there are number of landscape plants for shady areas that can bring color and interest to create a beautiful shade garden for your home.

Not all of our Tampa landscape plants are suited for shady areas, with many of them needing at least 4 hours of sunlight to thrive.  As well, some plants that will tolerate less than 4 hours sunlight will change form or color, and lose their intended appeal in your landscape design.  Here is a list of landscape plants for shady areas that I believe are real winners, with a few notes as needed:

Landscape Plants for Shady Areas, groundcovers:

• Mondo Grass and Dwarf Mondo Grass
• Foxtail Fern
• Holly Fern
• Minima Jasmine and Variegated Minima Jasmine
• Agapanthus
• Bromeliad, (many varieties)
• Liriope, many varieties including Aztec Grass
• Caladiums
• Dwarf Oyster Plant

Landscape Plants for Shady Areas, specimens:

• King Sago (fronds will stretch and elongate over time to an arching pattern)
• Cardboard Palm (fronds will stretch and elongate over time)
• Crinum Lily, white or red (red looses red color in shade)
• Lady Palm (multiplies by running roots....can take over if unchecked)
• Chinese Fan Palm (does grow to 20' eventually, but very slow growing)
• Angel's Trumpet

Landscape Plants for Shady Areas, bushes and mid-sized plants:

• Pinwheel Jasmine
• Azalea, many varieties
• Croton (colors do darken in deeper shade)
• Variegated Arboricola
• Iris, many varieties
• Gardenia
• Camellia
• Bleeding Heart Vine
• Nandina
• Heliconia
• Brunsfelsia
• Ti Plant, many varieties
• Ginger, many varieties
• Cast Iron Plant
• Philodendron

Any of the landscape plants listed above would be a wonderful addition to your shade garden, and will bring color, texture, and interest to a dark space.  Give them a try, and share you photos of your finished project!  We love photos!

 

If you a planning on growing your own fall vegetable garden in your Tampa landscape, now is the time to get ready.  You should by now know where you are going to place the vegetable garden, have removed the weeds, grass, and leaves to clear the area, and added your amended soil.  Amended soil can be compost or commercial potting soil, or a mix of both.  You can also add cow manure or other organic material, but it cannot be "hot" or fresh, as it will burn your vegetable seedlings.  As well, this would be a good time to add fertilizer to the vegetable garden in preparation to start planting.

To have the best results with your fall vegetable garden, you should only plant vegetables that are in season.  By doing so, you will have less problems with disease and insects, and be rewarded with happier plants that will thrive.  Follow this general guide as for what to plant in your fall vegetable garden, with recommended planting months for Tampa:

• Mustard (Sept-March)
• Onions, bulbing (Sept-Dec)
• Green Onions, bunching (Aug-March)
• English Peas (Sept-March)
• Radish (Sept-March)
• Spinach (Oct-Nov)
• Strawberry (Oct-Nov)
• Tomatoes (Sept)
• Turnips (Sept-Nov)
• Beets (Oct-March)
• Broccoli (Aug-Jan)
• Cabbage (Sept-Jan)
• Carrots (Oct-March)
• Cauliflower (Oct-Jan)
• Chinese Cabbage, Bok Choy (Oct-Jan)
• Collards (Aug-March)
• Kale (Sept-Jan)
• Lettuce (Sept-March)

While harvest times vary from plant to plant, your average time from seedling size to produce is 60 days on average.  And, as you can see, some of these fall vegetables have a long planting season, so you can plant multiple times throughout the fall and winter.

So, where do you find some of these seedlings?  You may find some of the more common garden vegetables at places like Lowe's and Home Depot, but I have the most luck on all of them at places like Ace Hardware on Gunn Highway and at feed stores like Shell's Feed on North Nebraska Ave.

So, let's get growing that fall vegetable garden!  And, share you success stories and photos, and maybe a favorite recipe of your bounty!

 

Weed block, also called landscape fabric, is a fabric designed to block weeds from growing in your landscape beds.  It is installed as a layer of fabric between the soil and mulch or rock.  But, does it really block out weeds?  I have mixed thoughts about that.....

The quality of the fabric is important, and the thin, plastic fabric just breaks down too easily.  Any break in the barrier allows for weeds to grow, and the thin, cheap stuff can break down enough over time that is actually pokes up through the mulch, in little pieces.  The heavy duty nylon commercial grade does hold up better, but it is difficult to cut through to replace any plants.  My preference to use in all of the available types is the medium grade that is similar to a felt material, as it doesn't rip as easily, and if you need to replace a plant, it is manageable to dig through.

That still doesn't answer the question, though, does it block out weeds?  Yes, in the beginning it does.  But, mulch is an organic material that breaks down over time to create compost.  As well, if you have leaf drop from trees or bushes, they break down to compost as well, and compost makes a great medium for weed seeds to root.  So, while the weed block may stop a lot of weeds from growing up from the underlying soil, it does not stop weeds that sow and grow in the mulch, or from runners that crawl from outside the bed (like St. Augustine sod, or other running weeds).  So, while it does work initially, in the long run it does not.

So, why use weed block, then?  You need it for rock.  If you are going to use rock anywhere in your landscape, you need the landscape fabric to stop the rock from sinking into the ground.  And, rock will sink over time.  Weeds will grow in rock over time, too (just look at the weeds in a crack in the sidewalk!), but if you use a good quality weed block under your rock, you will have to top dress it or add to it less often over time.

For me, weed block is mostly ineffective as a weed control, but is useful when installing rock.  If you are now feeling discouraged about having one less tool to help in the battle against weeds, don't be!  I will post soon with some tips to help give you the advantage, and maybe, just maybe, win the war!

 

 

 

 

Selecting the right shade tree for your landscape is an important decision, just as important as to where you want to plant it.  "Shade tree" is a general term that describes trees that eventually grow to a height of 40' or more, with a potential canopy spread to match.

Some shade trees are more upright in growth habit, such as Winged Elm (pictured above), Red Maple, Sycamore, Sweet Gum, and Magnolia.  Other shade trees are more rounded in growth habit, such as Live Oak, Laurel Oak, Camphor, and Drake Elm.    When deciding where you want to plant your new tree, the growth habit may narrow your choices, and make your decision easier.

If you have the space for a shade tree to grow, then you may want to next consider it's leaf and seed drop potential, with regards to it's maintenance level.  Most shade trees are deciduous (meaning that they drop their leaves in the winter such as Maples, Elms, Oaks, Sweet Gum and Sycamore), while others shed their leaves throughout the year (such as Camphor and Magnolia).  And, all shade trees drop their seeds, of which some can be a nuisance in size (Sweet Gum, Sycamore, Magnolia) or in germinating or freely seeding in your landscape beds (Camphor, Drake Elm).

Next, evaluate your desired planting location for your new tree.  Determine if you have enough room for the canopy to grow, and for the roots to spread out at least three times the canopy size.  While the canopy can be pruned and trimmed to a degree, the roots cannot be.  While the majority of a shade tree's root system is not a concern, most certainly those within 15-20' of the trunk can be.  Large roots can crack sidewalks, water pipes, sewer lines, and house foundations.

Picking the right shade tree for your landscape can avoid many headaches in the future.  Most cities, counties, and HOA's have restrictions on tree removal, and in some cases, permitting is required.    As well, large tree removals are expensive, and unnecessary with proper planning!

As a last note, if you are uncertain as to whether a shade tree is the right choice for your landscape, consider an "ornamental" or "understory" tree that can grow to 20-30'.  Some potential options are select varieties of Bottlebrush, Crape Myrtle, Holly, and even palms.   With the right planning and a little education, you can find the perfect shade tree that you can enjoy for many, many years to come.

 

Flagstone paths and walkways are a simple solution to solve those wet and muddy areas of your landscape, that are dank and shaded.  It is near impossible to grow grass in this type of site condition, between the fence and house or pool cage,  where mulch just seems to grow weeds.

A charming solution is to add a natural stone path or walkway with flagstone, and you can get as creative as your mind and budget allow!  Define the size of your walkway and the space that you want it to cover, and determine if you want plant beds or hardscaping like benches, pots, or boulders.

The final result not only solves those wet and muddy lost areas of your yard, it creates a beautiful addition to your landscape!