Peace Lily Archives - Mastering the Art of Landscaping

Florida landscape plants offer such a stunning array of vivid flower colors, it can be difficult to decide which one is your favorite. From the deep reds of Hibiscus, Ixora, and Passion Vine to the brilliant purples of Bougainvillea, Crape Myrtle, and Azaleas, one can fall in love with all of the color ranges! As, well, when one visits a well-stocked nursery in the spring, when everything is in bloom, it can be overwhelming.

While it is natural to gravitate towards the more striking flower colors that stand out amongst a sea of green foliage, one should never overlook the simple grace and elegance of the white flower, or even more so, the white foliage of a plant. Traditionally, using white as a landscape color has not been promoted as a viable or desirable landscape concept, and I suspect it is because it is simply misunderstood. With that said, let's explore the ways that using white as a landscape color can be best utilized:

1. Not all flowering plants can tolerate shady or part-shade light conditions, and continue to bloom. However, some can, such as this white Angel's Trumpet, pictured above. Using white as a landscape color is unique, in that white flowers and white-striped foliage will stand out in dark and shady light conditions. Whether it is planted under an Oak tree, or even against a fence, these white flowers will stand out in the day time, and almost cast a ghostly hue at night, in places where other dark colored flowers will hardly be noticeable. Some other white flowered or white-striped foliage plants to consider for similar site conditions are:

White Azalea
White-striped foliage Bromeliads
Variegated Minima Jasmine
Gardenia
Pinwheel Jasmine
Aztec Grass
African Iris
Peace Lily
White Bleeding Heart vine

2. White flowers and foliage can be used as a "buffer plant" separating other bold colors. As you can see in the photo of the Bromeliads above, the white plant in the upper left corner, as well as the white trim on the center plant help all of the plants in the grouping stand out, highlighting their particular features to an advantage. When you are considering using white as a landscape color with other colors, position the white plants in such a manner as to bring out the colors of the surrounding plants. For example, if you are considering planting an annual bed with dark purple Petunias, or deep red Begonias, make 20% of the plants white, and randomly intersperse them throughout the bed to help the darker colors pop. Some options for lower growing plants that make great white color buffers are:

Aztec Grass
Variegated Flax Lily (Dianella)
Variegated Minima Jasmine
White Dwarf Penta
Sun Hosta

3. Using white as a landscape color is particularly effective when creating a design for a dark-colored house paint. Some plant features can seem to be lost when used as a foundation plant against a dark paint, to the point that they almost blend it. If you select a white colored flower or foliage plant as a foundation plant, not only will that plant stand out, but it will set the stage for the other plants in front of it. Consider the example above, of a Pinwheel Jasmine, that blooms almost all year. It not only will stand out against a dark brown paint, but all other plants in front of it will shine in their own right, as well. Keep in mind, though, that the opposite is true for a light colored house, such as white or yellow paint. Some plants to consider as a foundation plant for dark-painted houses are:

Variegated Pittosporum
Sinesis
Jasmine, many varieties to choose from
Silver Queen Hibiscus
Snowbush, or Snow on the Mountain
White Oleander
Chinese Silver Grass
White Fountain Grass

4. Lastly. using white as a landscape color can be a complete landscape design concept whereupon the ONLY flower color being used is white. In cases such as this, the design concept usually incorporates plants with dark foliage, with white used to highlight the dark foliage of other plants, with the primary focus being about texture and foliage contrasts.

Now that you have a better understanding of how white can be used as a landscape color, you will never see white flowers in the same light, again! As always, half of the fun of gardening is to experiment, and see what works for you, as there is no wrong way, just a better way, when it comes to design.

So, let's get designing, folks, with white!

Donell

Slugs and snails can be a significant pest problem on many varieties of landscape and vegetable plants in Florida. As they mostly feed at night, they can be difficult to detect, but the damage that they leave behind should be evidence enough. While some other insects, such as caterpillars and grasshoppers, leave similar damage patterns, those critters can usually been seen during the day making the pest diagnosis easier.

So, how can you be sure that the damage to your plants is being caused by slugs and snails? You can set a trap for them! Slugs and snails like to spend their daylight hours in a cool, dank place, so you can make that easier for them by creating a place for them to go to! Position a large flat rock or similar type of object at the base of the plants that are being fed upon, and then check under it daily, in the cool of the morning. You will see them resting under the rock, thereby confirming that you have a slug or snail problem. As well, you can sometimes see their slime trails on concrete or leaf surfaces, which is also clear evidence.

So, once you have identified that you have a slug and snail problem, you will need to find a way to get rid of them. Slugs and snails can be difficult to eradicate, but with determination and persistence, you can control them. One way, or course, is to apply a commercial slug and snail bait product available at garden centers, but it can be costly and may have to be applied often, depending upon the weather. Another way to eliminate the problem is to change out your landscape and garden plants to a variety that is less favorable to them, as they do have their favorite host plants such as Hosta and Peace Lily.

Fortunately, there are some other options to control slugs and snails, that are not only organic, but also fun and clever. Any of these following methods will work, but you may want to incorporate all of them in your pest control program:

Remember the flat rock that we used earlier to help identify the presence of slugs and snails? Add a few more of those to the garden and then check under them daily, preferably in the morning. Physically remove the snails, bag them up, and throw them away!
Beer. That's right, slugs and snails love beer! Dig a shallow hole in the ground near the plants that are being fed upon, and place an empty plastic butter tub or similar in the hole, so that the container is flush with the surrounding soil. Fill the tub half way with beer, and then wait. Slugs and snails love beer, and will fall into the tub at night and drown. Empty the tub every few days as needed, and fill again. Continue repeating this program until the population is eventually reduced, when you aren't trapping any more pests.
Add copper banding to the base of you plants. Slugs and snails hate copper, as it is believed that it gives them an electrical charge. This method is more practical as a physical barrier at the base of a plant, or as a copper strip added to the lip of a potted plant, or similar concept. As well, you may have heard that you can use pennies, but that is not true today, as pennies no longer have copper added to them.

By now, you may have realized that controlling slugs and snails in your garden may not be easy, but with a plan and some persistence, your efforts will pay off. By using these organic pest control methods in a mufti-faceted program, you will eventually be able to enjoy your favorite plants, free of slug and snail damage!

So, let's get slug and snail hunting folks!

Donell