Flower of August: The Attraction of Firebush

This native plant blooms for months, attracting both birds and butterflies, and is practically bullet-proof once established. - University of Florida

The most common discussion in North Florida in August is typically regarding how HOT it is.  Our temperatures climb to the maximum and the sun demonstrates its power at midday.  Fragile flowers such as gardenia will not tolerate the extreme heat and vegetable gardens are taking a break until fall.  The agave (century plants) are blooming with their towering stalks of flowers, but one of our favorite summer plants is busy attracting birds and butterflies: the fiery firebush (also known as scarlet bush or hummingbird bush).

Firebush, Hamelia patens, is our ideal choice for August's Flower of the Month with its drought and heat tolerance, Florida friendly character, and ability to integrate beautifully into almost any landscape design for North Florida.  The flower shown in the photo is the dwarf variety of firebush, which is not native and is slightly lighter in color than the regular variety.  Native firebush grows very large in full sun and has shown tolerance to salt spray in beach landscaping designs.

The time to plant firebush is NOW so contact your North Florida landscaper to incorporate it into your landscape design.  It thrives in almost any type of soil and is mostly disease and pest resistant.  It will begin its red orange blooms in spring then continue all the way until the first cold freeze.  Firebush is considered a perennial or semi-woody shrub and the best thing about it is the wildlife it attracts: hummingbirds and butterflies such as the gulf fritillary and the magical zebra longwing. Its berries will attract other birds as well.

🦚Article by Connie Helena, author of The Green Orchid 🦚

Flower of April: Soap Aloe is in Exotic Bloom

This month we have aloes flowering in Flagler, St. Johns, and Volusia Counties' landscape designs, especially the Florida friendly aloe maculata that many mistakenly identify as aloe vera.  These red/orange flowers we are enjoying in North Florida are also called zebra aloe, aloe saponaria, or most commonly soap aloe because the plant is used to make soap in its native Africa.

At current count there are over 500 species of aloe and soap aloe is one beautiful species uniquely set apart because of its fat, thick leaves and exotic looking spikes of orange or red flowers in the spring.  This plant is waterwise and tolerant of just about any soil, making it a home run for landscape designs in Palm Coast, Ormond Beach, and the surrounding areas.

Warm desert regions enjoy the beauty of soap aloe and it will also be seen in Arizona and California landscaping.  Along with being drought tolerant and therefore xeriscape friendly, soap aloe is a rock star in beach landscape design because it is so salt tolerant.  You just can't go wrong with this stunning plant if you enjoy the look of an exotic species, but with low maintenance needs.

We can assist you with all aspects of beach-beautiful landscaping: design, installation, and maintenance are the services we offer, with specialties like water features and outdoor lighting also in our realm of expertise.  Oceanside landscape designs are a challenge that very few professional companies are prepared to meet, and we do it with years of experience and a trusted reputation behind every beachfront property.

🦚Article by Connie Helena, author of The Green Orchid 🦚

Hurricane Preparedness Includes Your Landscaping

Hurricane season is right around the corner, and this year it begins June 1st.  This week is National Hurricane Preparedness Week and we have several tips to get your landscaping and the area around your home ready in case of major storm.  Keep in mind that you can contact a landscaper regarding hurricane readiness and safety of your landscaping, and services cover many of the suggestions below.

1) Make sure if you have a shed, greenhouse, or other outbuildings that the doors and windows are secure and will not detach in heavy winds.

2) Prune your trees so that large branches are not hanging over your home or car, and away from power lines.  Do not engage in the inappropriately named "hurricane cut", which removes most of the fronds and can severely damage, or even kill, your trees.  Instead trees should be pruned to provide for air flow, which inhibits uprooting.  If a tree is obviously unhealthy and therefore weak, it should be removed.

3) Consider planting trees that are more likely to withstand heavy winds in the first place.  Native growing trees such as the live oak in Florida are standing all these years because they are strong, hard, resistant to winds, and their roots grow deep.

4) Clear your gutters and downspouts and ensure they are firmly attached and that your drainage system is fully functioning.

5) Be ready to stake tall plants in case of a storm, and if a storm is on its way you should be ready to harvest vegetables or flowers beforehand as those fragile plantings will most likely be damaged anyway.

6) Take inventory of all your lawn ornaments, outdoor furniture, potted plants, grills, flags, awnings, and other loose items around the home.  These can become flying projectiles in strong winds and should be stored when a storm is imminent.

7) Consider replacing your gravel beds with softer wood mulch.  Small stones can be hazardous if they become airborne in extreme weather conditions.

8) If you live close to the beach and the possibility of flooding is high, keep in mind that salt tolerant plants and trees are most likely going to be the few survivors of a major storm. When saltwater creeps up higher than usual on the coastline and blows its spray through the air, salt tolerance is severely tested.

Stay safe!  Hurricane season ends November 30th.

🦚Article by Connie Helena, author of The Green Orchid 🦚

Here's the Scoop on St. Augustine Lawn Maintenance

In this blog post we are going to cover one of the most commonly seen varieties of grass used in Florida lawns, St. Augustine, also known as Carpet, Wire, Buffalo, or Charleston grass.  St. Augustine is used primarily in tropical and subtropical areas and usually requires a sprinkler system.  Because St. Augustine turf is very thick and dense, it crowds out weeds and other unwanted grasses.  It has a lovely dark green uniform color year round as long as its maintenance needs are fully met.

Fun facts about St. Augustine grass include:

• It has been used for lawns in Florida since the 1890s.
• It is native to the Gulf of Mexico and Mediterranean regions.
• It has a high level of salt tolerance for beach landscaping. 
• A new variety was developed in 2008 that is resistant to chinch bugs.
• It grows only in coastal regions.
• Propagation is by plug, sod, or stolon - seed propagation was only recently made possible.

The best way to describe a St. Augustine lawn is that it is like a carpet in its thickness, spreading and growing its runners of grass so that nothing else can penetrate it.  This species of grass performs well in many soil conditions with consistent fertilization and attention to its moisture needs.  We will not only install and maintain your St. Augustine lawn, but we also understand the watering necessary to maintain it.

Alternatively, if you would prefer a softer lawn that is similar to the ones found in Northern climates or on golf courses, you may want to learn more about zoysia grass. 

🦚Article by Connie Helena, author of The Green Orchid 🦚

Most Popular Stones for Hardscaping Design

A landscaper implements hardscaping into its professionally designed landscape plans using a variety of stone. Natural stone is categorized into two categories based on how it is cut: "fully dressed" stone is cut into very precise shapes and "semi-dressed" stone is loosely shaped with a uniform thickness.

Look for these stone types in professional hardscaping design:

Bluestone - is a specific type of sandstone that stands out because of its bluish-grey color. Bluestone is often the focal point of a rock garden, or can be used to create stone stairs, walls, or patios.

Fieldstone - this is a perfect stone for decorative walls or raised garden beds. Similar to flagstone except rounder and useful for freestanding hardscaped elements. It comes in a variety of colors and can add a level of whimsy to a landscape design.

Flagstone - an easily-installed, slab-like, durable stone made of sedimentary rock such as limestone or sandstone, and ideal for many areas of landscape design. Flagstone makes beautiful, elegant pavers but should always be tested to see how slippery they get when wet.

Slate - these rocks started out as shale that gradually metamorphosed over time. It comes in grey, green, or blue color. Slate cracks into thin slabs of rock, making it ideal for pavers and tiles. Because it is naturally water resistant it is often used with water features.

🦚Article by Connie Helena, author of The Green Orchid 🦚