Florida and Orchids Naturally Go Together

What is is about orchids that is so undeniably attractive?  Perhaps because their mystical presence has been part of nature since before man and they span all of the continents of the Earth except for Antarctica.  Science has shown that the Orchidaceae family of flowering plants may go back as far as 100 million years or more.  One orchid species that has been traced back to at least 60 million years, the dried seed pods of the Vanilla Orchid are the source of vanilla for baking and perfume!

How many types of orchids are there?  The Orchidaceae family of uniquely beautiful flowers has about 28,000 natural species: this equals the number of bony fishes and is more than twice the number of bird species, and about four times the number of mammal species on Earth. Since the introduction of tropical orchids into cultivation in the 19th century, horticulturists have produced more than 100,000 additional hybrids and cultivars.

Why do the flowers of the orchid last so long?  The complex mechanisms that orchids have evolved to achieve cross-pollination, which were once investigated by Charles Darwin himself, are highly specialized therefore the chances of being pollinated are often unlikely, so orchid flowers usually remain in bloom for very long periods.  You will find orchids in flower for months at a time, giving endless enjoyment.

What about orchids in Florida?  Our state is host to about half of the native orchid species found in the United States! Almost all orchid species will thrive in the climate and conditions of the Sunshine State because we are at a nexus of both temperate and semi-tropical to tropical regions.  Our native species of orchids include the fabled Ghost Orchid as well as four species that are so rare, they originate only in Florida.

What are the four main types of orchids?  Orchidaceae are broken down into Moth Orchids (Phalaenopsis), Dendrobium Orchids, Slipper Orchids (shown above), and Boat Orchids (Cymbidium).  All of these orchids can thrive in the right setting in and around your Florida home.   Phalaenopsis are the most common variety that you see sold just about everywhere including the local grocery store.  Dendrobrium have long narrow leaves and are often found decorating restaurant tables or garnishing elegant plates of food.  The rarely sold Lady Slipper orchid is pictured above and comes in many other colors.  Cymbidium orchids are large and tall with heavy, elaborate flowers.

How can orchids be incorporated into North Florida landscape design?  There are several ways to add orchids to your landscaping.  Because some species are air plants, they are often grown on trees as they would be found in nature.  Dendrobrium orchids are known to grow well in our soil and bloom once or twice per year.  Cymbidium and moth orchids enjoy the conditions of pots on outdoor patios and lanais.  

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

Using Pinterest to Inspire Your Landscaping

If you are ready to create your landscape design in North Florida, we are ready to help!  Perhaps you have moved into a new home and the landscaping is old or unhealthy, or you would like to use landscaping for privacy.  Or maybe you want to add value and curb appeal to your home, or would like to enjoy the health benefits of lush landscapes and trees.  Whatever your reason, you can design, install, and maintain the most beautiful lawn and landscape design you can imagine.

But what if you are not able to imagine exactly what your dream landscape design looks like?  Is this your first home or are you not familiar with the needs and conditions of Florida landscaping?  Trust our expertise but begin gathering ideas for what you like - this is where an online source like Pinterest truly comes in handy!

We suggest you start a Pinterest account if you have not already done so.  This is easily done on computer or phone, using an email address.  You will choose interests such as Landscape Design, Florida Landscape Design, Backyard Landscaping, Front Yard Landscaping, or Beach Landscape Design.  From there the site will give you many options to follow and you can begin to collect, known as "pinning" images to "boards" you create, and in so doing you make a database of the styles and types of landscaping you find the most attractive.

You can follow boards that feature landscape design ideas such as this one:

North Florida Landscape Design Ideas and Plans for Palm Coast, St. Augustine, and Ormond Beach

When you are ready to meet with us to draw up your new landscape plans, you will have an arsenal of photos that express exactly what you are looking for.  

We think you will enjoy the process and Pinterest makes it so easy to express your individual taste and style.  You might also follow Stoughton & Duran Pinterest for custom home design, landscaping, and more.

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

Form and Function: Landscaping for Privacy in Florida

Landscaping for privacy is one of the top reasons why a Florida landscape designer is called upon and we encourage the use of natural plantings to provide your own sanctuary. Landscaped privacy areas often look so much better than a fence, and often work better to distract from what you are hiding as opposed to drawing attention.



Reasons why you may need landscaping for privacy at your Florida home or business:

A small home site - Although easier to maintain, small yards bring your neighbors that much closer.

Noise reduction - If you live near a busy public area or road, this may be important to you.

An unattractive fence that borders your property - Double your privacy with a better looking screen of plantings.

Provide clear separation between yards - Property lines are not always obvious and landscaping can clarify borders.



Once your landscaping for privacy is planted, regular landscape maintenance is of the utmost importance to keep it doing its intended job.  Proper irrigation and fertilization is typically mandatory, and you also utilize the concepts of Florida friendly, waterwise, xeriscaped, and native landscape designs.  

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

The Four Seasons of Landscaping

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" -Ecclesiastes 3:1

Spring - In this season we begin to see the rebirth of certain plants, flowers, and trees in the St. Augustine, Palm Coast, and Ormond Beach areas. We may have a few minor frosts but nothing that discourages the citrus blossoms, amaryllis (pictured), azaleas, lilies, and crape myrtles that emerge during our Florida spring. Faded plants are often switched out for fresh varieties and color comes back to our yards with aplomb.  

Summer - As the heat descends upon northeast Florida, the importance of proper watering becomes paramount. Improperly timed and zoned sprinkler systems can be devastating for your grass and landscaping. Having a licensed and insured professional check, set, and service your irrigation will protect you from burned out lawns and possibly save you money on your water bill.

Fall - Because our weather remains very warm during the "second spring" of Florida and hurricane tinged storms can bring an abundance of rain, our lawns are simply glowing with green life and growing so quickly you can almost see the blades expanding upward. Many of us are relieved to have hired a professional lawn maintenance company to keep our lawns under control throughout the summer heat and into the exuberant fall - the rest of us are wishing we did!

Winter - In Florida this is when we enjoy spending cozy family and social times on our patio, as we sit in front of a warm, softly burning fire pit. With days often mild and glorious in the midday sun, hardscaped areas within the landscape become very inviting. During the Florida winter you may find yourself ready to plan a winding garden path, a trickling waterfall, or an al fresco dining area within the beauty and sanctuary of trees.

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

Water is Life and Irrigation is Key

Water is life: regular watering from rainfall or irrigation systems is necessary for most of the beautiful plants in your landscape design.  Unfortunately, many Florida homeowners have unknowingly spent as much as half of their utility bill on watering lawns and landscaping, when watering wisely can be so much easier than you may realize. 

All plants need to be watered during the first weeks after planting or transplanting, and during development.  Then they fall into different categories according to water needs, from the very thirsty to the drought tolerant.  In irrigation terms, efficiency refers to how much of the water applied to the plants is finally used by them and uniformity refers to how evenly the water is applied to the plants.  This is the science we employ to keep your landscaping looking its best.

A knowledgeable landscape designer will divide your plantings and irrigation segments into watering zones (hydro-zones): oasis, transitional, and xeric. The oasis zone is for the thirstiest plants and will be placed closest to a water source. The xeric zone is for plants that need no supplemental water after being established. The transitional zone will contain plants that need occasional watering, or regular watering during a drought.

It is concepts such as the three watering zones that explain why a professional landscape design will look better and thrive unequivocally through the dramatic seasons of Florida.  Your comprehensive site plan will include placement of water sources among the plantings, and you will be able to recognize the oasis, transitional, and xeric zones if you look closely.   Perhaps it is your preference to feature one of the three hydro-zones predominantly in your landscaping and we can do just that.  

A licensed landscaper, who is foremost an irrigation professional, knows the science behind a lush and waterwise landscape.  We make it our business to understand unique concepts such as field capacity, which refers to the maximum amount of water a soil may hold before draining to become runoff.  An irrigation controller is an automatic timing device that operates irrigation zones for a predetermined time and frequency.  Scheduling of irrigation is based on factors such as soil type, root zone depth, and weather conditions - it should be regularly calibrated and checked for proper functionality.

North Florida wavers between extreme drought conditions and record rainfalls.  

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

Now What? Freeze Damaged Landscaping in North Florida

Each year our area typically has a few hard freezes (temperatures dipped to or below the freezing point, 32 degrees Fahrenheit, at night). This is known to cause browning and sometimes killing of plants, especially tropicals. Just because a planting has turned brown does not mean it's not going to revive itself eventually. Trust a professional landscaper to assist you with freeze damaged landscaping.

We know that frost damage looks unattractive and your first instinct may be to prune it off or get rid of the plant all together, but it's best to wait until the coldest weather has passed. The brown leaves protect the inner parts of the plant that may still be alive, just sitting dormant until the warm rays of the sun bring it back to its full potential. We also know how and when to fertilize and treat valuable plantings that were affected by freezing temperatures.

Frost damage typically happens on clear nights when the temperature goes below 32 degrees - we had a few nights of this and the problem occurs when water vapor freezes on the leaves of plants, creating frost. There were even reports of snow falling in North Florida this winter, an oddity. Freezes, which we also had, are worse than frosts because they are even colder and cause severe damage to sensitive plants. We had one night that was in the 20s this year, very unusual!

The reason why frosts can damage or kill plants is because during a freeze, water both inside and outside the plant cells freeze, puncturing them and destroying whatever part of the plant where this happens. That's why you may only see browning on part of the plant but not all. Besides browning of leaves, you may also see wilting leaves or even leaves that turn black. You won't know if the plant survived until all cold weather has passed.

If your tropical plants were young and not protected, you may have lost a few. Get in touch with us to replant so that your landscaping design does not suffer from this loss. Semi tropical plants such as hibiscus and bougainvillea may have just been severely damaged and we can prune them properly for the best renewal this spring.

After hard freezing, a plant may die or it may need a minor pruning or a total cut back.  Each plant is different, let us take a look and determine what your best course of action is going to be. If you are unsure, please don't prune your valuable plantings yourself! You run the risk of causing more damage because the new growth that you create is extremely susceptible to cold weather. 

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

Facts About Landscaping and Insurance Coverage

Landscaping is an investment in your home's appearance that increases its value, curb appeal, and your enjoyment of your property.  Homeowners insurance covers some aspects of this investment but not others, although you may be able to purchase additional coverage. 

What landscaping is covered by standard homeowners policies? Your basic policy may offer protection for trees, shrubs, and plants against specific problems such as fire, lightning, explosion, vandalism, riot, theft, or damage caused by someone else's vehicle.

How much does homeowners insurance cover for landscaping? Policies usually have limits on how much landscaping coverage is available, for example they may limit coverage for landscaping to a percentage of the dwelling protection and each particular tree or shrub may have a limit.

Is my landscaping covered in a hurricane? Damage to the plants themselves caused by weather disasters is typically not covered, but if falling trees damage your home or other structures on your property, repair to those buildings would be covered by your homeowners.

Damage to your landscaping caused by insects, pests, or diseases is not covered by homeowners insurance, which is why your investment in landscape design is best served by hiring a landscaper so these factors do not become an issue.

You will most likely pay a deductible before any coverage begins for damage to your landscaping, home, or structures.  One of the most important things to keep in mind is if someone else's tree falls on your home, your homeowners insurance will be the one to cover this damage.

If you are found negligible for not taking care of a rotting tree on your property that falls, your structures may not be covered by your homeowners insurance.  Have a professional arborist observe the health of the trees for you.   

We recommend that if you are concerned about coverage for your landscaping, you contact your homeowners insurance agent.  Inquire about additional coverage because some insurers offer options that could help provide additional protection for your valuable landscaping.

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

Flower of September: Blanketflower Covers the Dunes with Wheels of Fire

We have selected the blanketflower, Gaillardia, as our Flower of September. You will see it blooming everywhere in North Florida, especially the colorful dunes of our beaches, well into the fall months. This native wildflower is also called firewheel, Indian blanket, Indian blanketflower, or sundance.

There is an abundance of subspecies of this flower but the one that grows the best in Flagler Beach, St. Augustine, Palm Coast, Daytona, and Ormond is Gaillardia pulchella.   This flower grows either as a short-lived perennial, annual flowering plant, or sometimes year round.  Blanketflower is a relative of the sunflower family.

Gaillardia pulchella is a hardy plant that will grow in almost any soil but it tends to appreciate soil that is sandy and well-drained. It thrives in our region in summer and fall because of its high drought tolerance and predilection for a dry, hot climate and full sun. It spreads beautifully (like a blanket) and you will see expansive patches of its bright fiery colors.

Blanketflower is loved by honeybees, butterflies, and caterpillars - in fact some species of caterpillar will eat only Gaillardia.  Blanketflower produces plentiful seeds for replanting and self-seeding, and the seed heads are very popular with wild birds.  If deer are damaging your landscaping, you will be pleased to note that blanketflower is deer-resistant!

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

Arbor Day is the time to celebrate our trees

Begun all the way back in 1872 as a designated day for everyone to plant a tree, Arbor Day is commemorated in special ways all over the United States.  

The Arbor Day Foundations suggests many different species of trees for our Agricultural Zone 9 climate including certain magnolias, crepe myrtles, dogwoods, cypress, maples, and oaks.  Some palm trees are also a favorite for our area, especially the Florida state tree, the native Sabal Palm. Professional landscapers will advise you as to the best trees for your landscape design, and will provide professional and dependable maintenance of your lawn and plantings.

Without a doubt, perfectly beautiful and thriving trees make the supreme focal points for a landscape design.  Find out more about the benefits of trees in your landscaping and other information here:

Landscape Design: Planting Trees has a Host of Benefits

A Few More Important Facts About Trees in Landscape Design

Amazing Facts About the Live Oak Tree

The Official Flora of Florida

Hurricane Preparedness Includes Your Landscaping

Florida Holly is Not So Festive After All

Crape or Crepe? This Myrtle Tree is Florida Friendly

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

Florida Landscape Design in Agricultural Zone Nine

To say that Northeast Florida has a unique climate that creates landscaping challenges would be a bit of an understatement.  Our lovely little bit of USDA Zone 9 is quite possibly one of the most challenging and unusual climates in the world.  Just the fact that this area has wavered for decades back and forth between Zones 9a and 9b shows you that even the agricultural experts have a hard time keeping up with it.  GreenFlex Landscaping will design, install, and maintain your dream landscaping using our knowledge and experience in this zone.

You may think that dealing with the Florida heat is the challenge for landscaping in our area, but in actuality dealing with the occasional and erratic cold of our brief winter is the factor that can change an easygoing landscaping project into a complex plan of science, nature, and art.  A professional landscaper knows what you are dealing with, and even modifies your landscape design based on how close your property is to the ocean as well. 

In a nutshell the approach to landscaping in North Florida is a well thought out plantings that are tolerant to both the regular extreme heat of summer, but also the extreme cold as we experience freezes a few nights each year.  Delicate and tropical plants can be placed in protected spots and a comprehensive landscape design plan will be provided before any work is done.  We live in a part of the country that is unlike any other, and part of it is our plants, trees, and flowers.

Do not be daunted by the customized needs of this area's climate, soil, and rainfall (which ranges from extreme droughts to overabundant floods).

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

Landscape Design: Planting Trees has a Host of Benefits

Landscapers are not just landscape designers, but experienced consultants and "fixers" as well.  This is because we have seen the undesirable long term effects of having planted the wrong tree in the wrong location.  We have seen overgrown branches covering windows or disturbing utility lines, or trees with roots that damage a driveway.

Keep in mind, studies have reported that homeowners get a 100 percent or more return on the money they put into landscaping if it is done correctly.  If you have a completely bare lot, it will take many years for your plants to mature, so begin your landscaping immediately.

We begin by viewing your entire site plan comprehensively before planting anything. Then we will provide a landscape design that visualizes the size and shape of all its elements once the trees and shrubs mature.  This ensures that your investment in professional landscaping gives you the full return, as opposed to negating the value of your property.

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

Welcome to December in Florida

If you think landscaping activities in Florida stop once our winter begins, you may want to reconsider.  Your professional landscapers in St. Augustine, Palm Coast, Daytona, and Ormond Beach will be attending to the seasonal needs of you lawn and landscape design to keep it lovely and thriving all year long.  Landscapers will be pruning, mulching, and so much more for valued residential and commercial clients.

Most of our trees in this area are evergreen, meaning they do not lose their leaves.  This includes our particular species of towering live oak.  If you do have deciduous trees which lose their leaves, we can assist you with maintaining the well kept look of your home's exterior, which is everyone's first impression when visiting over the holiday season.  Outdoor decor can be very natural and beautiful in Florida as well: accessorize your Christmas lights with poinsettias, white mums, Norfolk pines, and other festive plants and blooms.

What's happening now and what do you need to know about our local greenery?  Here are some of the winter plants that we have highlighted in December articles of the past:

In northeast Florida as we celebrate the holidays we may enjoy the presence of "Florida Holly" trees in our yard producing red berries to enhance the season. Think again: these trees are actually a highly invasive species better known as the Brazilian-pepper tree...read more:
http://floridalandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2011/12/florida-holly-is-not-so-festive-after.html

Poinsettia plants are everywhere around the holidays but do you know the story behind this festive bloom that is synonymous with Christmas itself? With its bright red, pink, or white "flowers" (which are actually colored leaves called bracts), the poinsettia is the most popular potted plant in the United States...read more:
http://floridalandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2013/12/flower-of-holy-night-all-about.html

If you live in North Florida, you will notice that the plants called "Christmas Cactus" truly do bloom around Christmastime here, if left to their own devices. It is sign of the season in Palm Coast, Ormond Beach, or St. Augustine to see the plant...read more:
http://floridalandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2014/12/flower-of-december-christmas-cactus.html

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

Fall is Here and We Have Landscape Design in Mind

Fall in North Florida means an end to the dog days of summer and an excitement for the beginning of the holiday season.  Although we don't have a large amount of deciduous trees changing color, you can still spot a few mixed in with our citrus, palm trees, and live oaks.  Landscape design considerations evolve a bit for autumn, and may include:

Adding bursts of color with temporary seasonal elements to landscaping and outdoor living areas such as chrysanthemums. Read more about this unique flower here: 

http://floridalandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2014/11/flower-of-november-chrysanthemum-for.html

Cooler weather signals the time to enjoy a fire pit or fire bowls. Get ideas for how to add them and keep in mind we can integrate a fire pit or beautifully placed fire bowls to accent your overall landscape design:                    
http://floridalandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2010/12/fire-pits-add-cozy-heat-to-florida.html

Is now going to be the year you finally update or upgrade your property's landscaping?  Begin collecting inspiration for landscaping makeover now with these suggestions, so you can share your vision when it's time to get a free estimate:

http://floridalandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2013/05/how-will-you-design-your-landscaping.html

Many pool owners are not using their pools over the colder months of the year.  So it is a great time to plan and install "poolscaping".  Just imagine your enjoyment next summer of new hardscaping and landscaping installed now while no one is using that area of the home: 

http://floridalandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2015/09/poolscaping-for-your-florida-landscape.html

Our hurricane season is nearing its official end on November 30th.  Have you noticed that some of your landscaping may pose problems in a strong storm?  

http://floridalandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2014/05/hurricane-preparedness-includes-your.html 

Fall is a great time to refresh beds of mulch throughout your landscape design.  There are many reasons why proper mulching is important if you want beautiful and thriving landscaping, which is known to be the key to curb appeal and first impressions:

http://floridalandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2013/09/mulch-is-must-in-landscaping.html

Our clocks will "fall back" at the end of October for Daylight Savings Time.  The days of autumn and winter also have less hours of sun naturally as our planet rotates.  Lighten up the darker months of the year with low watt, elegantly placed landscape lighting:

http://floridalandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2012/11/accent-lighting-for-your-florida.html

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

"Poolscaping" for Your Florida Landscape Design

What feature takes a basic pool and makes it extraordinary? Landscaping around a pool design, or "poolscaping", is the ingredient that creates the essence of a backyard oasis. Tropical grottoes, elegant pool decks, and modern outdoor living are all achieved with the perfect landscape design. If your pool is lacking beauty or character, considered a free consultation with a landscaper to add the wow factor.

Poolscaping will often incorporate the following:

Privacy: Plants, hedges, and bushes create a natural screen while adding a beautiful transition to other areas of the property. Landscaping can be used as a visual screen, while also blocking unwanted noise.

Plants in Pots: Plants in pots are portable, create unity in the design, and clustered together give a natural feel. They will need to be watered regularly, as potted plants dry out quickly in sun and warm air.

Planters: These are permanently placed structures within the pool design that will contain plants. Planters can be elevated or can be flat and open, symmetrically or asymmetrically placed in the overall plan.

Lighting: Outdoor lights are for design beauty as well as functionality, creating a safe well-lit space at night. Low voltage lights of all styles and sizes extend the enjoyment hours of your poolscape.

We recommend and install pool landscaping plants such as evergreen trees and shrubs, long blooming flowers, and ornamental grasses. It is best to avoid plants in the pool design that drop a lot of debris such as fruit trees or others that lose leaves.  Poolscaping is the finishing touch of your Florida dream home.

 

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

Flower of June: Passionate about Passionflower

What is the vine with the exotic purple flowers that pops up in the North Florida area in the summer months? It is no other than the stunning plant Passiflora, also called passionflower or maypop. Passiflora incarnata is the most common species in the southeast but you will most likely encounter other examples of this plant, with varieties in the many hundreds.

Passionflower when used in landscape design looks best in natural and informal plantings, as its vines tend to go where they please and are typically deciduous as opposed to evergreen. It is especially valued in butterfly gardens, as it is the food plant of many different types of Florida caterpillars. Passionflower is a fast growing perennial that can grow as high at 12 feet!

The unique purple flowers of passionflower are about three inches in diameter and each blossom only lasts 24 hours.  Our local passionflower vines, considered a wildflower, have hardy roots through very cold weather and their fruits are edible, although so popular with wildlife you will rarely get a chance to see them ripen to the orange color they attain in the late summer and fall before they are eaten.  

Passionflower is the food of a number of butterfly species, including the zebra longwing and Gulf fritillary. Bumblebees are known to become intoxicated from the nectar of passionflower (look closely at the photo at the top), and will stay on the blooms all day long, sometimes falling to the ground in a stupor.

The fruit was a favorite of colonial settlers of the South and Native Americans alike; the Cherokee called it "ocoee" and some people still know it as wild apricot.  To this day eating passionfruit is a favorite of Cajuns: they call the plant liane de grenade, or "pomegranate vine".

Native Americans taught European colonists to utilize leaves of passionflower to make a calming medicinal tea, and it is still used this way in some Central and South American cultures. There are studies currently being done to investigate whether passionflower leaf extract is a better alternative to anxiety medications than the current pharmaceutical treatment.

And finally - why is this lovely flower named for "passion"?  The label refers to the passion of Jesus in Christian history: in the 15th and 16th centuries, Spanish missionaries chose the physical structures of this flower, especially the numbers of its various parts, as symbols of their faith.  You may notice the passionflower sometimes appearing as a decorative element in Christian artworks over the centuries since.

Passionflower will always be found in areas with lots of available sunlight, never in shady areas beneath a forest canopy. Other species you could likely encounter in North and Central Florida include the Passiflora racemosa, a large evergreen vine with long clusters of bright red passionflowers, about five inches each in diameter. Also growing in gardens and forests of Palm Coast, St. Augustine, and Ormond Beach is the blue passionflower, Passiflora caerulea.

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

Flower of May: Love for Gardenia is No Secret

We know that deep red roses are for True Love; bright yellow roses are for Friendship.  The symbolism of a flower is often a testament to its character, but not in the case of the elegant and stunning gardenia, which is the floral symbol for Secret Love.

This evergreen flowering shrub has just begun its fragrant show of blossoms this month in North Florida landscape designs.  That being said, gardenia is not salt tolerant so we would not advise you to incorporate it into beach landscaping.

Also sometimes growing in the fashion of a small tree or a hedge, gardenia have very shiny dark green leaves and its flowers are a pure white that eventually fade to yellow as they end their brilliance.  With its heavenly scent and a classic shape, gardenia are often used in weddings.

Botanists know that gardenia will continuously bloom for several months of late spring into mid summer.  Selective about its conditions and placement, gardenia does best with a professional landscaper's guidance in regards to installation and maintenance.

Gardenia is part of the coffee family of plant species, Rubiaceae, and the most common gardenia is Gardenia jasminoides, found growing wild in Vietnam, Southern China, Taiwan, Japan, Myanmar, and India. Gardenia is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the world and has been in cultivation in China for at least a thousand years.

You may hear gardenia sometimes called "cape jasmine" or "cape jessamine".  The flowers eventually become oval fruits, and these are still used in Chinese medicine.  Gardenia is also used to make yellow dye in Asia.  It is a flower with a rich history and a popularity all over the world, either as a landscape design element or as a houseplant.

🦚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 🦚

Flower of March: Azalea is a Sea of Color

Azalea is a welcome sign of spring in so many parts of the world, and based on the beautiful colors this shrub has brought to North Florida, we can confirm that spring has sprung!  Azalea, with varieties both technically deciduous and evergreen, is the star of the show in the month of March.  Seas of color are visible in shades of red, pink, purple, white, and more.

The blooms of azalea, a shrub that is considered part of the rhododendron family, last for weeks at a time.  These flowers are shade tolerant and they especially love being planted near or under trees.  Popular as a garden plant for hundreds of years, azalea has at this point approximately 10,000 different cultivars!

It is possible to propagate azalea by both cutting and seeds. Native to Europe, North America, and Asia, the fertilizer needs of azalea are low and most respond very well to pruning.

The plant is slow growing and likes acidic soil, and all parts of it are highly poisonous.  There are many spring festivals and events that celebrate the azalea.

Would you like a landscape design full of brightly blossoming azaleas? 

Enjoying the Flower of Month series?  Check out our other blog posts for standout flowers:

Flower of November: Chrysanthemum

Flower of December: Christmas Cactus

Flower of January: Camellia

Flower of February: Bougainvillea


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

Flower of February: The Eye Catching Bougainvillea

Even in the Sunshine State, there are minimal flowers blooming in the winter month of February.  But one eye catcher can remain evergreen and colorful: the bougainvillea, a vine like shrub that adds a taste of the tropics to any landscape design in Flagler, St. Johns, or Volusia Counties.

Establishing a bougainvillea in the proper soil with the proper light and drainage is the difficult part, and many who love the plant depend upon the expertise of a professional landscaper to install and maintain it to its ultimate beauty.  Colors include whites, purples, reds, yellows, oranges, and pinks.

The flower of the bougainvillea is actually a tiny white one in the center, but the surrounding three leaves of color are the real show stoppers.  This plant, which can grow in tree, vine, or bush form, is native to South America.  Beware of one thing about this beauty: it has thorns!

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