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 🦚

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 November: The Chrysanthemum for Fall

Chrysanthemum indicum, the autumn flower chrysanthemum, is sometimes called mum or chrysanth and the number of varieties at this point are literally countless. Native to Asia and northeastern Europe, for us the mum symbolizes the fall season, November, and Thanksgiving. Whether you are enjoying the flowers of chrysanthemum in your garden or on your table, it is a plant that is synonymous with this time of year.

Here are some fascinating facts about this lovely flower:

The name of this flower comes from the Greek words chrysos meaning gold, and anthemon meaning flower.

Mums were first cultivated in China as far back as the 15th century BC.

This flower came to America in 1798 when Colonel John Stevens brought in a variety known as 'Dark Purple' from England.

Mums are edible, but it is advised you only use the flower petals and blanch them first for the best flavor.

Yellow or white chrysanthemum flowers are boiled to make a sweet drink in some parts of Asia called chrysanthemum tea.

In Korea, there is a popular rice wine flavored with chrysanthemum flowers. 

Mum leaves are steamed or boiled and used as greens or aromatic flavors in many Asian cuisines.

Chrysanthemum is used as a natural source of insecticide: its pyrethrins attack the nervous systems of all insects, and inhibit female mosquitoes from biting.

The NASA Clean Air Study showed that chrysanthemum plants reduce indoor air pollution.

The term "chrysanthemum" is also used to refer to specific fireworks that produce a pattern of trailing sparks similar to the flower.

The chrysanthemum is the official flower of November in the United States.

King Tut of Egypt was buried with floral necklaces of chrysanthemums!

In Japan, the chrysanthemum is a symbol of its Emperor: for example the Chrysanthemum Crest and Seal, and the Emperor's position on the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Mums are composed of many individual flowers (florets), each one capable of making a seed.

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

Sturdy Pavers Create Smooth Hardscape Design

If pavers are installed properly, they are more durable and low maintenance than just about any other hardscape material.  Pavers are used to build smooth surfaces for patios, walkways, driveways, pool decks, fire pits, and even retaining walls and other landscape design features.

Pavers give a property a much more upscale look than typical concrete and elevate the entire landscape design in the process.  To have a successful installation of pavers, you must have a perfectly flat prepared area to lay them and they must be then compacted and the cracks filled so that weeds cannot grow between them.

For pavers in Ormond Beach, Palm Coast, or St. Augustine, we use a variety of stone types including bluestone, fieldstone, flagstone, or slate.  Each one has its own characteristics and cost - we are happy to provide all the information you may need to make your decision when choosing which pavers to have installed.

We recommend that you look around for ideas in landscaping magazines or on the internet on sites like Pinterest or Houzz, so that we can design and build something that fits your style as well as your budget.  Pavers are incredibly strong and durable and if installed properly, they will be very low maintenance as well as attractive.

If you would like to find out more about having pavers as part of your property's landscape design in Palm Coast, St. Augustine, or Ormond Beach contact a landscaper for more information or we will gladly answer any additional questions you may have.  

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





   

Flower of the Holy Night: All About the Poinsettia

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 with its wholesale contributing over $250 million dollars to the U.S. economy each year.    

The poinsettia got its name here from Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American botanist, physician, and diplomat to Mexico who in 1828 sent cuttings to his home in South Carolina. The poinsettia is native to Mexico (its Spanish name translates to "Flower of the Holy Night") where as a wild tropical tree it can reach heights of more than ten feet. The ancient Aztecs called it cuetlaxochitl and used it to make a reddish-purple dye as well as a medicine for fevers.

One of 2013's holiday season U.S. Postal Service Forever stamps features artwork of the lovely poinsettia. “The image of the poinsettia has proven to be so timeless that the Postal Service has featured it on two previous holiday stamps, one in 1964 and one in 1985,” stated Stamp Services Director Susan McGowan.

Typically the plant is for indoors only, as it is sensitive to freezing.  In Florida, the poinsettia can be planted outdoors as well. If you have poinsettias that you would like to transfer outside, wait until the weather begins to warm, then bring the pots outside and put in a shady place so they can acclimate.

After a few weeks, plant your poinsettias in full sun in well drained soil and keep in mind that in order to flower they need 14 hours of complete darkness each day for 6 to 8 weeks, so keep away from bright street lamps or other outdoor lighting.  Pruning poinsettias after they bloom in spring promotes a fuller plant and in our area you will have a thriving poinsettia if you fertilize it once a month from May to September.

Contrary to what many people have been led to believe, the poinsettia is not toxic to humans or animals.  Eating the poinsettia will cause stomach upset and being exposed to the milky sap of the plant can irritate the skin, but the commonly held notion that poinsettias are highly poisonous is an urban legend.

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

Palm Coast Landscape Blog Highlights

This landscape blog covering Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Ormond, Daytona, and St. Augustine is in its third year of knowledge sharing for those readers interested in Florida landscaping issues.  Here are the top five posts of all time, counting our total readership well into the thousands:

1) Century Plant and Agave in the Florida Landscape Design - Still one of the most stunning examples of our unique northeast Florida botanical elements for landscaping, this plant is as fascinating as it is beautiful.

2) Amazing Facts About the Live Oak Tree - This tree is nothing if not majestic and apparently many web searches seeking information on the live oak bring web visitors to this post.

3) The everlasting green beauty of Florida landscape design - The second blog ever posted, announcing important company news and sharing an interesting tidbit and quote about color, has stayed in the top ever since.

4) Florida Holly is Not So Festive After All - This explains in detail the truth about one of our area's most mistakenly identified trees, and even if you know its true identity, you may not know the whole story.

5) Fire Pits Add Cozy Heat to Florida Evenings - Fire pit design, as aspect of hardscaping that GreenFlex Landscaping specializes in, has gotten more popular as a functional landscape design feature.

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

Accent Lighting for Your Florida Landscaping

Landscape lighting will provide glowing accents that make your home or establishment equally as captivating once the sun goes down.  This type of lighting is decorative but can also be functional: lighting pathways and driveways for safety while walking or driving, or to provide added security around the perimeter of the property.

If you are putting your home on the market for sale, keep in mind that most interested buyers will be driving by the property before ever contacting your agent.  And many of them will be doing so after work, when it may have already gotten dark.  Professionally designed, well maintained landscaping is proven to increase curb appeal so make sure it is evident at night as well.

Accent lighting throughout the landscape will be lovely to look at from your windows, from your pool, or from your outdoor lounging and entertaining areas.  We think you will find the benefits of incorporating this nocturnal art form will be an investment that pays off for years to come.

Looking for inspiration for landscape lighting styles?  Check out these articles on Houzz.com or explore your options by searching "landscape lighting" on HGTV.com.

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

Florida Holly is Not So Festive After All

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!

Schinus terebinthifolius is also mistaken for the innocent sounding "Christmasberry" tree, but this plant is responsible for allergic skin reactions and respiratory illness (when blooming), not to mention that over 700,000 acres in Florida are covered by this weed making these areas inhospitable to native plants and wildlife.

The Brazilian-pepper tree is actually native to Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina and was introduced to Florida in the 1800s to be cultivated and sold as an ornamental plant. Why does it enjoy Florida and the rest of agricultural zones 9-11 so much? Its salt tolerance is high, it will grow in any soil, has no nutritional requirements, grows very quickly, has high drought tolerance, and loves full sun.

Not at all related to holly but rather to poison ivy, this trickster has the potential to create a dense forest canopy that shades out all other foliage and produces such a poor habitat for native wildlife species that almost nothing other than the Brazilian-pepper itself will survive. It is highly prohibited to plant Brazilian-pepper tree or encourage its growth.

On an interesting note, this plant is grown for culinary purposes in other countries and marketed as "pink peppercorns" here by itself or in spice blends. Bees love the flowers of Brazilian-pepper and make honey from its nectar. Raccoons and possums eat the fruit of the plant and contribute to its spread by passing the seeds, as do seed loving birds such as the migratory American Robin. It is believed that some birds and other wildlife adore the berries of this plant for their narcotic effects at certain times of the year.

If you have "Florida Holly" in your yard, you can use its fruit-laden branches as Christmas decorations because the small bright red berries will mature between December and January. From a professional standpoint, it is never acceptable for a landscape designer to encourage these invasive species for landscaping in Ormond Beach, St. Augustine, or Palm Coast.

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

Century Plant and Agave in the Florida Landscape Design

Newcomers to northeast Florida are often captivated by the site of the gigantic century plants thriving so impressively in landscape designs from St. Augustine to Ormond Beach. Also known as maguey or American aloe (although not in the aloe family), century plant (Agave americana) actually only lives to be 10-30 years. This waterwise ornamental plant has a large dramatic form when fully grown and is prized for modernist, desert-style landscape designs, as well as being perfectly suited for Florida-friendly xeriscaping.

The spreading rosette shape of century plant can grow as wide as 13 feet and its leaves can be almost seven feet long.  Each leaf tip is extremely sharp and can pierce skin, so do not plant this drought tolerant beauty anywhere near a childrens' play area!  Alternatively, century plants can be cultivated along a perimeter as a natural fence to keep people or animals in or out of a designated zone.  The two most commonly encountered Agaves are the blue straight leaved type and the variegated curly leaved species.  If you are drawn to more exotic varieties, landscapers can help you incorporate them into your landscape design for St. Augustine, Palm Coast, and Ormond Beach.    

These succulents will bloom only once, their unique flowers growing many feet in the air on stalks, and after they bloom they will die.  So enjoy this amazing plant for as long as it lives! Various Agaves are used to produce tequila, mezcal, and pulque in Mexico, as well as agave nectar, a healthy and natural alternative to sugar.  The fibers from certain century plants are also used in Mexican crafts and textiles. 

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

Fire Pits Add Cozy Heat to Florida Evenings

A professionally designed landscape for your home will incorporate hardscaping elements such as natural stone, pavers, walls, or stone paths and beds. This aspect of design offsets the soft organic plants and flowing edges of trees so that the eye moves pleasingly through the composition.

Seamless hardscape design in Florida is also of paramount importance when pools, hot tubs, and decorative water features are integrated into the landscape plan. These additions should never look like a sloppy afterthought or the whole design suffers. Outdoor living can be taken to the next level by having a professional landscape designer build a fire pit and enhance its appearance with stone or brick.

As the temperatures fall during our mild Florida winter, the appeal of sitting around a bonfire becomes stronger. The options available for fueling the fire pit make it possible to build a wood burning fire, or simply hit a switch and enjoy the convenience of gas powered flames. There is also the possibility of popping a grate on top when you would like to grill food right over the fire pit!

A fire pit can be the focal point of your entire patio design - contact a landscaper to discuss your ideas for a warm, inviting fire pit built permanently by our licensed, insured professionals. Then surround it with comfortable seating of your choice, either custom made of a similar hardscape material or other outdoor furniture, and invite your guests outside to enjoy a beautiful star-filled Florida night around the fire.

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

What is a serenity garden?

A serenity garden is a space that is specially designated in your home or business landscape to be a place of contemplation, peace, and solace. It is often a hidden area or courtyard with plants, hardscaping, and water features such as a fountain or waterfall. Serenity gardens are sometimes located at an entry point or between two separate sections of a structure. It is a beautiful way to divide and unite interior and exterior space at the same time.

Serenity gardens can also incorporate elements of zen gardens such as arches and feng shui. The principle purpose of a serenity garden is to instill calm, enhance relaxation, and encourage meditation. For some people this garden has a memorial or religious theme. For others it is the place to escape and get away from it all.

A serenity garden should be placed away from ringing telephones, car pollution, and other distractions and unpleasantries. There should be a comfortable sitting area such as a bench that receives equal parts sun and shade, or whichever your individual preference. Perhaps a rocking chair would suit you as you let your stress fade away.

Nature is an obvious element of a serenity garden: besides personally preferred plants, consider a bird feeder or house, or a koi pond. Wind chimes or a rhythmic bamboo water spout add a gentle, soothing sound effect. Statues can be placed in ideal locations for inspiration and reflection. Stones and boulders are a reminder of the solid, eternal state of the universe.

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