I'd love to see a lawn planted with Florida Natives that does not rely on an irrigation system. My goal in my own home's landscaping has been to slowly transition it toward not needing to use any irrigation at all. This means either a large focus on soil care, or careful plant selection for plants that can tolerate sandy and low ph soils. Of course, when establishing any new plant, it needs constant water. To resolve this problem, I basically plan each year what I want to add to my yard, then plant around June so that it enjoys the heavy summer rains we get here. If I need to use irrigation, of course, I will. But I'm slowly transitioning toward a lawn that is completely irrigation-free
Nice! I've seen very low maintenance florida friendly. But even high maintenance may be less cist than lawn maintenance...right? Love the frog fruit. Will it grow in Tallahassee without irrigation ??
It will grow in Tallahassee. As with all new installs it will have an establishment period of needing consistent moisture. The length of that period will be determined by the soil type in your area of planting. Then you should be able to reduce watering to the point that it should only need it during prolonged dry periods.
How do these people have this much open mulch with no weeds in Florida? In my yard that would be clear for about two or three days. Hell, I have weeds growing through my ground cloth
Exactly! Also, it is very labor intensive to try to blend islands of natives in the middle of a lawn because the lawn wants to spread out. Well-watered grasses grow like crazy
The Asclepias (milkweed) featured in the thumbnail and in the tour is NOT recommended by lepidopterists. Asclepias curassavica or Scarlet/Tropical Milkweed is not native to Florida and is highly invasive (I've seen it spreading around the shores near Rollins College for instance). It does not die back in winter and even outside this season can confuse Monarchs to think they have already reached Mexico. This causes them to miss their opportunity to reach their historic breeding grounds. There are a slew of other reasons not to plant it. Much better native alternatives are Asclepias incarnata, Asclepias tuberosa, Asclepias perennis, and Asclepias verticillata which are often sold at native nurseries. If the plant nursery you visit is not a native one, chances are the milkweed you picked up is Asclepias curassavica.
Asclepias incarnata, Asclepias tuberosa, Asclepias perennis are the strongest native milkweeds for our area. Your comment is on point and we thank you for it. Education as people transition from conventional landscape to natives is a big step and as we learn so does the design and plant pallets of our gardens. This is the purpose of a true collaboration. Thanks again
Your point is valid but misses the intent of the production, which is to show that non-turf Florida Friendly and Native Plant landscapes are possible in a managed community. This homeowner is certified as a Master Naturalist and a long-time FNPS member. She manages the milkweed to prevent the spread of OE. As you are aware, there is a real shortage of native milkweed in the market, even at native nurseries. Combined with accelerating urban sprawl the question comes down to whether it is better to have no milkweed and no monarchs? Steve
@@outsidecollab2198 In addition to the two species you listed, another outstanding native milkweed for our 9A planting zone is Asclepias incarnata. What most people don't realize is that the common name, "Milkweed," refers to multiple species in the Asclepias genus that the Monarch butterfly caterpillars can utilize. The big picture is that native landscapes with a mix of plant species support much more diversity than traditional turf-based landscapes. Other benefits are a dramatic reduction in water use and little need for synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. We can all agree on that!
@@capturemeinpictures Thing is, nurseries like Green Isle Gardens and Native Butterfly Flowers have incarnata every time I've been there. There is more than just OE to worry about.
Better than a lawn
I'd love to see a lawn planted with Florida Natives that does not rely on an irrigation system. My goal in my own home's landscaping has been to slowly transition it toward not needing to use any irrigation at all. This means either a large focus on soil care, or careful plant selection for plants that can tolerate sandy and low ph soils. Of course, when establishing any new plant, it needs constant water. To resolve this problem, I basically plan each year what I want to add to my yard, then plant around June so that it enjoys the heavy summer rains we get here. If I need to use irrigation, of course, I will. But I'm slowly transitioning toward a lawn that is completely irrigation-free
I'm adding a lot of Florida native plants in my landscape in Tampa.
Nice! I've seen very low maintenance florida friendly. But even high maintenance may be less cist than lawn maintenance...right? Love the frog fruit. Will it grow in Tallahassee without irrigation ??
It will grow in Tallahassee. As with all new installs it will have an establishment period of needing consistent moisture. The length of that period will be determined by the soil type in your area of planting. Then you should be able to reduce watering to the point that it should only need it during prolonged dry periods.
How do these people have this much open mulch with no weeds in Florida? In my yard that would be clear for about two or three days. Hell, I have weeds growing through my ground cloth
Exactly! Also, it is very labor intensive to try to blend islands of natives in the middle of a lawn because the lawn wants to spread out. Well-watered grasses grow like crazy
The Asclepias (milkweed) featured in the thumbnail and in the tour is NOT recommended by lepidopterists. Asclepias curassavica or Scarlet/Tropical Milkweed is not native to Florida and is highly invasive (I've seen it spreading around the shores near Rollins College for instance). It does not die back in winter and even outside this season can confuse Monarchs to think they have already reached Mexico. This causes them to miss their opportunity to reach their historic breeding grounds. There are a slew of other reasons not to plant it. Much better native alternatives are Asclepias incarnata, Asclepias tuberosa, Asclepias perennis, and Asclepias verticillata which are often sold at native nurseries. If the plant nursery you visit is not a native one, chances are the milkweed you picked up is Asclepias curassavica.
Asclepias incarnata, Asclepias tuberosa, Asclepias perennis are the strongest native milkweeds for our area. Your comment is on point and we thank you for it. Education as people transition from conventional landscape to natives is a big step and as we learn so does the design and plant pallets of our gardens. This is the purpose of a true collaboration. Thanks again
Your point is valid but misses the intent of the production, which is to show that non-turf Florida Friendly and Native Plant landscapes are possible in a managed community. This homeowner is certified as a Master Naturalist and a long-time FNPS member. She manages the milkweed to prevent the spread of OE. As you are aware, there is a real shortage of native milkweed in the market, even at native nurseries. Combined with accelerating urban sprawl the question comes down to whether it is better to have no milkweed and no monarchs? Steve
@@outsidecollab2198 In addition to the two species you listed, another outstanding native milkweed for our 9A planting zone is Asclepias incarnata. What most people don't realize is that the common name, "Milkweed," refers to multiple species in the Asclepias genus that the Monarch butterfly caterpillars can utilize. The big picture is that native landscapes with a mix of plant species support much more diversity than traditional turf-based landscapes. Other benefits are a dramatic reduction in water use and little need for synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. We can all agree on that!
@@capturemeinpictures Thing is, nurseries like Green Isle Gardens and Native Butterfly Flowers have incarnata every time I've been there. There is more than just OE to worry about.