The green awareness incentive encourages us to make a change. Public education is on the rise instructing how our individual efforts can improve our quality of life while protecting the environment for future generations.   With sound practices we can preserve drinking water, protect the Florida aquifer, rivers, springs, sinkholes lakes and coastal waters that are one of our nations greatest assets.  By planting low maintenance, native gardens or incorporating rain gardens into the landscape we reduce potential environmental damage caused by gardening products and practices. Garden professionals can provide home gardeners with accurate advice on environmentally sustainable practices and reconnect people to the natural world through gardening.

What to Buy / Plant

For easy-care gardens, scout out rugged alternatives that are in harmony with the conditions of your property.  Our native blue eyed grass, cardinal flower, blue flag iris, coreopsis, columbine, Indian pinks, golden rod, stokes aster, and various ferns are tough plants that thrive in our area. Look for shrubs like pawpaw, itea, leucothoe, and trees such as buckwheat, halesia, and wild persimmon. Remember native plants need an environment similar to that of their natural habitat. Attract beneficial insects with bee balm, erigeron, queen anne's lace, sunflower, and yarrow. Herbs are good too! Rue thyme, fennel, dill, and parsley are excellent choices.

Prune/ Propagate

Properly spaced shrubs in the landscape should not need heavy pruning. Pruning may be needed to shape a young tree, or to open up dense plants to allow good air circulation, or to remove dead, diseased, or damaged tissue. Avoid pruning during times of drought because pruning stimulates growth, which requires more water. Alternatively, cutting back perennials in summer reduces water needs while maintaining a more compact appearance.

Watering / Fertilizing

There are widely recognized standards that are effective in reducing potential environmental damage. Organic mulches reduce weeds and conserve water while slowly releasing nutrients to improve soil quality. Drip irrigation or soaker hoses apply water to the roots and moisten soil to an adequate depth of 6 to 8 inches. If more is being applied by your sprinkler system, reset your timer cycle. Then again, if your sprinkler is watering significantly less, have the cycle set longer. Early morning irrigation is best, but water only when needed. If soil pH is too high or low, plants can't use the fertilizer that is applied and will perform poorly. Remember that if a plant is growing well, it probably doesn't need fertilizer and most mature trees and shrubs need little to none.  Purchase organic fertilizers, which are available in both liquid and dry.

Edibles

Grow your own or buy fresh, nutritious locally grown fruits and vegetables to reduce energy consumption. Buying locally increases regional economic health and keeps money within the community while decreasing significant transportation and storage, both of which are energy-intensive and contaminate air and water.

Pests

Inspect purchases to ensure you are not bringing insects into your garden. Look for good color and strong growth. Avoid a plant with spots, mildew or other defects. To prevent disease and insect damage, pull mulch away from the stem or trunk. Choose pest and disease resistant plants. Attract birds with birdhouses and water features and by planting trees and shrubs with berries. Beneficial insects, such as earthworms, improve soil by bringing up nutrients while creating channels for air and moisture. Buy live beneficial insects through mail order companies.

For Fun

Plant a rain garden as a solution to pollution. Rain gardens hold water so that runoff can gradually soak into the ground and reduces the need for storm water treatment facilities. Choose a spot in full or partial sun, at least 10 feet from the house, but not over a septic system or drainfield. Select native marginal bog plants including a mixture of flowering species, grasses and rushes in varying heights and textures.

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