University of FloridaSolutions for Your Life

Download PDF 
Publication #CIR922

FLORIDA GUIDE TO ENVIRONMENTAL LANDSCAPING1

Edward F. Gilman and Sydney Park Brown2

This 36 page publication is available only in pdf format. Click here to view or download the file.

Why This Guide was Developed

Exciting changes are taking place in Florida gardens. People are seeking ways to have healthy, attractive landscapes using environmentally safe and energy conscious products and practices.Florida is blessed with a sunny, warm climate that provides nearly year-round growing conditions for our lawns and landscapes. The state receives over 50 inches of rain each year, but it's concentrated between June and October. At other times, there are drought periods and a need for irrigation.Fine weather also means high pest populations--insects, diseases, weeds and nematodes which enjoy this favorable climate as much as we do. This combination of factors has resulted in the significant use of fertilizers, water and pesticides. To complicate this scenario, we have sandy, well-drained soils which don't retain the water, fertilizer and some pesticides we apply. The unwise use of these materials may jeopardize the aquifers which provide more than 85% of our drinking water.During five to seven months of the year, the weather is hot and humid and we depend on air conditioning to stay comfortable. Residential energy use comprises almost 25% of the total state energy expenditure. Add to this the energy consumed in maintaining landscapes not just the fuel for power tools, but also the energy required to produce and transport equipment, water, fertilizers and pesticides. For these reasons, and others, it's important for every resident and visitor to realize that the way we design and manage our landscapes can have significant impacts on the state's environment.

This environmental landscaping guide is a package of research-based information which can help you design and maintain your outdoor home (Table 1). It supports and builds on the principles of xeriscaping. If it is designed and maintained with energy and the environment in mind, your landscape can reduce home heating and cooling costs by 30% and water bills by up to 50%. Another benefit is that attractive, healthy landscapes increase the value of your home (Figure 1a-- Invest in a good landscape design to increase the value of your property by up to 15%-- and Figure 1b. A house with a little landscaping is less valuable than one that has a well-designed landscape.).

How to use this Guide

There are four main sections in this guide -

Planning a Landscape (pp. 2-13)

This section is written for those who are designing a new landscape or considering modifications to an existing one.

Selecting Plants (pp.13-16)

This section will show you how to identify which plants are most suited for your landscape, and will provide tips on choosing plants from the nursery.

Planting and Establishment (pp. 16-19)

This section will show you the best techniques for installing a landscape and caring for it until it is established.

Managing an Established Landscape (pp. 19-31)

This section is meant to be used as a guide for those maintaining an established landscape. Following the practices in this guide will help you create a beautiful yard, save you money, enhance the environment and help conserve energy, water and other resources. For more information about this topic, contact your local County Cooperative Extension Service Office about Environmental Landscape Management (see Appendix 1, p.32).

Footnotes

1.

This document is CIR922, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date March 1991. Reviewed October 2003. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Edward F. Gilman is an Professor, Environmental Horticulture Deparment, Gainesville, and Sydney Park Brown is an Extension Agent III, Hillsborough County, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida Gainesville, Florida 32611

The authors would like to thank the following for their contributions to this publications. Gary Knox, North Florida Research Center-Quincy, for direction and guideance in developing this guide. The authors wish to thank the numerous people who reviewed this guide prior to publication.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.