Written by: Jamie J. Anderson
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| Florida Wild Bluberry |
The goal of any garden is to spend more time enjoying its beauty and less time getting dirty.
One way to create a nearly maintenance-free landscape is to incorporate native plants, or a natural habitat, into the area.
“They [native plants] are maintenance-free except for the transition phase to establish the habitat,” said Sharon Dolan, owner of Maple Street Natives in West Melbourne. “There is some hand watering and a commitment for the initial phase to establish these plants, but in the long term, homeowners can get away from watering, mowing, weeding and using chemicals.”
When deciding which plants to choose for a Florida native habitat garden, it is important to know the original soil type and plant community, Dolan said. In Brevard County, there are four main native plant communities: a pine flatwood hammock, a coastal habitat, a moist soil area and a dry soil area.
Another item to consider is how much change is desired. Homeowners can add just a few native plants or they can alter their entire space. They can also choose a somewhat wild look or a more formal, manicured feel to the space.
“I always tell people they need to jump into it,” Dolan said. “You don't appreciate it until you get into it. The biggest benefit is that you come to an appreciation of real Florida native plants and gardening. We have gotten ourselves detached from nature. We need to bring that back. When people put natives in their yards, they begin to feel a connection that they can have in their own community.”
Bill and Carol DeLuccia began the transformation process of their half-acre Indialantic yard in 1999. Today, the space features more than 150 species of plants, 10 of which are on Florida's endangered plant.
“I find native habitats to be more beautiful to look at than the old English idea of grass in the yard,” Bill DeLuccia said.
A huge benefit to a native habitat is that it attracts various wildlife including birds, butterflies and dragonflies. More than 110 species of birds can be spotted in DeLuccia's “wildlife refuge.”
“To me, it's a common-sense approach of how to give a little bit back,” he said. “I'm giving habitat back to wildlife and migratory birds, something they rely on for food and shelter.”
Although some non-native, or exotic plants, have adapted well and can attract wildlife, they are not in sync with pollinators and birds.
“In order to keep the wildlife here, we need to plant native plants,” Dolan said. “The plants are blooming during a time when the birds or butterflies are flourishing. You will see that connection in the garden.”
To attract the most wildlife, it is important to include diversity in the landscape. Dolan recommends at least 30 species of plants.
Some of the more popular native plants to Brevard County include Simpsons stoppers, Spanish stoppers and white stoppers because they bloom and provide seeds at different times, and they attract birds. The Florida privet also is a great plant to attract wildlife. Native host trees include Hercules' club and wild lime. Both are members of the citrus family, but do not produce fruit.
Dolan said many locals are choosing edibles in their native plant space, including red mulberry, sea grapes, blueberries and blackberries.
Because these plants — and all native plants — are comfortable in Florida's harsh conditions they require much less care and upkeep, Dolan said.
“The days of watering, mowing and harsh chemicals can be behind you,” she said.
Some Brevard County residents are taking native gardens to the next level and even removing their sod and replacing it with native plants.
“We have removed thousands of square feet of sod just this year,” Dolan said. “It's a promising trend for bringing Florida back into our neighborhoods.”
Jamie J. Anderson is a local freelance writer. She can be reached at jamiefreelance@aol.com.
For more info about Florida Native Plant Society go to: http://www.fnps.org/
Maple Street Natives are located at 7619 Henry Avenue, West Melbourne, FL. Their phone number is (321) 729-6857
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