By Victoria Parsons
If the thought of a landscape that doesn't require constant applications of fertilizer and water makes you wonder where to start, some of Florida's top writers have new or newly updated books to help you through the process. Two new books on natural and sustainable landscaping, along with updated books from two of my favorite authors, offer hands-on approaches to eco-friendly landscape.
Subtitled "using native plants for a beautiful, life-supporting and environmentally sensitive landscape," this new book is written by the owners of a native plant nursery in Sarasota. They're committed to helping readers design landscapes that look as natural as possible, "as though it had grown from naturally dispersed seed rather than from carefully placed nursery stock. This will mean planting your yard in a more intensive but less ordered, multilayered way similar to what you see in woodlands."
Chapter Two includes a step-by-step guide to meeting that goal, beginning with identifying what is already growing so you can keep the native plants that are thriving and remove the invasive exotics.
Several samples of naturalist plans are included along with photography of their designs. Recommended plants are grouped by use, including canopy trees, smaller trees and shrubs, wildflowers, vines and groundcovers, native grasses and plants that will grow in shade.
A section on vines points out that many non-native species – including potato and stink vines – are invasive but native vines have important roles in the landscape. "Their dense intertwining foliage hides bird nests from snakes, predatory birds and domestic cats. Dense foliage also provides protection from winter storms. Their flowers provide significant amounts of nectar for local butterflies, birds, and insect pollinators. Many produce large quantities of fruit in the fall and thus provide a reliable food source for migratory birds as well as year-round wildlife."
If native vines are overgrown and unattractive, trace them back to the ground and cut them off at the base. This should be done every two or three years to mimic the effect of fires in a natural setting.
As nursery owners, they also include a great deal of practical advice. One important point for anyone planning a major landscape renovation – buy younger trees rather than the largest trees you can afford. They'll establish more quickly and often surpass the larger plants in a few years because they experience less stress in transplanting.
Huegel's original book on landscaping for Florida wildlife is a classic, and its updated version should be on every Florida gardeners' reading list for both its hands-on advice and its overriding concept:
"Nearly 45 percent of Florida's 668 resident vertebrate species continue to decline… despite the fact that we spend nearly $63 million annually for such things as food, feeders and birdhouses. The problem is that our spending has not been directed at what is important. We have not targeted the full habitat equation in our efforts… If we are to truly help wildlife, we need to focus our efforts on providing habitat."
Working from that premise, Huegel describes food and habitat requirements for native species ranging from black racers and wild turkeys to the charming Carolina wrens that are among the most common birds in Florida. Detailed descriptions and color photography highlight the best features – and potential problems – of native trees and shrubs. For instance, winged sumac sets numerous small fruit in the summer, making it a favorite plant for songbirds. It spreads by root suckers, though, and should only be planted in an area where it is contained by walkways or regular mowing.
He does offer two critical caveats. Habitat includes food, water and cover. "It's not habitat if something is missing," he writes. "Too often we focus only on food but the equation has three equal variables and each must be solved."
And it's impossible to provide the habitat that some species need. Some require more room than an average homeowner can provide or conditions that are difficult to create. Panthers and bears are obvious examples, but habitat requirements also vary dramatically among species. For instance, Florida scrub jay is an endangered bird with very specific habitat needs that would be very difficult to replicate. The common blue jay is related but much more adaptable to living with humans.
Effectively incorporating native plants into developed landscaping should be more than just a "hobby for the few," he argues. "It should not be relegated to 'backyard wildlife' programs… or considered a choice between maintained or unkempt. In fact, the result is often far more interesting and intriguing that what we have become accustomed to."
Stibolt, a naturalist and gardening columnist, makes her intent clear in the first sentence of her preface: "This is not an armchair or coffee table gardening book." She follows through with incredibly detailed descriptions and drawings of sustainable gardening practices. Her chapter on rain gardens – also known as bioswales or bog gardens – includes multiple drawings, graphs and formulas to show homeowners how to retain stormwater on site.
Like many leading-edge garden writers, Stibolt encourages homeowners to plan edible crops in their landscapes with insightful thoughts on how to include vegetables in an overall design. She also includes detailed drawings to inspire gardeners to try something new, from a simple tomato teepee to more complex raised beds with comments on the advantages and disadvantages of specific building and planting materials.
Another chapter on integrated pest management (IPM) makes a point many gardeners miss -- it's better to share with pests than to pull out the big-gun pesticides every time you see a bug:
"Let's consider what happens when you attempt to poison or zap those pesky bugs. A general insecticide (or bug zapper) will kill the majority of insects in an area but more than 90 percent of those insects are beneficial or benign. Some of those beneficial insects would have pollinated your flowers. Without them, you won't harvest any squash from your vegetable plot. Your butterfly garden will be missing the invited guests because you've killed the caterpillars. Some of the beneficials that would have eaten your pest insects are now dead. Other predators such as bats, frogs and birds will go elsewhere to feed and your land will become a poisoned vacuum."
Although the Newcomer's Guide was written for people who had been gardening in colder climates, it's a great introduction to homeowners committed to transforming their landscapes from the typical "turf and shrub" to a more sustainable setting that provides food and habitat for human and wildlife residents.
It doesn't focus specifically on sustainable gardening but all Brandies' work (including six books written specifically for Florida gardeners) emphasizes growing plants that thrive in Florida rather than trying to grow those that need high levels of water, fertilizer or pesticides. A graduate of Temple University who moved to Florida after years of gardening in Ohio and Iowa, she shares her mistakes as well as her triumphs in a book that covers everything from turf to composting and rain barrels and from selecting the right shade trees to growing vegetables and fruit.
An in-depth section on lawn alternatives highlights that approach with a section on groundcovers. "I realized a little too late that some areas of very short growth such as lawn or low ground covers, less than about eight inches tall, are necessary to set off the taller plants while avoiding the jungle look. I am now working in that direction," she writes.
She also includes a section on mulch which goes far beyond what's found in the typical big-box store. Along with leaves in the fall – your own or those collected by neighbors who don't realize what a valuable resource they rake up and put out in the trash -- Brandies includes an chart that highlights the good and the bad of the various alternatives. Pine needles, for instance, are attractive and useful, but can be slippery so should not be used on paths. She also asks tree trimmers working nearby to dump their wood chips in her yard rather than making them drive all the way to the landfill and pay to dump them there.
She generally avoids purchased mulch, particularly rubber and cypress mulches. The rubber mulch is recycled from used tires but nothing will live in it. Cypress mulch may come from trees that are being destroyed just for the mulch they provide. If you must purchase mulch, she urges gardeners to buy eucalyptus mulch from the Melaleuca trees that have invaded thousands of acres in South Florida. "It is treated to do no harm and uses the eucalyptus trees we need to get rid of."
I've been gardening in Florida for more years than I care to count but always learn something new from Brandies. She'll recognize her recommendations in my new landscape, particularly the cover crop suggestions in areas we'll use for vegetables later this year – also selected from the planting guide from her book.
Which book I would recommend first depends upon what you want to accomplish and what you already know. The Newcomer's Survival Manual assumes you know little about Florida gardening and want to grow a variety of plants for both humans and wildlife. Brandies offers extensive listings of various plants, from cutting flowers to groundcovers and from citrus to rare fruit, giving newcomers to the state or to gardening an overview of what they can expect from a plant growing in their yard. She also gives newbie gardeners in-depth information on basic landscaping principles, including a calendar of recommended activities.
Stibolt offers the best diagrams for everything from rain barrels and raised gardens to lawn edging and littoral shelves with easy-to-understand directions. Every chapter also includes a resource section that draws heavily on the University of Florida's vast databases. She also puts her money where her mouth is – half of the royalties from the sale of her book are donated directly to the Florida chapter of The Nature Conservancy.
Huegel's book obviously assumes you want to plant specifically for wildlife and then helps you select the best plants for your landscape with highly practical advice. For instance, beautyberry is one of the most widely available native plants and attracts butterflies, birds and squirrels. We had expected to use it as the primary plant for the understory of the live oaks bordering our lot. He suggested that we rethink that idea. "A beautyberry in fruit can be a beautiful sight – especially to a mockingbird or cardinal looking for an easy meal," he writes. However, "planting one beautyberry on a traditional-sized lot would be sufficient to feed these birds in most cases. Planting a hedge of beautyberry would be a colossal waste of space."
Natural Florida Landscaping includes information on wildlife but focuses on the aesthetics of native landscaping. Rather than planting the traditional row of shrubs, Walton and Schiller recommend "multiple species of small trees and shrubs that will provide contrasting textures, colors and berries for wildlife... The result is a beautiful buffer seen from either your house or the street." They'll see that design elements in our landscape too.
Personally, I'm glad I got to read all four of them.