Old Parrish School House Goes Florida Friendly

Located at 12214 US 301-North, Parrish, the Old Parrish School House now housing the YMCA boasts a Florida Friendly Landscape. Butterflies are adrift fluttering between the Milkweed, Firebush and Coral Honeysuckle enticing visitors to investigate the Florida Friendly Plants coloring this landscape. Oakleaf Hydragenia take refuge under the shade of the hertigage oak trees left on site. Sand set pavers allow water to penitrate between each brick reducing the stormwater runoff of this property. Drought tolerant Bahia turf allows for the spontanious game of catch.

Manatee County Landscape Architiect, Mike Sosadeeter, acheived his goal of attaining Florida Friendly Recognition on this project. Michelle Atkinson, Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Coordinator for Manatee County, worked with Mr. Sosadeeter to assure the design would qualify for the program.

Should you have any questions or would like more information please contact MichelleAtkinson@ufl.edu

The New and the Old

The New: This new logo for the Florida Friendly Landscaping Program will be used by the University of Florida, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency to promote Florida Friendly Landscaping™ practices across the state. The Florida Yards and Neighborhoods program (FY&N) is housed under the Florida Friendly Landscaping Program along with the Green Industries Best Management Practices Program.

The Old: A History Lesson - FYN was started in the early 1990's. The program was originated by grass roots citizens groups from Sarasota and Tampa Bay. These groups formed the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and Tampa Bay National Estuary Program. Because research showed that excess nitrates were polluting the bays, these groups were formed to address this problem.

At about the same time the Marine Resources Council of the Indian River Lagoon region was helping homeowners develop action plans to address similar environmental issues with the in the Indian River and Indian River lagoon. These two groups joined forces in 1994 and the FY&N program was born.

The FY&N program addresses the serious problems of pollution, water shortages and disappearing habitats by enlisting Floridians in the battle to save our natural environment.

FY&N can help you transform your yard into a beautiful oasis that will not only conserve precious water resources and reduce pollution, but will also help you save time, energy and money and preserve Florida's natural environment for future generations. FY&N encourages "Florida Friendly" yards and landscapes by promoting basic landscaping principles to Floridians.

FYN is a partnership of concerned citizens, members of private industry, the UF/IFAS' Extension Service , Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, The Tampa Bay Estuary Program , Florida Sea Grant College Program , Florida's Water Management Districts , Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and numerous other non-governmental agencies.

FYN is an educational program and not a regulatory agency; however, the FDEP, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and local governments strongly support the program.

Should you have any questions or would like more information please contact the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Coordinator in Manatee County at MichelleAtkinson@ufl.edu.

Aquascaping Your Stormwater Pond

Aquascaping is simply landscaping the shoreline of ponds with aquatic and wetland plants. Aquascaped ponds and lakes have fewer problems than those without aquascaping. Desirable vegetation will filter polluted runoff, trap sediments, control the growth of nuisance vegetation and help make the pond visually pleasing. Aquatic plants pump oxygen into the water and create habitats by providing cover and nurseries for fish and other organisms. More importantly, vegetated shorelines help improve water quality.

Choose desirable, low-maintenance plants to aquascape your stormwater pond. Not all plants are good for aquascaping, and the removal of prohibited or invasive plants can be difficult. Associations are advised to contact a reputable pond management company for most vegetation management programs. Well-managed stormwater ponds can serve as an amenity to a community and provide habitat for a variety of wildlife and vegetation.

A vegetated buffer of native plants along the fringe of the pond can be used to attract wading

birds, turtles, and other wildlife. Vegetation along the banks can also make the pond more attractive.

Aquatic plants are essential to the balance in the stormwater pond ecosystem. Certain plants protect pond slope by minimizing erosion, while floating plants and algae consume nutrients in the pond. However, without proper management, aquatic plants become unsightly and degrade the overall quality of the pond.

Should you have any questions or would like more information please contact the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Coordinator in Manatee County at MichelleAtkinson@ufl.edu. Check out WaterMatters.org for detailed stormwater pond information.

Perico Bay Club Bldg C is Florida Friendly

Congratulations to Perico Bay Building C! Thanks to Heather, Jackie and Vivian for their hard work and perseverance in acheiving a Florida Friendly Landscape.

This landscape was orginially dominated by turf. The three ladies mentioned above felt this landscape could be more water efficient and require less maintenance so they went to work designing a Florida Friendly Landscape. They have since noticed the maintenance crew visits them 1/3 as often as the neighboring buildings. Great Job Ladies!!

Nestled next to Palma Sola Bay this landscape demonstates lots of salt tolerant species. Geiger trees, Sea Lavendar, Silver Sea Oxeye Daisies and Tropical Salvia give lots of color while the Cocoplum Horizontal provides a deep green ground cover. Sea Grapes, Beauty Berries, Gumbo Limbo and Sugarberries provide food and shelter for wildlife. The Bromilads hold water for visiting amphibians.

Should you wish to convert your landscape into a Florida Friendly Landscape please contact MichelleAtkinson@ufl.edu for more information or check out http://manatee.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn_and_garden/fyn/index.shtml

Why Should I Remove Invasive Plants?

Brazilian Pepper

The removal of non-native invasive plants from private property can eliminate a major source of invasion into natural areas. Many invasive plants, such as skunk vine, are also weeds in private landscapes. Others, such as carrotwood, may serve a function in the private landscape (as shade, for example). Removal of these plants may seem a sacrifice for the property owner, but this loss can be a short-term problem. The plant removal will be of long-term, far-reaching benefit to Florida’s natural areas.
Stumps of trees that are cut down should always be treated with a herbicide to prevent regrowth. After removal, invasive non-native plants can be replaced with native plants or with non-native plants that are not invasive. Information on how to control specific non-native invasive plants and suggestions for non-invasive plants with which to replace them can be obtained from your county Extension office.
Non-native invasive plants that are not removed from private property should be contained as carefully as possible, especially if the land is close to sensitive natural areas. Carefully dispose of trimmed material from invasive plants, especially material with attached seeds or spores, or plant parts capable of vegetative reproduction, such as stems of oyster plant (Rhoeo spathacea). Volunteer to remove invasive plants from local natural areas under the guidance of the natural area manager. Groups such as "Pepper Busters" have been formed for this purpose.
For other publications and resources, see Invasive Species.

Are you unknowingly harboring invasive plants in your yard? Here are some common problem invasive plants in Florida.

Air Potato
Natural Area Weeds: Air Potato (Dioscorea bulbifera)
Brazilian Pepper
Brazilian Pepper-tree Control
Brazilian Pepper-tree, Schinus terebinthifolius
Brazilian-pepper tree--Okeechobee Extension Office
Chinese Tallow
Natural Area Weeds: Chinese Tallow (Sapium sebiferum)
Melaleuca
Natural Area Weeds: A Property Owner’s Guide to Melaleuca Control
Mimosa
Catclaw Mimosa (Giant Sensitive Plant), Mimosa Pigra
Old World Climbing Fern
Natural Area Weeds: Old World Climbing Fern
Tropical Soda Apple
Tropical Soda Apple: A New Noxious Weed in Florida
Additional Information
Invasive Weeds
IPM Florida: Integrated Pest Management

The above information was copied from http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/hot_topics/environment/invasive_plants.html , more information can be found on this site.

For more information on invasive plants in Manatee County please contact the Master Gardeners Plant Clinic at 941-722-4524 or bring in a piece of a plant for identification to 1303 17th Street West (the fair grounds), Palmetto.

Florida Friendly Plant Spot Light - Wild Coffee

Wild Coffee is a native to Florida and considered a Florida Friendly Plant. Wild coffee is a moderately drought tolerant plant that will perform well in a partial shade or full shade location in the landscape. This 4- to 10-foot-tall plant may be used in the landscape as a specimen or foundation plant and is very effective when planted in mass. It stays relatively small in the sun and takes to clipping quite nicely. It makes a nice base or background plant for a shrub border. Birds and other wildlife are often associated with this plant for the fruit it produces.
This photo was taken yesterday as you can see the berries are just starting to change color attracting birds daily for this homeowner to enjoy!

Check out our upcoming classes.

Home Composting - Saturday, September 12th 9:00am - 10:15am
Rain Barrel Workshop - Saturday, September 12th 10:45-12:00pm
Smart Landscape, Planning and Care - Wednesday, September 16th 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Creating Wildlife Habitats in Your Backyard - Saturday, September 19th 9:00am - 10:30am
Step 2 of the Create Your Fabulous Florida Friendly Landscape -
Landscape Irrigation Simplified - Wednesday, September 24th 6:00pm - 9:00pm

**October 3rd** Blooming Success! Best Plants in Town! - Annual Master Gardener Plant Fair.

All above classes are the Manatee County Extension Office located at 1303 17th Street W. Palmetto. To register visit http://manatee.ifas.ufl.edu/class_registration/class-registration-form.shtml or call 941-722-4524.

Should you have any questions or would like more information please contact the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Coordinator for Manatee County at MichelleAtkinson@ufl.edu.

Florida Friendly Landcape - Golden Oak

Check out the slide show on the right column of this blog. The photos were taken today at a Florida Friendly Recognized Landscape which received the highest level of recognition , the Golden Oak. This homeowner did a great job reducing stormwater runoff by creating rain gardens or bioretention basins in various locations around the landscape.

Bioretention Basins or rain gardens are shallow planted depressions designed to retain or detain stormwater before it is discharged downstream (runoff). By removing the existing clay soil which only allowed water to flow across it and replacing it with a more sandy soil which allows water to be retained the amount of stormwater runoff is reduced. This homeowner chose to plant a variety of native and Florida Friendly species in some of the bioretention areas and left some covered in rock to make dry wells.

This landscape is also designed and maintained to exist on rainfall. As much as 50% of a homeowner's water use is in the landscape. This homeowner is helping to conserve our water and in doing so reduces his water bill.

As you can see this Florida Friendly Landscape is very colorful with lots of intriguing features. I invite you to go Florida Friendly wild and share your projects with me. If you need more information or help getting started please contact me, MichelleAtkinson@ufl.edu or call 941-722-4524.