close
close

Yiamastaverna

Trusted News & Timely Insights

    • Invent your garden: A balancing act for gardeners
    Iowa

    Invent your garden: A balancing act for gardeners

    Eira Gwyneth Posted on

    Debbie Hughes
    | Director of Horticulture, Edison and Ford Winter Estates

    When I started gardening over 30 years ago, I was full of energy. Surprisingly, that feeling is still there, but maybe it’s a little different. Today, I’m dedicated to creating a space that serves to improve the environment, not just a garden that fills space.

    I want to plant more trees that provide edible fruit and a nice place to relax in the shade. I also want to plant flowers that provide nectar to pollinators and create a fragrant bouquet for the house.

    To keep the garden interesting, I like to choose new plants that I have never seen before. Most importantly, I choose plants that require little maintenance, like bromeliads and our native Florida plants, so I don’t have as much work.

    Do yourself a favor and consider the consequences of each of these purchases and additions to the landscape. Gardeners must perform a balancing act of maintaining a healthy landscape while creating great habitat for wildlife while enjoying time outdoors. The best way I can describe this new mantra is good stewardship. Remember to choose the right plant for the right place.

    Before treating a plant infested with scale insects or other insects, I weigh the consequences against the beneficial insects that might feed on that plant species. Years ago, my neighbor planted a pipevine (Aristolochia sp.), a host plant for the Polydamas butterfly. He removed the spurned plant because he believed it had “worms.” These so-called worms were Polydamas caterpillars. Anyone who has a butterfly garden knows that the purpose of planting host plants is to provide the caterpillars with a plant to feed on. Although the caterpillars can be voracious eaters, within a short period of time the plant will grow a new leaf ready for the next caterpillar cycle.

    If you are not comfortable with imperfections in the garden, it is best not to plant host plants. An ornamental plant with pretty flowers that attracts butterflies and bees to collect nectar can be a good choice if you are concerned about the appearance of a plant. Butterfly gardeners would gladly trade a perfect plant for caterpillars any day, knowing that those caterpillars will one day become beautiful butterflies!

    Another great example of a host plant is the Florida native coontie (Zamia integrifolia). These plants were once common in Florida’s early landscapes, but commercial harvesting and development of the original areas almost completely eradicated these wonderful plants. As a host to the atala butterfly, the butterflies disappeared along with the plant. In the 1970s, the atala was thought to be extinct. Today, the coontie is once again a popular landscape plant, and as more people become interested in protecting the species and planting for butterflies, the atala is thriving too! This is a success story, and gardeners can be confident that they helped prevent the atala from becoming extinct.

    Keep in mind that if you plant coontie to help the atala, you must accept that the plants will be eaten from time to time. If you live in an HOA community or have personal ideas about how you want your front yard to look, you can plant the host plants in the back yard. If you want to create a garden for butterflies, be sure to avoid using pesticides on your property. Butterflies and caterpillars are insects and will be killed by pesticides – even those that the landscaping companies call “green” pesticides. An old saying, “Plant it and they will come” definitely applies to host plants for butterflies.

    Another popular landscape plant in Southwest Florida is the oleander (Nerium oleander). Unlike the coontie, the oleander is not a native plant, but it does quite well in our climate. The oleander serves as a host plant for the Uncle Sam Moth and the oleander moth. Both species are voracious eaters and will eat a lot of leaves; however, the leaves will grow back. Like butterflies and bees, moths are important pollinators. Again, it is imperative not to use pesticides if you want to attract butterflies and other pollinators to your garden. If you prefer a very well-maintained landscape with no nibblers, it is best not to plant host plants, so do your research.

    Watching all the butterflies, bees, moths and other insects is a fun pastime and a great learning opportunity for children. Once you stop using pesticides, you’ll be amazed by all the insect and bird activity in your yard. Birds raise their young on caterpillars – not birdseed, so if you want to encourage birds to nest in your yard, you’ll want to have plenty of caterpillars.

    There are other flowering shrubs that enhance a garden and are valuable to wildlife, such as Purple Chinese Hat (non-native), Yesterday Today Tomorrow (non-native), Dombeya ‘Seminole’ (non-native), Jatropha (non-native), Firebush (make sure you buy a native), Teabush (native), Simpson’s Stopper (native), and Fiddlewood (native). Many of these plants are available at the Garden Shoppe in Edison and Ford Winter Estates.

    Another option for the summertime Florida resident is fruit trees. One tree I planted years ago that I am very happy about is the mango. These trees are easy to care for and produce tasty fruit. They are one of the best examples of a plant that is designed for our hot and humid environment. The first mango trees were planted on the estates by Thomas Edison in the early 1900s. The Ford estate was known as the “Mangoes” because of the many mango trees on the property. Turpentine mangos were planted first, followed by the Haden, Kent and Keitt varieties.

    As gardeners, we are always trying to improve the taste of fruit, so more varieties have been added to the thousands that exist worldwide. These new varieties are bred for narrow seeds and lots of creamy, delicious fruit. Varieties like Coconut Cream, Lemon Zest, Fruit Punch, Super Julie, Sweet Tart and Sugarloaf are some of the new trees planted on the properties. Mangoes thrive in our South Florida climate, with a warm and dry period in the winter when the flowers are pollinated, followed by fruit set in the spring and then the fruit ripens perfectly during the summer rainy season. These trees require minimal care and eventually provide shade. Mangoes are one of the treasures we year-round residents can enjoy. I like to prune them so the trees don’t get too big, which makes harvesting the fruit easier. When the trees are 40 to 60 feet tall, it is very difficult to get to the fruit. My favorite variety is the ‘Glenn’ mango.

    Gardening can be quite a challenge during the hot and humid summer months, but being able to taste the incredible mangoes makes all the effort worthwhile. I want to share some helpful tips when gardening in the summer heat. It is important to take your time and stay hydrated. I drink plenty of water, hibiscus tea, and as a treat, I enjoy some coconut water. I also carry a few snacks with me, like a banana, corn nuts, peanut butter crackers, and fresh fruit (watermelon, cherries, or mango slices). Staying hydrated and well-nourished helps you focus better on your tasks. I like to pick a project, like weeding the rose garden, and weed around one rose at a time. When I get tired, I move to the shadier side of the garden and look for butterflies or problems. The old saying, “The early bird catches the worm,” holds true for gardening in Florida – especially for those who don’t mind getting up before sunrise. At the end of the workday, a cool shower is refreshing!

    Soon the heat will subside and plants will start to grow more slowly again. There will be new plant species and wildlife to keep me busy in my wonderful Florida garden. I can’t wait to see what happens next! Fall is a great time to plant new trees and shrubs. I hope to see you at our Garden Festival on November 23rd and 24th.

    When you go

    Autumn Garden Festival

    • Edison and Ford Winter Estates
    • From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 23–24 November
    • Cost: Free event and free parking (excluding entrance to the riverfront, museum or laboratory)
    Tagged:

    LEAVE A RESPONSE

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Eira Gwyneth
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like

    ads