Museum of Arts and Science Parking Lot

This is a great example of a parking lot that has been successfully integrated into the existing landscape. Mature canopy trees abound, providing many opportunities for viewing wildlife and a great deal of shade. The absense of turf is conspicuous and the curbless edges allow for infiltration of stormwater in the many landscape islands. There is nothing aesthetically wrong with a natural parking lot. I have listened to more than one developer insist on raised curbs because it would make the parking lot look more finished. I don't agree that a curbed parking lot appears more finished or is more aesthetically appealing than one that looks like this one does.

I think that the pedestrian walkways, well thought out drop off area and bollard lights provide a much more finished parking lot without obstructing stormwater flow, as curbs would. This is also a good example of Low Impact Design. http://www.moas.org/

Sea Oats

Without these plants there would be a lot less Florida beaches than we have now. Sea Oats are the primary stabilizing plant among the Primary dune species. They thrive on little water and lots of salt. Because few other plants can take those kinds of conditions these plants have few competitors among the dunes. Sea oats reduce beach erosion and promote a process known as accretion (build up of sand) by trapping windblown sand in their leaves and roots. http://http://www.dep.state.fl.us/beaches/publications/pdf/actbook.pdf

Coontie Transplanting

The Coontie is not the easiest plant to transplant but it isn't impossible either. I was told by a horticulturalist that they would die if transplanted. I transplanted these about 2 weeks ago and 80% of them are still green and intact. It is important that the tap root be complete. If you try to dig these up be careful to dig deep and get the entire tap root. If you sever the tap root or nic it I was told by an ecologist to let the plant dry out for a few days to allow it to harden over the wound. I planted everything the same night but I didn't keep the plants moist all day. I was warned not to plant them to deep. The ecologist told me they transplanted truck loads of them with success but not until after a bunch of them died because they were planted too deeply.

Port Charlotte FL yard ornaments

There must be some hidden meaning in this junk food perched on a discarded toilet. We left the cornballs and only took the picture. If you just look around you can find art everywhere!

Staghorn Fern

This is the largest Staghorn fern I have ever seen. It is located near Flagler Beach in a state park that is known as Washington Oaks. There are some great gardens to view if you are near there.

Stumped?

A creative concrete artist in Deep Creek, Port Charlotte conjured up this tribute to a tree stump which, after Hurricane Charley hit August 13, 2004, there are plenty now. You can't put a mailbox on it but wouldn't it be nice if more trees were saved than cut down when builders site a home?

Bermont Road

This is located in Charlotte County. It looks like ranching land but there are suprising few livestock seen here. Mostly large single home sites; a lot of prefabs. Not many trees.

Spider Lily

It looks like a crinum but this is a Florida native known as Hymenocallis latifolia. We found this growing near on a sandy island with little water evident. This plant does well in coastal areas and should be specified more than it is. It seemed to be doing fine next right next to a gopher tortoise burrow.

welcome to my "office"

These are some of my favorite days at work. Today Jamie and I got to take a ride on a flats boat to Little Gasparilla Island with an architect, his wife, a developer, and a D.E.P. official. I snuck away to take some striking stormy skies photos. Click on any photo to enlarge.

When this gardener wanted to create a shady spot for his patio he didn't have to look any farther than the bosque of Brazilian Pepper trees that crowded his unfinished lot adjacent to his residence. Undettered by the massive snarl of branches customary with Brazillian Pepper, Chris carefully pruned out a large area for his table, chairs and a large selection of shade plants. There was a temperature difference of at least 10 degrees between the manicured yard and the Pepper bosque.
The homeowner's association either doesn't know it exists or has not commented. When Chris saw me taking photos he looked cross and let me know he thought I was with the Homeowner's Assoc. I left with an invitation to feel free to come back to get pups or cuttings for my gardens.

When the landscape crew is lacking sufficient training it is the tree that suffers. Weeds have encroached on the mulch area of this tree and an overzealous weed-wacker has repeatedly wounded the trunk of the Silver Buttonwood in the photo. The trunk has become girdled by the wounds and the tree will need to be replaced when it succumbs to the damage of being girdled. Nutrients in a tree flow up the secondary phloem right next to the cambium under the bark. Girdling results in the loss of the phloem and the cambium around the circumference of the tree depriving it of the structure necessary to support growth.

The ability of the Brazillian Pepper to thrive in our part of Florida is unrivaled by any other tree (except maybe the Melaleuca, another introduced exotic invasive). This specimen was described as a Heritage tree by the applicant requesting a survey of the site for Threatened and Endangered Species. Fortunately for him it was a Pepper and in Charlotte County sites that will be built are required to remove noxious and invasive trees/plants. These trees are easily recognized by the red berry which are spread by the birds that eat them. It is because of the heavy load of berries and green foliage that it is frequently misunderstood to be "Florida Holly" by tourists, those that are recently relocated and even veteran Floridians.

This is more typical of conventional Charlotte County single family home construction. Trees visible are on another home lot. This house was built on fill that brought it's finished floor elevation at least 2' above the crown of the road as required by FEMA. An alternative would be to use stem wall construction instead of slab on grade. This would allow builders to preserve trees on site rather than clearing and filling the site. Homes built with stemwall construction would require more creative solutions to make the transition between existing grade and finished floor elevation.

This is a home in Port Charlotte that is definitely

the exception. Trees preserved when building a home can contribute instant value to the site and can reduce energy bills by shading the home. Most home builders here prefer to clear the site of all trees prior to building and plant a few saplings or Palms at the completion of construction.

This is the rest of what is left of the girdled tree. It should be fully leafed out this time of year. What is missing leaves is dead.

This tree was what is known as a "points tree". Before the builder could get his/her Certificate of Occupation he/she needed to install trees equivalent to the number of points required per thousand square ft. of lot size. These were probably two 2"+ trees. This tree has a lot of epicormic growth but the main trunk and central leader has failed. All too often these rubber hoses and wire are attached to the tree and staked at 45 degrees to stabilize the tree until it gets established. Not really necessary usually and what happens when no one ever takes responsibility for removing the hose and wire when the trunk grows beyond its capacity? The trunk becomes girdled and the tree dies. In this house it looks like it was foreclosed on before anyone bought it so one was there to care for the tree and the landscapers that put it in were not contracted to remove the stabilization wires. Now does the county have the resources to make sure that all homeowners that put in trees cared for them to guarantee their success? Probably not. Big county, small staff.

The homeowner that built this garage worked within the tree preservation code of Charlotte County to save this beautiful heritage pine. This tree is a co-dominant leader but it did survive Hurricane Charley and numerous tropical storms so it will probably be something other than its less than ideal structure that will seal its fate. The owner did have to encroach on the trees root zone with the drive way, which is permitted, and even though this tree is especially sensitive to any disruptions, it seems completely intact and full. Not a brown needle six months since the work was completed. It is difficult to estimate the value this tree gives the site but studies have estimated that the difference in the value of the property without the tree would be approx. 15% less than with it.

Clearly this house will soon be gone and no one visiting will miss its presence but it served as a modest shelter to someone and the buildings that will replace will use many more resources then the former occupants of this one ever used.

This is the Mango tree and the landscape surrounding the sharecropper's home.

This is an old Florida home that may have belonged to farmhands. It is now surrounded by forest and no sign of any husbandry except for a large Mango tree out of the picture. The tree is about 50' tall. The home still has furniture inside.

Letter: It's time for performance accountability - Central Penn Business Journal

Letter: It's time for performance accountability - Central Penn Business Journal

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Old Florida

My impression of what is left of old Florida but still suburbia. Note the modest footprint of the house and driveway. Nothing gaudy or self indulgent. The roofline of the home is completely in line with the lowest branches of this tree. As the home has aged it has become dated but the tree has aged to compliment the building. The driveway undoubtedly impacted the rootzone of the tree but except for some branch die-back, damage is not readily apparent.

Bromeliads

Bromeliads. I don't know exactly what type this one is but it has thick serrated leaves that feel like they can cut you if you aren't cautious when you stick your hands in to free them of excess leaf litter. I planted these under an oak tree. They make a great groundcover for a shady spot where many other plants refuse to grow. Keep the cup wet but don't drown the plant. This particular bromeliad doesn't send up a shoot but has a cup that fills with tiny lavender blooms. I believe it is planted for its colorful red tipped foliage.

Methuselah

With a diameter of 17.5' and a height of 118' at 3500 years old this cypress tree is an incredible sight. It and another large cypress are located in an unremarkable park in Longwood Florida, Big Tree Park. Development and industry have spared this tree the fate of many other trees which used to dominate the Florida landscape. If you live in Florida or are visiting Orlando this tree is worth seeing while it is still standing.

Of the 47 million cubic feet of cypress wood harvested annually in Florida, 47 percent is chipped into inexpensive landscape mulch. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr008

Environmental Art

No fertilizer, no irrigation, low maintenance, pest resistant, u.v. resistant, non-invasive.
Prior to this I have only seen reusable materials employed as yard art in the Third world. What other opportunities could there be for our cast off containers?

Why do we need codes when we have such creative individuals and building supply stores?
Is it possible codes only curb what creativity people would otherwise exercise in their absense?

What is wrong with this picture? Why don't we see this in all parking lots? Does everyone else have P.O. boxes? Is that a landscape island? So sad, if there weren't three keeping each other company I don't think I could look at this and not cry.

Bad bad bad

This is another tree that was improperly installed. Again, it most likely didn't need to be staked. Why is it staked like a palm though?! I have not seen this type of detail for a tree other than a palm. Since trees grow outward this tree was certainly doomed.

Tree Topping

Some arborists refer to this as shearing, rounding or topping. In many counties and cities this practice is prohibited by ordinance yet a quick review of the yellow pages will probably find at least one tree service advertising this as a service it specializes in providing its customers.

It is important that the customers become educated that this practice is not healthy for the trees and that it is creating a hazard and maintainance problem at best. It will not quickly kill the tree but contribute to the mortality spiral and destroy any structure that will allow the tree to become a mature speciman that we recognize as a Live oak.

Tree staking

Many landscapers continue to stake trees that may have survived had they not been staked.

In this photo it is difficult to tell what stability the webbing is giving the tree but it is clear that the tree has become girdled and its fate will be to endure. Note the aluminum splint likely shoved into the rootball.

Podocarpus

Podocarpus macrophylla, this is great example of a vegetative screen. The podocarpus plant takes easily to being sculpted and it is salt tolerant, making it a great coastal plant. Frequently this is the choice of landscape architects trying to screen utility areas in confined spaces.

Heritage Tree Preservation

This Live oak was preserved on the site of this Habitat for Humanity home. A site visit prior to construction identified the conflict of the proposed home site location and the location of the existing heritage tree. Under Charlotte County Code trees that are qualified as heritage trees are required to be preserved regardless of location. Fortunately on this site the owner was committed to saving the tree; the tree was barricaded throughout the construction process to protect its critical root zone from compaction and the house was relocated further back to the property's rear setback. This creates some heterogeneity of the buildings facing the street and reduces phenomena of one house looking into the windows of the next.

Instead of pouring a monolithic slab of concrete over the roots of the tree, the builder also included a series of two inch slots across the width of the driveway every 8', which are filled with coarse aggregate and allow air and water to drain to the root zone of the tree.

As you can see the new residents of this home value the shade of the tree and use to keep there vehicles cool. The County arborist and the new owners discussed creating a deep mulch area, away from the trunk of the tree, on which to park the cars and distribute the weight of the vehicles over a large area so as not to compact the roots of the tree and lose it.

Mangrove Pruning

These Mangroves in the foreground were pruned illegally, without a permit. They used to be the same height as the ones in the background. Someone thought that they could have a much better waterfront view of Charlotte Harbor if they cut the trees to a height of six feet.

If you ever see anyone clearing Mangrove trees like this they are supposed to have a permit displayed at the site, unless they qualify for an exemption (www.dep.state.fl.us./water/wetlands/mangroves/). If you suspect illegal activity, you can report the location of the activity to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and they will initiate an investigation.

Mangroves are an important component in the Coastal ecosystem. These were Red Mangroves and they do not tolerate being trimmed off the top. A Professional Mangrove Trimmer would trim Red Mangroves from below to provide a view under the canopy of the Mangroves and in a site that has a width of more than 50' from the most leeward trunk to the most waterward trunk a general permit from the FDEP would be required.

Croton 'mamey'

Codiaeum variegatum, Croton 'Mamey'

This is a very colorful plant that is used more for its foliage than its bloom. It may tend to be on the leggy side as it matures so I wouldn't encourage using it as a screen hedge but it makes a great background plant when something can be planted in front of it that will stay low and fill in the bottom of the plant.

It looks especially striking when it catches late afternoon sun and seems to light up. Expect this variety to get to be about 5' tall.

In Southwest Florida tempertures haven't dipped low enough to do any permanent damage to this plant.

For maximum visual effect plant in a mass around 24" o.c.

Orange Bird of Paradise

Strelitzia reginae, Orange Bird of Paradise

Although absent from this photo, this plant is typically chosen for its dramatic orange bloom that gives it an exotic flair. I like it more for its light green foliage which can provide a pleasing contrast when it is surrounded by low growing ground cover. It is a tidy, low maintenance plant that is inexpensive and can be propagated through division of plant clumps.

It does like moist conditions and will thrive when it isn't subject to drought conditions. Potted plants dry out quickly so if watering regularly is difficult put the plant in the ground where it can get by on less water than in the pot.

If attractive foliage is desired plant in filtered sunlight location. If more blooms are your goal and foliage is not as important plant in full sun.

Fertilize monthly for best results.

Don't confuse this Bird with the Giant Bird of Paradise, Strelitzia nicolai, unless you have lots of space and want white blooms instead of orange blooms.

Purple Porterweed

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis Purple Porterweed

There is a non-native Category II invasive, Nettleleaf vervain (Stachytarpheta urticifolia) that is commonly misrepresented as native but is native to tropical Asia. They are both butterfly attractants. The non-native plant has narrower flower spikes, more finely toothed leaf margins that point out instead of up, a dark green quilted leaf surface on top and grows up to 5' tall. The native version has plumper flower spikes, coarsely toothed leaf margin that has teeth pointing up and only grows to be a 10" tall mound not including the flower spikes.

This plant will typically bloom year round in South Florida. This winter mine pretty much defoliated but came back strong after I cut back all of the dead wood and the summer rains began. It is a low maintenance plant that does well with little water. It may need to be watered during extended periods of drought. Most plants last 3-4 years but will self sow and produce seedlings. Cuttings are also an easy propogation alternative.

Seagrape

Cocoloba Uvifera, Seagrape

Great coastal plant for a hedge or tree.

• Very salt and drought tolerant
• Nice fall color
• Edible fruit
• Slow growing tree, moderately growing hedge.
• Large leaves decompose slowly

Boston Fern

Neprholepis exaltata, Boston Fern

This fern makes a dense groundcover in partially sunny sites or shade. In this picture it is shown in full sun in Sarasota by city hall.

It is distinguishable from the invasive Nephrolepis cordifolia because exaltata doesn't have the translucent tubers in its roots.

Once established its water needs are not excessive. It can survive long periods drought with little problem. Hardy at zone 9 and lower.

Propagate from dividing a friend's plant.

Lady Palm

Rhapis excelsa, Lady Palm

This is a small colonizing palm that is happiest in a shady location or bright filtered light.

It is very expensive because it is considered to be a slow grower. I have had one for three years and it is hasn't grown more than 2'. Max out at around 10' hgt.

They are best propogated through division.

Hardy at zone 9, Venice Florida coastal location.

Not completely drought tolerant. Need moderate water, esp. through establishment!

Crinum Lily

Crinum asiaticum, Crinum asiaticum

This can be a very large plant, 3' leaves, and it does tend to sucker, sprouting offspring at its base. Frequently planted too close together.

Queen Emma version has dark green/purple leaves with purple and white spray of fragrant lily blooms on a long stalk.

Drought tolerant once established and can withstand zone 9 temperatures.

Can be pricey and hard to find at nursery.

It does best in a sunny location but can take partial shade also.

Poisonous if ingested and some may be irritated by sap produced when plant leaf is cut or broken.

COONTIE

Zamia pumilla, Coontie

Great groundcover plant that can reach heights of 3'+.

Not as susceptible to freezing as the cardboard palms.

This is a great plant for sunny or shady locations. It does need to be treated for Florida red scale once in awhile as it can be fatal to the plant.

It is the only food source for the Atala butterfly larvae.

Seeds are attractive to children, red and squishy, but are poisonous.

Acid or Alkaline soils o.k.

Difficult to transplant because of unusally large tap root, but not impossible.

Can be pricey, it is a slow grower.

Hardy at zone 9.

Introduction

This Blog is being created to inform.

• Those that live in zones 9-10 in Coastal Southwest Florida, and want to know which plants are best in which locations.
• Plans reviewers that need more information for their reviews.
• Landscape contractors that want more information
• Business owners interested in learning more about their choices.

If you disagree with conclusions please comment.