GARDEN CHECKLIST FOR FLORIDA

Garden Checklist (for all Southern states except Florida and Texas)
Texas Garden Checklist

Flowering Trees
Add color to your landscape by planting blooming trees. In North Florida, saucer magnolia hybrids (Magnolia x soulangeana) brighten February days with large tulip-shaped flowers in lavender, purple, or white. Red maple (Acer rubrum), native to all of Florida, has small red blooms from late January to February. In Central and South Florida, orchid tree (Bauhinia sp.) provides purple or white blooms year-round. African tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata) shows its orange-red flowers in South Florida from late winter to early spring. You can also cut the branches and use them for bouquets. To learn how, see "Spring's Early Gifts" on page 68 of the February 2004 issue of Southern Living.

North and Central

• Blueberries--Plant in a well-drained spot in full to partial sun. Blueberries need acid soil. Mixing 1 part peat to 2 parts soil will help to lower the pH. Choose selections such as 'Beckyblue,' 'Brightwell,' 'Chaucer,' 'Woodard,' 'Bluegem,' 'Bonita,' and 'Climax.' Plant more than one type to aid in pollination.
• Ground covers and ornamental grasses--Prune tired plantings of liriope and mondo grass early in the month to remove old, spotted, or blighted growth. Cut the plants back to just above the light green new growth, which will be emerging from the center of the base. Trim ornamental grasses such as miscanthus, removing old growth just above emerging new growth. To trim Asiatic jasmine, set the lawnmower on the highest setting or use a blade trimmer to cut it to a height of about 4 inches.
• Shrubs--Add spring-flowering shrubs such as azaleas, Chinese fringes, and gardenias. Water several times a week if they don't receive enough rainfall. Continue to water twice weekly into the summer.
• Pruning--Before the end of the month, finish pruning all evergreen plants except for those that flower in the spring, such as azaleas. Trim spring bloomers after they flower.

Central and South

• Vegetables--By the middle of the month, you can plant seeds of beans, cucumbers, and squash and set out tomato and pepper plants. Place in full sun. Be prepared to cover them in the event of a late freeze. Or plant vegetables such as cherry tomatoes and peppers in containers that can be brought inside during freezes.

South

• Lawns--By late in the month, it is safe to apply a pre-emergence herbicide for weed control in lawns. Combination fertilizer/herbicide products that contain atrazine and a 15-0-15 fertilizer, such as Sta-Green Centipede Weed & Feed and Vigoro Ultra Turf Centipede Weed & Feed, are good choices, even for St. Augustine lawns.