FLORIDA

Quick Spring Arrangements
Daffodils are some of the favorite blooms of the season. You can purchase bunches at the grocery store or flower shop. Select stems with buds that are just beginning to open. Wash the vase you plan to use with soapy water, and rinse it clean. Then fill it with lukewarm water, and add a floral preservative. Cut stems at an angle underwater to improve water uptake and maximize vase life. Daffodils secrete a substance that prevents other flowers from taking in water, so mix them only with other daffodils. Arrange your blooms as you like in the vase, and use the leaves as part of the design. Place the arrangement in a cool area away from vents and direct sunlight, and be sure to change the water every couple of days. Enjoy!

Entire State
Lawns--Be patient with your grass, and give it time to green up completely before feeding it. This may be early March in South Florida but not until late March or early April in North Florida. Use a fertilizer such as Pennington Centipede & St. Augustine Lawn Food 18-0-18 or Vigoro Centipede Turf Fertilizer 15-0-15.

North and Central
Azaleas--The large Southern Indica Hybrids, such as 'Formosa' and 'Elegans,' are among the showiest and the easiest to grow. They are fast growing and can reach a height and spread of 10 feet, making a good hedge or mass planting. They prefer filtered shade, such as under pines, but they will tolerate the heavier shade of live oaks too.
Vegetables--Start tomato and pepper plants in your garden. Sow seeds of snap beans, pole beans, lima beans, cantaloupes, sweet corn, cucumbers, Southern peas, squash, and watermelons.

Flowering
Dogwoods--Plant this small native tree for three seasons of color. White flowers cover the tree in spring. The leaves turn a deep red in fall. After the leaves drop, the bright red berries adorn the winter landscape. Good choices include 'Weaver's White' and 'Cloud Nine.'

Central and South
Fertilize--Feed palms with a special palm fertilizer such as Vigoro Palm & Ixora Food 6-5-12 or Lesco 8-10-10 Palm and Tropical Ornamental Fertilizer.
Tropical colors--Brighten your garden with bold flowers. Good choices for yellow blooms include bush allamanda (Allamanda schottii), golden trumpet (A. cathartica), yellow orchid vine (Mascagnia macroptera), yellow bells (Tecoma stans), or thryallis (Galphimia glauca). For red flowers, use red powder puff (Calliandra haematocephala), peregrina (Jatropha integerrima), or Texas star (Hibiscus coccineus).