FLORIDA

Flowering Shrubs
Use these plants to add colorful height to your landscape. Shrubs that flower almost nonstop include tropicals such as firebush (Hamelia patens), shown at left; peregrina (Jatropha integerrima); orange cestrum (Cestrum aurantiacum); red powder puff (Calliandra haematocephala); angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia sp.); yellow bells (Tecoma stans); Turk’s cap (Malvaviscus arboreus drummondii); and thryallis (Galphimia glauca). Though winter cold will stop the blooms in North and upper Central Florida, these shrubs will still flower from late spring until winter. Full sun is needed for best flowering.

Central and South
Ground Covers--Save water by planting a low-maintenance ground cover in areas where you don’t want to mow. Powderpuff (Mimosa strigillosa) forms a thick mat of plants, only 2 to 3 inches tall, with pinkish-purple blooms. Perennial peanut (Arachis glabrata) selections ‘Ecoturf’ and ‘Arblick’ grow 4 to 6 inches tall and have bright yellow flowers. Water the new plantings three times a week. Then gradually taper off the waterings as the plants become established.
Vines--Add some interest and shade to your garden by using flowering vines on fences, trellises, or arbors. For sunny areas plant allamanda, bougainvillea, mandevilla, garlic vine (Cydista aequinoctialis), or queen’s wreath (Petrea volubilis).
Trees--Plant trees for shade and relief from the summer sun. For patios and other areas where a small tree is needed, consider farkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum) or crepe myrtles such as ‘Red Rocket’ or ‘Pink Velour.’ Bluejack oak (Quercus incana) is a medium-size, drought-tolerant oak. Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) and live oak (Q. virginiana)--large evergreen trees--should be planted only where there is space for a mature tree of 80 to 100 feet tall.

North and Central
Lawns--If you didn’t feed the lawn in March, do it now with a fertilizer such as Pennington Centipede & St. Augustine Lawn Food 8-0-18 or Vigoro Centipede Turf Fertilizer 15-0-15. After applying the fertilizer, water it in by applying 1/4 inch of water.
Pruning--As soon as azaleas finish blooming, prune as needed. In the early summer, azaleas will be setting flower buds for next spring’s blooms. Cut long, leggy branches back to a point well inside the plant.
Blooms--Plant for summer color. Good choices for areas that receive at least half a day of sun include trailing torenias, pentas, sun coleus such as ‘Indian Summer,’ crossandra, fanflower (Scaevola aemula), Wave Series petunias, and African marigold. For areas with more shade, plant impatiens or use plants with colorful foliage, such as coleus, caladiums, or Stromanthe sanguinea ‘Tricolor.’