The Deep End

Florida may be a peninsula, but it often feels more like an island when it comes to water issues. A combination of population explosion, drought-like weather patterns, and environmental water quality has allowed water consumption to swim its way to the hot-topic surface. Nursery and landscape professionals know this all too well. Water restrictions impact their very livelihoods.

Water restrictions around the state, especially in South Florida, have finally eased lately thanks to tropical-moisture fueled storm systems that have dumped nice amounts of precipitation in the last couple of months. Though the regulations might have softened, the problems are still bubbling. South Florida is coming off the worst drought since 1932 (since recordkeeping began). Recently, the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties launched an online discussion and survey to get the pulse of people's attitudes on water conservation. This comes on the heels of a study on water resources in the future. I'm curious to see what the banter and the survey dredge up. After all, this water problem runs deeper than just nursery and landscape businesses. This is not just an industry issue, this is a community/lifestyle issue.

Is there enough water to go around? Well, the water management districts say no. However, I get a different message when I drive by and see irrigation systems in commercial parks and even residences running at full tilt in the middle of a downpour (especially disheartening, during last year's four-day soaker, aka--Tropical Storm Fay). There is plenty of technology out there to prevent such ignorance from happening. There's even low-tech ways like looking out the window to see if it's raining.

Either way, progress and solutions need to be discussed now and put into action before the next "drier-than-normal" season rolls around. The Florida nursery and landscape industry have made great strides to promote smart plant purchases and install more Florida-friendly landscapes. This has been a good start, and needs to continue to make up for those who are not so water wise and those who refuse to be.

Hurricane Hunting - Microsoft Style

Mother Nature beware. Bill Gates is after you. According to news reports, the master of Microsoft is looking to put a hurting on hurricanes and tropical storms. He, along with a list of other inventors/contributors, submitted applications to the U.S. patent office that offer a way to weaken or break up the monster storms. For those who live and work in a hurricane-vulnerable state like Florida, this is interesting news.

In short: It sounds like the plan would consist of fleets of barges to ride out ahead of the storm and chill the sea temperatures by dumping and stirring up cold water in the storm's path thus depleting it of its main fuel source.

Hmmm. I understand the reasoning behind the effort and applaud the creativity, but but you have to wonder about some of the effects this kind of climate control would have.

Some of the questions that come to mind:

• By eliminating these storms, does that mean Florida's rainy season should change its name to the drier muggy season?
  
• How much lead time will these barges have on the storms? Storms can develop and diminish pretty quickly; and I wouldn't necessarily put the words "fast" and "barge" in the same sentence.
  
• How will fish and other marine life react to all this cold water being dumped into the warm currents?
  
• When it comes to really large storms like Andrew, Katrina, and Ike, how much water displacement are we talking about?
  
• Can this really work?

If this concept has any legs whatsoever, these questions, along with the multitudes of others, will be addressed in time. This is not the first time an idea has been pitched to disrupt hurricanes, and I'm sure this won't be the last. Of course, none of those ideas were powered by Microsoft. So, watch out sun. You might be next.

In the meantime, we'll watch the tropics this hurricane season and -- like always -- rely on preparation and good judgement to deal if disaster does indeed make a threat.

Reclaiming The Yard

In these budget-crunching times, more people are spending time at home and in their yards. Outdoor living is a way of life in Florida and a well-planned "staycation" starts and ends in the yard. This a good thing for local garden centers, growers, and landscapers. Whether it's DIYers looking for plant and hardscape material or those with a larger budget looking for a professional to do the heavy lifting, there is opportunity.

As a homeowner and someone who covers the Florida nursery and lanscape industry for a living, I understand the value of a well-groomed landscape. Click here for more reasons to love landscaping.

Documented research certainly can help with the marketing of plant products and landscaping services in an environment where buyers are weighing the value of their investments more than ever.

My family and I enjoy doing things like hanging out, grilling, and playing in the yard. I'm sure I'd love it even more if it were a tropical oasis--but I do what I can, when I can. There's a budget and timeframe out there for everybody. BTW-Like most, mine is limited on both accounts.

But I digress. Indeed, there are some areas around my yard that I'd like to address. Case in point:

This mess is located along my back fence under the cover of a live oak tree. Overgrown with ferns, lilies, and other assorted items planted by the previous owner--not to mention all of the live oak seedlings that have sprouted up from the mother tree -- this part of my back yard is unusable. I'd like to reclaim this part of the yard by clearing it out and laying some sod to extend the main lawn and maybe carve out a planting bed around the base of the oak for contrast and to soften the fence area.

This has literally become no man's land. A little breathing room would be nice.

Instead of a space I can enjoy (let alone even get to), this area is a haven for snakes, a hangout for mosquitoes, and a hiding place for other creepie crawlies. Believe me, I've seen enough of all of them to know. It's going to be fun digging through this jungle.

Can anyone say hodge podge?

Yep. This is going to take some time. Got any ideas on what I can do with this space? Feel free to leave a comment. Feedback is welcome as I come up with a gameplan to try and tackle this project. Check back as I give updates as things progress. Wish me luck. I'm going to need it.

Cool Concept

While compiling information for an upcoming Ornamental Outlook New Products feature, I came across this eco-friendly concept mower from Husqvarna. Pretty slick looking, and silent to boot. Man, I'd like one of these.

Right On, Retail

Looking around my yard, there are some projects I'd like to tackle. After factoring in time and budget, I know I can't do everything at once. OK. So, let's start with some mulch. Time to go stimulate the economy.

Every time I drive by Lukas Nursery in Oviedo, I have a hard time remembering that we're currently experiencing a down market. During a visit a couple of months ago, the parking lot of this independent retail garden center was filled with cars and was bustling with activity inside. My most recent visit, this past Friday afternoon, it was more of the same. I wasn't expecting as many people on a blazing-hot, late afternoon on a holiday weekend.

The lines of customers waiting to be rung up not only was a welcome sight for the garden center, but as I see it, also is good news for the Florida nursery and landscape industries. Indeed, people are out spending on plants, garden supplies, and landscaping. Count me in as one who understands the value of landscaping. Is the economy on its way back? I'm not completely sold yet. However it's good to see some positive signs at this IGC in my neck of the woods.
Based on my observations - past and present - this garden center/nursery has done and continues to do a nice job of maintaining and building its client base. I had a fruitful visit and captured some pictures while I was there. I'll be back for more photos and product soon. I promise.

Take a seat or two...

Hardgoods anyone?


Good product placement and selection.

Nice water feature display near the entrance.

Interested in plants or not, the onsite

butterfly encounter is a nice draw.


Pottery barn---literally.


Welcome to Florida.

SMACK!

It's rainy season, and you know what that means: green lawns, vigorous plants and flowers, and armies of mosquitoes outside your door. Man, I hate mosquitoes. But they love me. I can ignite myself in a blaze of citronella oil and they'd still attack.

Here in Florida, we actually "celebrate" Mosquito Control Awareness Week. Last week, Hillsborough County started the blitz to educate local residents about methods to prevent these buggers from overtaking their yards. I took note of an e-mail I received from Hillsborough titled Top 10 Mosquito Prevention Tips. I pared it down to a few that were somewhat related to the industries I cover.

• If you have bromeliad plants in your yard, regularly rinse them out with a garden hose. Mosquito larvae need water to grow and evolve, and bromeliads are an excellent host. The average bromeliad can be expected to produce around a hundred mosquitoes per year. That may not seem like much, but if you have ten or twenty plants in your yard, that’s several thousand mosquitoes! [Yikes, I have at least 50 bromeliads growing in my yard--see picture above. Potential mosquito breeding ground or not, I have no intention of getting rid of these. I'll rinse 'em out thank you very much.]
  


• Take special precautions in high mosquito areas. Use head nets, long sleeves and long pants if you venture into areas with high mosquito populations, such as salt marshes. Also use insect repellent containing DEET on any exposed skin. Please read the label before using the product and avoid direct application to the face. [There aren't too many places I can think of that aren't high mosquito areas during this time of year]
  


• Watch out for puddles in your yard. Irrigate lawns and gardens carefully to prevent water from standing for several days. [Good advice no matter what]

If interested in more mosquito prevention tips, go to www.hillsboroughcounty.org.

When I'm out in the yard for any length of time after dusk, I'm armed with a can of OFF! I'm sure you can find a can or two thousand if you look long enough in a landscape professional's equipment truck and/or somewhere in close proximity to a nursery's shadehouse.

Here's a mosquito-prevention method I recently tried for the first time. Sometimes I just don't feel like spraying myself down with a DEET-laced product--especially if I'm not going to be bathing anytime soon after. In those cases, I have tried rubbing my arms and legs with a fresh dryer sheet and then stuffing it in one of my pockets. I heard somewhere that the scent throws the blood suckers off. Well I'll be ... it's worked for me ... so far. It might be only a matter of time before the mosquitoes are on to it and then I counter with a full body suit of dryer sheets. Now that would be a sight--scary.