Spring is in the air, and my azaleas know it.
It appears just about every plant and tree around my Central Florida yard knows what time it is: early spring. The azaleas are in full bloom and putting on quite an impressive display. My pink tabebuias are sporting scores of trumpet-shaped flowers. The twisting vines of star and confederate jasmine are starting to pop, and countless crinum lilies are sprouting anew from old, withered stalks left behind by this year's cooler and wetter than normal winter. Oh, and my weeds are really green and robust, too --- sigh --- but I digress.
Even though the threat of freezes has melted away for this season and the emerging color and warmer weather are beckoning many to get their yards back in shape, a little hindsight and foresight is needed by all to set things right.
Despite the freezing temps being a royal pain for growers, those who were able to endure and protect their supply are sitting pretty. Things are picking up for garden centers and nurseries with good material and selection. I visited a local IGC this past weekend and the place was mobbed with eager homeowners like myself and landscapers looking to stock up. This scene was impressive, especially since a nearby Home Depot, located just down the street, was advertising a spring "doorbuster" event. BTW, HD was mobbed, too.
As I was perusing displays scouting new plant material to replace what was lost to those cold January nights, there was a little voice inside my head telling me to "be smart" and don't make the same mistake as before by choosing borderline plant material that stretches and often breaks the limits of cold hardiness. Easier said than done, however. You can rationalize almost anything when within striking distance of a point of purchase. Reality tends to prevail in the end after you spend an afternoon or two tearing out another ill-advised landscape addition.
Now is a prime time for Florida garden centers and nurseries to be pushing cold hardy, site appropriate plants. It's a great selling point, especially with this past winter's cold spell still fresh in the minds of many. The temperature may be in the upper 70s and 80s now and soon to be 90s, but thinking ahead to what next winter might bring is a good move that will pay off in the long run.
Looks and performance are great attributes when looking for things like a car or landscape specimen. I think more people are beginning to see the value of performance --- I know I am --- and that's a beautiful thing.
