Native Wildflowers and Other Ground Covers for Florida Landscapes


Book Description

Spectacular additions to any gardener's planting options "Huegel has created an excellent guide to growing and using native ferns and wildflowers. Gardeners of all levels will find many new and relatively unknown jewels to add to their landscapes. The wealth of experience and personal knowledge Huegel brings to his subject makes this a veritable step-by-step handbook for the wildflower gardener."--Gil Nelson, author of Best Native Plants for Southern Gardens "Huegel has compiled a large amount of information on Florida's native wildflowers and groundcovers. This is an extremely helpful and refreshing addition to the resources for people interested in these plants, whether they wish to grow them or not."--Daniel Austin, University of Arizona Florida gardens and lawns are full of flowering plants and turfgrass, most commonly exotic species. Recently, however, statewide water restrictions and a rekindling of environmental awareness have increased interest in native plants, which are better adapted to the local climate and require less maintenance. In this engaging and authoritative guide, ecologist and avid gardener Craig Huegel offers valuable information to anyone interested in integrating native ground covers into an outdoor space. As many of the plants featured in this book are not frequently or adequately discussed elsewhere, Native Wildflowers and Other Ground Covers for Florida Landscapes is a singular resource for homeowners and commercial growers alike. Brilliantly illustrated with nearly 300 color photos, this handy book provides clear instructions on how to garden with more than 17 native ferns, 17 native grasses, and 175 wildflowers--all commercially available plants that work well together in the landscape. If you're interested in adding these beautiful, diverse plants to your garden or yard, pick up Craig Huegel's latest book and start planning your native plant landscape today.







The Nature of Plants


Book Description

Choice Outstanding Academic Title Florida Book Awards, Bronze Medal for General Nonfiction Plants play a critical role in how we experience our environment. They create calming green spaces, provide oxygen for us to breathe, and nourish our senses. In The Nature of Plants, ecologist and nursery owner Craig Huegel demystifies the complex lives of plants and provides readers with an extensive tour into their workings. Beginning with the importance of light, water, and soil, Huegel describes the process of photosynthesis and how best to position plants to receive optimal sunlight. He explains why plants suffer from overwatering, what essential elements plants need to flourish, and what important soil organisms reside with them. Readers will understand the difference between friendly and hostile bacteria, fungi, and insects. Sections on plant structure and reproduction focus in detail on major plant organs—roots, stems, and leaves—and cover flowering, pollination, fruit development, and seed germination. Huegel even delves into the mysterious world of plant communication, exploring the messages conveyed to animals or other plants through chemical scents and hormones. With color illustrations, photographs, and real-life examples from his own gardening experiences, Huegel equips budding botanists, ecologists, and even the most novice gardeners with knowledge that will help them understand and foster plants of all types.




Native Florida Plants


Book Description

Many counties in Florida now require that new commercial landscapes contain a percentage of native plants. Native landscapes are easier to maintain, use less water and thrive without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Native Florida Plants describes every type of regional flora—-from seaside foliage and wildflowers to grassy meadows, shrubs, vines, and aquatic gardens—-in 301 profiles and accompanying color photographs.




Native Florida Plants for Drought- and Salt-Tolerant Landscaping


Book Description

Descriptions and photographs for 70 native plants that will thrive with little care in the yards of most Florida homeowners. Covers the peninsula south of Marion, Levy, and Volusia counties through the Keys.




The Right Plants for Dry Places


Book Description

This revised and expanded second edition has more plant species and more photos, and all the information you need to incorporate natives into your central Florida garden. It tells how to identify, where to use, and how to care for 46 native trees, shrubs, ground covers and vines that grow in the region of Florida (roughly) contained in the area bordered by Levy, Volusia, Broward and Lee Counties--most of peninsular Florida. It also gives blooming and fruiting times, mature size, wildlife value and ethnobotanical uses. Choose native Florida plants for your home landscape--it's a great way to celebrate our state's environmental heritage, provide food and cover for wilslife and conserve our natural resources. Color photos throughout, plant charts, bibliography, index.




The Humane Gardener


Book Description

In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.




Natural Florida Landscaping


Book Description

As Florida is developed the native flora is often replaced with non-native plants. Wildlife habitat is reduced; water, fertilizer and pesticide usage increases; and the appearance of Florida is altered. But you can help reduce the damage being done to our ecosystems by viewing your yard as part of the natural system. This book will help you make a plan that will work for your yard and choose the native plants that will thrive there. You will have the joy of creating an aesthetically pleasing, life-supporting, and environmentally sensitive landscape. Methods for a small fruit and vegetable garden are also covered.




Gardening with Native Plants of the South


Book Description

In today’s South, where fine gardening is a tradition, many homeowners and professional gardeners are discovering a vast “new” palette of plant materials—native plants. They are realizing that these native wildflowers, trees, shrubs, groundcovers, vines, and grasses are far better suited, and therefore easier to grow and maintain, than most of the imported plants that populate traditional landscapes. In this book, the authors offer an exciting vision of the many possibilities and advantages of “going native.” Lavishly illustrated with more than 250 gorgeous color photographs, this book is both an introduction to more than 200 of the most familiar and easiest-to-find native plants of the South and a basic primer on how to use them effectively.




Lawn Gone!


Book Description

A colorful guide covering the basics of replacing a traditional lawn with a wide variety of easy-care, no-mow, drought-tolerant, money-saving options that will appeal to today's busy, eco-conscious homeowner. Americans pour 300 million gallons of gas and 1 billion hours every year into mowing their lawns, not to mention 70 million pounds of pesticides and $40 billion for lawn upkeep. No Wonder the anti-lawn movement is thriving, as today's eco-conscious consumers realize that their traditional lawns are water-hogging, chemical-ridden, maintenance-intensive burdens. Lawn Gone!, from award-winning gardening blogger Pam Penick, is the first basic introduction to low-water, easy-care lawn alternatives for beginning gardeners, written in a friendly style with an approachable package. It covers all the available time-saving options: alternative grasses, ground cover plants, artificial turf, hardscaping, mulch, and more. In addition, it includes step-by-step lawn-removal methods, strategies for dealing with neighbors and homeowner associations, and how to minimize your lawn if you're not ready to go all the way.