Plant Selection & Landscape Design - Southwest Florida Water ...

• Avoid monocultures and aim for a mosaic of trees,
shrubs, grasses, and groundcovers.
• Plan turf areas to be functional and low-maintenance.
• Use groundcovers on slopes where grass is difficult to
maintain.
• Choose slow-growing plants that will last longer and
create less work.
• Consider wind tolerance.
• Think of maintenance requirements.
PLANT SORTING
If you are renovating your landscape, it is wise to keep
some of the plants you already have. Follow these simple
guidelines to sift through your botanical choices.
• Keep healthy plants.
• Discard tightly spaced plants.
• Retain trees with long life spans.
• Save clusters of trees and the plants growing beneath
them.
• Remove unsuitable plants.
• Relocate plantings out from under eaves.
CHOOSING A LANDSCAPE
MAINTENANCE SERVICE
If you lack the desire or ability to do your own landscape
work, you may decide to hire a professional maintenance
company. Look for companies whose employees have
obtained a certificate of completion in the Florida-Friendly
Best Management Practices for Protection of Water
Resources by the Green Industries (GI-BMPs). These professionals
will know how to care for your landscape in a
Florida-Friendly manner. In many areas of Florida this training
is already mandatory; by January 1, 2014, all commercial
fertilizer applicators must have this certificate of completion
and the accompanying license from the Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).
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FLORIDA-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING TM GUIDE TO PLANT SELECTION AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN • 2010