Color in the Holiday Landscape: Rethinking How We Do This Could Save Lots of Water.

In the weeks before and after the holidays you will find Miami homes adorned with fresh plantings of flowers. Some homeowners opt for inflatable holiday characters alongside an array of bright lights. Plastic Santa’s, dormant during the day, come to life at night.

It’s important to remember that our cool season coincides with our dry season. New plants will need watering for establishment. Moreover, we should be mindful that often, we often chose plants ill-suited for the heat and excessive rain typical of South Florida’s spring, summer and fall seasons.

What if we rethink our holiday landscape spruce ups? With a bit more planning we could cultivate beautiful and inviting landscapes throughout the year. We could choose plants that will thrive in our landscape year-round. Planning ahead and planting during the rainy will ensure they are well-established and ready to flower for the holidays.

The key lies in the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Principle of “Right Plant, Right Place”. We can help you with that!

After the holidays take some time for garden visits. Locations such as Fairchild, Miami Beach Botanical, The Kampong, and The Fruit & Spice Park are a few of our nearby Botanical Gardens in Miami-Dade County. Take note of what is in bloom or simply spectacular at this time of year. Inquire about the scientific name, look them up, and start making some plans. Feel free to return to us for further guidance.

We will be featuring the plants shown in the photo header in a series of upcoming blogs. Stay tuned for the first plant in this blog series: Lipstick Tree/Bixa Orellana, set to be published in early January. Get ready for an exciting exploration!

Remember to plant for our winter migratory birds, and for our native butterflies this summer by planting native flora. They form the backbone of the landscape. The unique plants we will feature will compliment this by providing jolts of color for the holidays, all while adhering to the gardener’s golden rule of planting only non-invasive plants in the landscape.

One more thing to remember for South Florida plant zone 10b/11a: Contact your local Extension Office for the right plants that will thrive in your specific growing conditions.