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Order your copy from
University Press of Florida or from Amazon
The authors have designed a companion PowerPoint presentation
that's free to download from The
Florida Native Plant Society website. It includes a
script, which is about ten minutes long to read, so you
do not need to be an expert to make the point that perfectly-poisoned
lawns are not the ideal landscape. Suggested audiences include:
HOA boards, municipal officials, garden clubs, environmental
groups.
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A Step-by-Step Guide
to a Florida Native Yard
by Ginny Stibolt and Marjorie Shropshire
Order your copy from
University Press of Florida or from Amazon
Reviews:
"Takes the mystery out of transforming the common urban
landscape into a true Florida paradise filled with wildlife
activity and native colors and textures. You can't go wrong
following this logical step-by-step process."--Lisa Roberts,
executive director, Florida Wildflower Foundation
"Ideal guidance for those converting their traditional
turf-dominated landscape into a more sustainable and wildlife-friendly
one."--Stephen P. Turnipseed, president, The Villages
chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society
Description:
More and more Florida residents are deciding to replace highly
fertilized, over-watered, pesticide-dependent lawns with native
plants. They want to reduce their carbon footprints; save
time, water, and money; and attract birds and butterflies.
But where to begin? This illustrated guide helps readers get
started creating new outdoor spaces that are both sustainable
and beautiful.
Taking the common 1/3-acre lot as an example, Ginny Stibolt and Marjorie Shropshire
provide a sample layout for a basic native plant landscape. They use a grid system that allows
gardeners to work on their yards in small sections instead of trying to revamp the entire landscape at once.
The grid system can also be reduced or expanded for yards of varying size. By breaking down the
process into individual steps, creating a Florida garden is achievable for beginners and experts alike.
The first step is assessing your property and choosing which
plants to keep and which to remove. The second step is to
design your landscape to soak up more stormwater through the
use of rain barrels, rain gardens, or ponds. The next steps
involve planting trees, understory plants, and installing
butterfly gardens. There are additional instructions for building
wild areas into your landscape to provide habitat for birds
and pollinators. The last step is creating a flexible outdoor
'room' perfect for your family's needs today and into the
future, using plants to cool the air, to provide screening
for privacy, to buffer incoming winds, and to reduce noise.
By following these methods, anyone can convert all or part
of their yard into a more natural area without using pesticides
or artificial fertilizers, which will save money, reduce pollution,
and help support wildlife. Complete with detailed diagrams,
a timeline for growth and maintenance, and lists of suggested
plants for each step, this guide will help readers set up
an environmentally-friendly habitat and give them the time
and peace of mind to enjoy it.
About the Authors:
Ginny Stibolt, a freelance writer, botanist, and experienced
gardener, is the author of The Art of Maintaining a Florida
Native Landscape and Sustainable Gardening for Florida, and
coauthor of Organic Methods for Vegetable Gardening in Florida.
Her blog is GreenGardeningMatters.com
Marjorie Shropshire, a visual artist whose work is deeply
concerned with the conservation of Florida's natural areas,
is the editor of Palmetto, the magazine of the Florida Native
Plant Society.
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