In the Garden: The Benefits of Going Native in Florida
By Amber Harmon

Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about going native in Florida, with native landscapes that benefit the environment in so many ways! Using native trees, plants, flowers and edibles in your yard conserves water, reduces chemical runoff, and attracts a variety of pollinators like butterflies and birds.

Water Conservation: Now, the theory begins with getting rid of your lawn! That’s right – just cut out all of that St. Augustine grass and donate it to someone, but don’t let it suck the water out of your yard anymore. We tend to use more than 50% of our water supply on watering lawns. When you get rid of the grass and replace it with native trees, plants, vines and ground cover, they will require minimal to no additional water. That’s right, once these plants are established, NO additional water for your yard. Native plants grow in the wild in Florida and are meant to be here. Fill in the area between plants with mulch, pine straw, or a native ground cover.

Reduce Lawn Fertilizer Run-Off: When over-applied, fertilizers aggravate insect and disease problems and force excessive growth, which must be mowed or pruned. Excess fertilizers can run off yards into waterways or leach into aquifers, polluting drinking water. Fertilizing appropriately, if at all, is the key to living green! (IFAS: Florida Friendly Living)

Native Pollinators: Specific plants and flowers each attract specific pollinators like bees, butterflies and birds. When the plants and flowers used are native, they attract specific native bees, butterflies and birds, giving them a food source. This provides a home for the pollinators to strengthen the health of the environment and ecosystem naturally.

Edible Native Plants: A great benefit of choosing native edible plants is that they are naturally heat-tolerant and pest-resistant. Pests can be a real challenge in the garden. When a variety of plant is not meant to grow in our region, no matter how good you care for, water and fertilize that plant, it will constantly be under stress and attract bugs. Florida native plants are just naturally resistant to these issues. Here is a list of yummy varieties that can be found at either GrowinCrazyAcres.com or GreenIsleGardens.com:

• Wild Everglade Cherry Tomatoes
• Calamint
• Wild Sweet Basil
• Tropical Sage
• Elderberry
• Florida High Bush Eggplant

A great source for native plants, nurseries and edibles can be found on the University of Florida website: http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/native-plants.html

Amber Harmon is the Owner of My Nona’s Garden, where we sell and service low-maintenance, elevated, organic vegetable gardens. Our organization has a mission to bring health, promote growth and provide vegetable gardening education to local communities, one garden at a time. Visit www.MyNonasGarden.com for more information.

“We make organic vegetable gardening easy!”