In this revised and updated 2nd edition of Florida Gardener's Handbook, gardeners in the Sunshine State are handed all the know-how they'll need to grow a lush, productive garden. The environmentally sound growing info for both edible and ornamental plants found here is your green thumb map to success. With profiles of more than 300 plants proven to thrive in Florida's unique climate, including shrubs, trees, perennials, annuals, vegetables, fruits, tropical plants, lawn grasses, and more, you'll be able to select the best plants to create a beautiful landscape or a high-yielding edible garden. Helpful charts highlight sun and shade requirements and offer clear and concise plant variety information. Month-by-month care and cultivation guides are offered for each plant group, guiding your journey—even if you're a first-time Florida gardener. Authors Tom MacCubbin and Georgia B. Tasker, along with pro gardeners Robert Bowden and Joe Lamp'l, address the many challenges of Florida gardening, including a changing climate and saltwater gardening information. The how-to methods for planting, pruning, watering, fertilizing, and much more are rich with information essential to Floridians. This comprehensive and extensive guide is the best resource for growing in the Sunshine State. Whether you live in Nassau County, the Florida Keys, or somewhere in between, the Florida Gardener's Handbook has you covered. Florida Gardener's Handbook is part of the Gardener's Handbook series from Cool Springs Press. Other books in the series include Midwest Gardener's Handbook, Carolinas Gardener's Handbook, Northwest Gardener's Handbook, and many others.

The standard landscape plant manual for Florida now revised and expanded! From reviews of the original edition: "The bible of Florida landscaping. . . . The book has listings for more than 400 plants containing excellent information about cultural and climatological requirements and such interesting tidbits as seasons of maximum color and how the plant is best used in the Florida landscape."-- Cape Coral Breeze "One of Florida's best garden manuals. . . . All residents of Florida will find much useful information to help them with their garden problems in this book."--John Popenoe, former director, Fairchild Tropical Gardens This is the revised and expanded version of the book that has long been the standard landscape plant manual for Florida. The authors have included 70 additional native plant species along with updated botanical names and additional general information on many of the plants. They have also removed all invasive exotic species from the book. Each description contains a detailed drawing for easily identifying the plant, and both the common name and the botanical name are given. Following the general description are entries on propagation, soil and light requirements, culture, hardiness, salt tolerance, pests, and landscape uses. Descriptions of foliage, fruit, and flowers are enhanced by useful information about the season of maximum color.

Tough Plants for Florida Gardens includes over 180 of the toughest plants for Florida gardens, including annuals, perennials, shrubs and small trees, ornamental vines, and grasses. Each featured plant is noted for its ability to thrive with minimal care. Many of the selections can withstand drought, poor soils, and minimal (or no) pruning, while providing beauty and charm in the Florida landscape.

Abundantly illustrated in full color, this guide provides detailed descriptions and methods of cultivation for 350 of Florida's most attractive and easily grown native plants, including ferns, wildflowers, shrubs, trees, vines, aquatics, and epiphytes (air plants). 359 color photos.

A thorough survey of all the information necessary for choosing plants for landscaping purposes in the eastern half of North America. Details what plant species and varieties are available, what their characteristics are, and how they suit particular climates. Includes line drawings of all species, diagrams of their environmental requirements and periods of bloom, plus many photos.

“With the twinned calamities of climate change and mass extinction weighing heavier and heavier on my nature-besotted soul, here were concrete, affordable actions that I could take, that anyone could take, to help our wild neighbors thrive in the built human environment. And it all starts with nothing more than a seed. Bringing Nature Home is a miracle: a book that summons butterflies." —Margaret Renkl, The Washington Post As development and habitat destruction accelerate, there are increasing pressures on wildlife populations. In his groundbreaking book Bringing Nature Home, Douglas W. Tallamy reveals the unbreakable link between native plant species and native wildlife—native insects cannot, or will not, eat alien plants. When native plants disappear, the insects disappear, impoverishing the food source for birds and other animals. Luckily, there is an important and simple step we can all take to help reverse this alarming trend: everyone with access to a patch of earth can make a significant contribution toward sustaining biodiversity by simply choosing native plants. By acting on Douglas Tallamy's practical and achievable recommendations, we can all make a difference.

In the first book of its kind to deal solely with the unique challenges and opportunities for growing perennials and other plants in the coastal South, Sullivan, a certified master gardener, combines expert advice with a comprehensive A-to-Z plant guide.

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 will help you create new outdoor spaces that are both sustainable and beautiful. Taking the common ⅓-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. Then, 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; creating a flexible outdoor room perfect for your family's needs today and into the future; and using plants to cool the air, provide screening for privacy, buffer incoming winds, and 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.