Viola adds a beautiful pop of purple to your Winter landscape.

Living in Central Florida definitely has its advantages! We are fortunate enough to keep our yards bursting with color all year round. There are many varieties of Winter Plants here that can keep things colorful and in bloom with a little preparation and maintenance through the Winter Season.

First things first. It is important to know how to make this happen. It is important to trim back perennials and time to set out annuals! Growing successful Winter Plants is more involved than just going to your local landscaper or retailer and picking out “cool season” labeled plants. Some are still not appropriate and you will also find some plants still selling in Winter months that are not hardy during cool weather. Keeping Winter Plants healthy and beautiful requires a bit more attention and care than in other seasons, so make sure you are aware of the needed tasks and allow yourself the time to maintain those gorgeous colors throughout the season.

Other things to consider as well are:

• Soil Conditions – Soil should be built up with organic matter that will help retain nutrients throughout the season to allow plants to continue producing blooms. This can be accomplished by adding compost, decomposed manure or sawdust. Compost is always the best type of organic material to add to your soil. Be aware of some of the issues that may come with other materials. You can find more information on organic matter in this article by University of Florida Gardening Solutions.
• Water – Watering is essential to any plant, but for Winter Plants, it is vital that you add water on a regular basis. Winter is dry season here in Florida. A sprinkler or, even better, a soaker hose, will go a long way in keeping your plants healthy and colorful.
• Fertilizer – Be sure to add a slow release fertilizer or a weekly root fertilizer to aid in blooming.

Beautiful Winter Plants for Florida

Snapdragons can add beautiful spikes of color in your landscape. They are striking when planted in groups and can be varied in height to create depth and variety. They can range from six inches to three feet in height and are long-lasting flowers. You can continue to plant these beauties through February for continuous Winter color!

White Alyssum will add a beautiful touch as a low-growing, long lasting blooming annual to your landscape. They are a small flower that can make a big statement. They are fairly easy to grow and They have a sweet smell that will add a wonderful scent as your walk through your yard in the Winter. These little giants also come in hues of rose, blue or bi-colored varieties to add just the impact you seek.

Geraniums are a classic favorite. They can come in red, white or pink adding a beautiful splash of color with their blooms. Geraniums are sensitive to cold, so while they will continue to bloom, consider planting in containers that can be moved indoors should we get our occasional yet rare freeze warning here in Central Florida. Consider adding in Scented Geraniums as well. These are not grown for blooms, but for their scent. They will add a wonderful fragrance to your landscape ranging from mint, rose and lemon to cinnamon.

Dusty Miller is a silvery-leafed, low-growing plant that reaches heights of 6 to 12 inches. This makes it perfect for borders and containers. It looks beautiful when contrasted with the colorful blooms of other plants. We think this is a gorgeous Winter Plant because it gives the feel of a frost laying over the landscape just by its own natural color.

Calendula is one of the most reliable Winter Plants. It’s brightly colored daisy-like flowers will add a touch of cheer to your landscape. You can get single or double bloom Calendula that will grow between 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall. Calendula is also an edible plant and has been used historically medicinally as well as for dyes.

A Few Last Mentions!

Protection is still necessary. While most of these Winter Plants will survive the cold season and provide beautiful color to your landscape, they are not freeze proof. the will need to be covered with the warning of temperatures below their toleration point. Be sure to keep your weather forecast close by and make sure you protect these Winter beauties!

Deadheading is an important step to continuous blooming. This is the process of pinching spent flowers from your plants. Be careful with some such as the Calendula that are self sowing. You may not want to simply discard on the ground as you might be surprised with some popping up next year where you may be planning to plant something else.

There are many other options as well to add to your Winter landscape. You can check some of those out in this Green Blog article.

Happy Winter Planting!

Frost vs. Freeze

Although many of us quite often use the terms interchangeably. Frost and Freeze really are not the same events at all.

Frost is actually a physical manifestation on plants or other surfaces when there is a lot of water vapor in the air and the air temperature is warmer than the surfaces. This is why frost is most prevalent in mornings when the air temperature rises and a layer of frost develops on all visible surfaces.

Freeze is when temperatures fall below freezing (32° Fahrenheit or 0° Celsius) for a long enough period of time that ice crystals actually form inside plants. When ice forms inside plant cells, it splits the cell wall and kills the plant tissue. This is why a freeze is actually the culprit when it comes to ruining plants.

Types of Frost or Freeze include:
Hoarfrost  – The familiar light white frost you see on chilly mornings. It results when water in the air is deposited directly in the form of ice crystals.
Rime – This occurs when water is deposited in liquid form through dew or fog which then freezes. Rime has a glazed appearance.
Black frost – is a term used when frost didn’t form, but plants were nonetheless damaged (and blackened) by freezing temperatures.

What can you do to protect plants from frost or freeze?

Learn which plants are more vulnerable to cold and which are hardier. This will keep you from wasting time and ensure that you protect your most fragile plants that must remain outdoors. Here are some of the most common plants vulnerable to frost.

• Oleander
• Petunia
• Geranium
• Lobelia

Pro Landscaper Tips:

• Make sure the soil is moist prior to freezing weather; plants need adequate water even when it is cold.
• Move as many containers with plants as you can to warmer locations.
• Small plants and shrubs can be dug from the ground and added to containers and moved to warmer locations.
• Mound soil or mulch up around the base of plants to protect roots that can be saved even if the top of the plant is destroyed by a freeze.
• Leave citrus on the trees; it would take freezing temperatures for a long period of time to affect these trees and fruits are still usable for a while even if they freeze. Frozen citrus is devastating for a farmer’s crop and income but not generally for individuals.

Cover your Plants Properly!

Covering is by far the best prevention for plants against freezing temperatures. You can use just about anything to cover your plants and protect from freezing temperatures, but there are some things you need to know when preparing to do this. Heavier covers and thicker material will protect more against freezing temperatures extended for longer periods of time.

Create a framework if possible around your plants in advance for particularly harsh Winters. This will make applying and removing covers easier. Place covers over plants BEFORE sunset to capture ground heat which will keep plants warmer longer. If using plastic, do not allow to touch leaves as plastic will transmit cold onto leaves and they will be burned by the cold temperatures. Plastic is not the preferred covering as does not entrap heat as well. Be sure your covers drape all the way to the ground. Covering tops and leaving ground at bottom of plants exposed is useless.

Now that the Thanksgiving Holiday has passed, many of us have started the process of decorating for the Winter Holiday Season. Once your Christmas Tree is up and the stockings have been hung or your Menorah is ready for lighting and you have Gelt out ready to spin the Dreidel, you might want to think about bringing your Holiday spirit into the outdoor areas of your home as well. Most people put lights up on the exterior of their home, but you can expand on the lights and add some wonderful décor to your porches, patios and landscaping.

There are many ways to incorporate the Holiday Spirit into your outdoor décor. Let us help give you some tips and tricks with these Outdoor Holiday Decorating Ideas! One of the best ways to bring your Holiday décor outside is to decorate around your front entry or porch and any rear porches or patios. There are many different ways to do this beyond a few potted Poinsettias! Here are some great ideas:

Wreaths! You can create wreaths from many different types of material such as live garland, burlap, large Christmas ornaments, etc. Magnolia wreaths are popular here in Central Florida and can add a beautiful, high end feel to your front door décor. HGTV offers a great DIY Magnolia Wreath design. Consider using multiple wreaths as well. You can hang together vertically on doors, chimneys, or even on porch columns.

Outdoor Christmas Tree! Many of us have our largest decorated tree indoors to put gifts under. We are fortunate her in Florida to continue to our Holiday celebrations outdoors. An outdoor tree is a great idea to enjoy on a porch or patio, especially if you entertain frequently in that area. It is also a clever idea to use your outdoor tree for gifts for your pets or gifts for your yard such as bird feeders, bird seed, outdoor products or tools. You can open gifts in two different areas and enjoy more of your home. If you are celebrating Hanukkah, you can add outdoor Menorahs and create a tradition of lighting inside and out every night.

Pine Cones! These can be added to decorative vases and containers to add the touch of the Season. You can add ornaments, surround candles or even make mini decorative trees. You can paint white, gold or silver and mix together to create a nice arrangement. Something about Pine Cones says the Holidays are here!

Other Holiday Touches include large wooden Nutcrackers, Giant Candy Canes, Large Ornaments/Dreidels and Light Up Gift Boxes that can be added to porches, entryways and patios. Incorporating a few or all of these suggestions can make your outdoor space just as festive as your indoor decorations.

In addition to decorating your entryway, porches or patios, one of the best things you can do is add Holiday touches to your Central Florida landscaping. Here are some great ways to do just that:

Lights! Be sure to add lighting to areas beyond your eaves and porches. You can add lighting to your shrubs, pathways and even outer lying trees. We are fortunate to have solar light options that can allow you to place decorative Holiday lighting into all areas outdoors.

Plants! Add Holiday plants into your landscaping. You are not limited to adding the few potted Poinsettias to your porch and that’s it. Expand Holiday plants into your yard incorporating them into your existing landscaping. Be sure to layer and light by using varied sizes planters and solar or fairy light to grab the eye and focus on your beautiful Holiday landscaping. You can use old metal buckets for planters, some perforated with snowflakes or snowmen that can be light from inside add a nice lighted décor without a lot of extra work. You can also use an old snow sled or red wagons to place different plants on and create a wonderful focal point to a flower bed or an area of your yard that you want to draw attention to. Be sure to also surround your mailbox with Holiday plants or adorn with a beautiful Holiday garland.

Here is a list of various plants that will add beautiful touches to your Holiday landscaping. Some are familiar and some might be surprising.

Poinsettias – Because they come in many colors and patterns, Poinsettias can be added in number to create a wonderful Holiday touch to any landscaping, even if you don’t have a lush landscape.

Amaryllis – A flowering bulb with large flowers, Amaryllis is a gorgeous addition to your Holiday landscaping. These come in solids and patterns as well, so they can create a wonderful variety of Holiday colors and are sure to catch the eyes of those that pass by your home this Holiday season. These blooms will last 7-10 weeks and you can always store unplanted bulbs for replanting.

Narcissus – These are also a flowering bulb with many varieties and will bloom in Winter in the South. These are low maintenance and can be left in place to enjoy. While the bulb rebuilds, it will provide large green leaves.

With all of these tips, tricks, and Outdoor Holiday Decorating Ideas, we hope we have added some serious motivation for you to extend your Holiday decorating outdoors. You will welcome the Season and your Holiday guests from outside to in and It can also help work off some of that Thanksgiving Dinner!

We all want that gorgeous, thick green lawn. The easiest and fastest way to accomplish that in most cases is by installing sod. Sod is sections of cut from the surface of grass including the roots. Although sod may be the fastest and easiest way to get an instant lush lawn, it doesn’t come without some work and careful considerations that should be taken to mind.

Here in Central Florida, we are somewhat in a “transition” zone when it comes to plant hardiness. While we don’t have the consistent cold temperatures and freezes of North Florida, we do get frost and an occasional freeze. We aren’t far enough south to have the sub-tropical and tropical environments of South Florida. Regardless of the zone, the entire state of Florida has a warm enough climate that it is important to make sure you chose a warm-season sod grass to install. The best grasses to install in Florida include St. Augustine, the most popular, Bermuda, Centipede, Bahia and Zoysia. These grasses spread by runners above and below ground and hence are better suited for warmer climates. For reference, cool season grasses include Fescues, Ryegrass and Kentucky Bluegrass which grow in bunches.

Once you have chosen your type of sod, the next thing to consider what time of year would suit best for the installation of Orlando sod here in our local yards.

Grass roots go dormant in temperatures less than 50 degrees. While we don’t have many hard freezes here in Central Florida, we do see some consistent days that fall below this threshold. For this reason, winter is very risky to install sod because of possible exposure to cold temperatures. If this happens, the grass will go dormant and the roots will not have time to establish into the soil. This could kill an entire installation that would be very costly to replace.

Spring is a good option at times, but here in Orlando, we have very little true spring. Because of our climate, spring temperatures can get extremely hot very quickly. It is best to be observant of weather patterns and watch for trends. You will need to water to make sure the grass stays moist so that the roots can develop and establish into the soil.

Summer temperatures are too hot and while it is possible to install sod at this time of year, it requires a lot of water due to evaporation. Unless you have an irrigation system installed or a lot of time on your hands to make sure it doesn’t get dried out, Summer is best to avoid. Summer here also brings a lot of rain. Too much water on new sod will make it more susceptible to insects, fungus and disease. Because Florida summers can be brutal, we would think twice about installing sod at this time of year.

That leaves us with Fall! Fall brings cooler temperatures while grass continues to grow. This is the perfect condition for installing sod. It will be able to root quickly and withstand any winter temperatures. As well, if you are maintaining yourself, cooler temperatures will make it easier to water, fertilize and mow to assure a well-established lawn with Orlando sod and the very best looking Florida grass for years to come.

Fall is a great time to install sod also because most other landscape plants have been planted and have matured by this point and therefore require less maintenance so you will be able to spend more time focusing on creating the thick, lush lawn that will make the neighbors jealous next summer! This is why we recommend Fall. It will be both optimal conditions for the grass and for those installing and maintaining it!

Some other tips to consider when preparing to install sod are:

• Be sure you clear your soil of any weeds. They can penetrate newly installed sod very easily. This can be accomplished with chemical weed killers or by covering with plastic sheeting to create heat and sterilize the soil.
• Grade the soil to be sure that it slopes away from structures, large trees or surface installations such as patios or concrete sidewalks. This will help drainage of water and avoid puddles that could be damaging to your grass.
• Test your soil to determine which sod will work best and what nutrients if any will need to be added. All sod will be installed over a layer of topsoil or compost, but the roots will eventually penetrate this layer and establish deeper into existing soil.