A Morning
GET OUT AND GET INSPIRED
Visit a garden or plant festival
Need the quickest of quick starts for revamping your yard? Start by getting inspired at a local garden or plant festival. It’s your one-stop-shop for finding out what you like, what grows locally, and best care tips from gardening gurus.
VISIT A PUBLIC GARDEN
“Teaching” gardens such as the Heathcote Botanical Gardens in Fort Pierce or the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens offer examples of Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ in action. After you’ve learned a few gardening lessons, your homework is to put them to use in your yard — beats advanced calculus, eh?
DO SOME BOTANICAL BRAINSTORMING
While having your morning coffee, walk around your yard to see what’s working and what’s not. Note areas where you’d like to make changes and write down your ideas. If you have time for another cup of Joe (and c’mon, you know you do) check out the design scenarios in the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Guide to Plant Selection & Landscape Design.
ADD SOMETHING NEW
A quick, easy, and affordable addition can make a big difference in your yard. Think a birdbath, rain barrel, or a very charming pink flamingo (hint hint, nudge nudge).
CLEAN IT UP
Weed or prune the landscaping around your home. If you’re pruning, wait until late February — that’s usually the last chance we’ll see frost in this area (or anything else related to that odd season called “winter” that Northerners speak of).
KNOW YOUR WATER FLOW
Turn on your irrigation system (you know, the automatic sprinklers that come on at 4am in the morning) and inspect it for leaks and breaks. Learn to make repairs.
Also check the timing. Your system should be set to water in the early morning — the best time for your grass. Be sure you’re not watering the driveway, sidewalk, or an unsuspecting morning jogger.