Q: Can you tell me more about a plant called the glory bush? I remember my parents having one when I grew up, and I’d love to know how hardy they are. We live in Southwest Florida. A: The royal purple flowers of the Tibouchina lepidota, or glory bush, continually…
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Q: I’m being dead serious when I say I could even kill a silk flower. I can’t get anything to grow. I’m looking for a non-fussy plant that could grow in a contained area (along my stone wall) and provide some bright color. Does Mother Nature make anything in purple…
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Searching for a large, interesting shrub for your Southwest Florida beachfront home? Consider the sea grape. Just because it grows wild along the coast doesn’t mean you can’t introduce it to your residential landscape. In fact, its tolerance for salty, dry and windy conditions makes a perfect windbreak, noise barrier…
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Q: With the recent wildfires consuming land and homes in Arizona, Colorado and California, how do I reduce the risk of fire hazards in my Florida landscape? A: Florida's frequent lightning strikes and human carelessness guarantee that wildfire will continue to be a factor in rural and suburban areas. Two…
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Florida frost suffers no fools. Any and all unprotected plants are fair game unless you're prepared. If your plants are well watered, they'll have a more established root system and will survive low temps better than those that are drought-stressed. Plus, well-watered soil absorbs more solar radiation than dry. Here…
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