GAZETTE Tampa Bay Gay and Lesbian News

By Dewey Davis-Thompson
The massacre started with purple flowers. Don't ask what kind, but they sure were pretty. A dozen varieties of plants, selected solely for their violet petals and lovingly placed into the yard across the street. How beautiful the view - until the house went up for sale and stood empty for a month. Full sun and the dry season made short work of the floral blunder.

The new neighbors have put in a few palm trees, and promise to make their yard Florida-friendly. Ready to assist is the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods (FY&N) program, a grant-funded partnership involving Tampa Bay Water, the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Pinellas County Government. The FY&N program is designed to conserve water, reduce storm water and pollution runoff, enhance wildlife habitat and, of course, to create beautiful landscapes. Several yards in St. Petersburg's Old Southeast neighborhood now benefit from these gardening guidelines. Many were designed by Jim Beck, of J and J Landscape.

Three years ago Beck and his partner of 25 years, Jim Gonzalez, decided to follow a lifelong passion for plants. "I wanted to do something that I really like to do. I wanted to retire but still work." He got started in his own yard. "I think one of the most important thing is using the right kinds of plants in the right places. Plants that need more water should be in a little oasis; plants that are drought tolerant are planted together."

Beck says he strives to balance microclimates in a yard. Plants grow better in a natural environment. Surprisingly, however, they don't need to be native to be Florida Certified. "Of course," he warns "you can't have invasive plants like Florida Holly, Carrotwood, Australian Pines." Making the most of seasonal rainfall is also important. "We collect rainwater in water barrels as part of our watering system. It runs into 55-gallon drums from the roof. We hooked them up to the drainpipe in the gutter. I use the water to water all my container plants. I also connect a gravity fed soaker hose to it."

"Nobody should have a lawn," he laughs. You can get away using less water on container plants." And Jim should know. "I have always been interested in plants, ever since I was a kid. It's been a hobby, a passion. I read a lot. I have lots of books on plants."

The years of study paid off and now he designs Florida landscapes, installs the plants and even cares for some of them. The transformations are delightful and amazing. One client likes the Driftwood look, "so we made her yard look like the Driftwood neighborhood around the corner. No lawn, just lots of plants."

Florida-friendly landscaping emphasizes nine major principles: 1) Right Plant-Right Place, 2) Water Efficiently, 3) Fertilize Appropriately, 4) Mulch, 5) Attract Wildlife, 6) Control Yard Pests Responsibly, 7) Recycle, 8) Reduce Stormwater Runoff, 9) Protect the Waterfront.

Florida Yards & Neighborhoods can help you transform your yard into a beautiful oasis that will not only conserve precious water resources and reduce pollution, but will also help you save time, energy and money. FMI click here or email jbeck1jgon@aol.com.

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