Cooler weather could be here any day now, and football season is in full swing (and not going well for us Gator fans...). Many of us in North Central Florida look forward to October and November for tailgating parties and the great outdoors.
Orange and blue gardens are all the rage in Gainesville Landscaping this time of year.. One of the brilliantly colored roses that we trialed this year was the selection called ‘Hot Cocoa,’ with burnt orange blossoms that deepen with frost. ‘Hot Cocoa’ withstood the heat and humidity of summer, and after a good pruning, is coming back with another flush of blooms topping out at five feet.
Another striking orange bloom just peaking this season is the orange butterfly ginger. A favorite of hummingbirds, this ginger has the ability to fill a room with fragrance just from a single cut flower stalk. Like other gingers, plant these in moist soil with partial sun and they will take off.
Most Florida red maples range in color from yellows to reds and oranges depending on variety. The Florida Flame was selected by a local nursery for its ability to color up, even with warmer weather.
True blue flowers are difficult to find in nature, but delphiniums provide several shades of blue spires from sky blue to deep Gator royal blue. Plant these in November with a good organic fertilizer. Then, stand back and watch these beauties bloom through the hardest frosts of winter, and then again with a repeat performance in spring - the two most oft times people are enjoying their backyards in Gainesville due to the mild temperatures.
A well-designed landscape with layers of height and texture will add value to your home. With the right selection and placement of plant material, you can have color and interest in your garden all year, not just for the summer or spring. If you don't have any color in your landscape currently, head down to your local nursery or give us a call at 378-LAWN.
What many people don’t know is that fall is one of the best times of the year to plant here to rejuvenate the Gainesville landscape. Florida does not experience heavy frost like many areas of the country, so most trees, flowers, and shrubs keep growing during the cooler fall and winter months, especially developing roots. By planting now, your garden will be established and have twice the bloom power in the spring.
Lawns have slowed their growth considerably. This is the perfect time for a Gainesville lawn fertilization program treatment with weed and feed. Applications now will not only work better on current weeds, but pre-emergent herbicides will also keep weeds from coming back next spring as well. Milorganite, a composted waste fertilizer is a safe slow release nitrogen source for all shrubs and trees. Plants with bulbs or tubers, like agapanthus or dahlias, will enjoy a lower nitrogen, bulb-and-bloom booster from now until spring in order to bulk up their underground reserves.
Whether you want an orange and blue colored landscape, or just a healthy lawn - Fall is the perfect time to start working toward that goal and -as always - we're here to help in any way we can. Feel free to call the office or email me at rusty@themasterslawncare.com if there's any way I can assist in giving you the Gainesville lawn and landscape of your dreams.