Florida Spring Landscaping Wildlife & Environmentally Friendly Approach

As Spring gets into full swing, now is the time alot of people turn to landscaping improvements.  Small, well planned-out changes go along way immediately and long term.  When choosing landscaping several factors should be considered. Our climate extremes. Choose a native species that has evolved over time to survive these conditions. Down the road it will benefit your property, Wildlife, and the Environment. Choose a plant that can thrive in the space provided-your more apt to take care of it -and it's more likely to survive.

Fertilizers are a HUGE pollutant, so much so that special legislation is in place to control the formula allowed to be sold in Florida. When choosing one make sure you check the package for Phosphate content. Fertilizer bags are labeled with contents such as 8-2-10 or some other set of 3 numbers. The 1st number is nitrogen content, the 2nd is the phosphorus content and the 3rd number is the potassium content Look for a fertilizer where the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus (the first to second number) is a minimum of 4 to 1. For example, a 12-3-10 and a 15-0-15 fertilizer would follow this recommendation. These are the three major nutrients your lawn needs to thrive. Plant Natives that give back to the creatures our suburbs have displaced, Dahoon Holly, Beautyberry, Coco Plum. Consider a 'Wild Patch" for Butterfly Blossoms & Larvae.  Add a Birdfeeder stocked with a simple 'Wild Bird seed" mix to start, until you become familiar with the species you attract-then you can add more species specific seed as you are able to identify your diners! Some possibilities for the smaller beaked birds such as Goldfinches, is Niger-or Black thistle seed, small or crushed Peanuts & Sunflower meats.  .

In South Florida, feeding #1 would be late winter, perhaps March 1st or so.  Why feed then?  Because that is when plants start their growth period.  Feed often all the way to September or October in Florida zone 10.  Last feeding is August or September zone 9.  Last feeding in zone 8 would be August.  If we get into a spell of ongoing heavy rains, consider the fertilizer washed away and re-apply to replace.All fertilizer labels have three bold numbers.

In general, select a fertilizer where the first and third numbers on the label are equal or in a 2:1 ratio and the middle number is zero or as low as possible.

 For a listing you can check out further recommendations at the IFAS website at:http://livinggreen.ifas.ufl.edu/landscaping/landscaping_for_wildlife.html
Another great site for further recommendations is: http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/yards/fertilizing/



Wandering About Nature Today

Gumbo Limbo Sea Turtle Day March 13, 2010 Open To Public

Dear Friends,

Sea Turtle Day

Join us for our Fifth Annual Sea Turtle Day on Saturday, March 13, 10 am - 4 pm. Celebrate sea turtles, marine life, and our oceans as well as our terrestrial species and habitats in a fun-filled family day of environmental education. All species and habitats are interconnected; learn what conservation actions you can take in your daily life to help make our world a better, cleaner place to live. This year we will focus on responsible fishing. For information, visit our website. No reservations required. Donations suggested. Open to all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult





The Morning Show on CBS Channel 12



Please tune in to CBS Channel 12 on Sunday, February 21 from 6-9 AM. We will be broadcasting live from Gumbo Limbo Nature Center with updates about our sea turtle residents every half hour.



Click here to visit us online.



















Wandering About Nature Today-