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The Neighborhood Gardener – June

Happy Gardening!

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Coastal Gardening

FirebushSalinity problems are very common in coastal Florida. Soils laden with salts often dry roots out and prevent plants from thriving.  If you live in an area abundant in salt spray or your well has been intruded by saltwater, do your research and choose plants that can handle these conditions. Plants and trees that are planted within one-eighth of a mile from the coastline need to be adequately salt-tolerant. More

Microirrigation

Summer is our rainy season, but the dry fall months will be here before we know it. So now's the time to plan for a garden microirrigation system. When microirrigation is installed and used correctly, water use is reduced because water is delivered directly to the plants' roots instead of sprayed through sprinklers. Disease problems can be reduced because plant foliage stays drier. And unlike sprinkler irrigation, microirrigation exceeds 90 percent efficiency. More

Plant of the Month: Crossandra

Crossandra flowers Native to Southeast Asia, this shrub will grow up to 3 feet tall, with glossy, textured leaves and salmon or orange colored blossoms that attract hummingbirds. Crossandra thrives in warm, humid environments and cannot tolerate cold weather. It perform as a perennial in Central and South Florida, but should be used as container or annual plants otherwise. While it can tolerate up to four hours of direct sun light per day, this shrub can also be grown in partially shaded areas. More

June in Your Garden

Annuals that can take full sun during the increasingly hot summer months include celosia, portulaca, vinca, and some coleus. Plant heat-loving herbs like basil and Mexican tarragon. Many summer flowering shrubs like hibiscus, oleander, and crapemyrtle benefit from frequent light pruning to improve flowering.

For more month-by-month gardening tips, check out the Florida Gardening Calendar. Three different editions of the calendar provide specific tips for each of Florida's gardening regions—North, Central, and South. More

Friend or Foe? Foe: Iguanas

Male iguanaIguanas were originally brought to South Florida during the '50s and '60s and sold as exotic pets. In the decades since, people have been illegally releasing these animals into the wild, dumping them after realizing they can no longer take care of these giant lizards. The warm, tropical Florida climate allowed these reptiles to thrive, and now there are over 100,000 feral iguanas invading Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties. More

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Blue flag iris is a good plant for rain gardens

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