There Were No Fences

The recent months of April and May were especially dry. I don't believe my landscape received a drop of rain during that time and it showed.  A few plants in my wildflower garden simply gave up the ghost. It wasn't really possible to water these as deeply as they needed and it showed me that they really weren't as adapted to my landscape as I had hoped. I will not add them again as much as I'd like to.  Drought is a common phenomenon here in Florida and we must choose plants that are willing and able to abide it - in reasonable degrees.   The need for water is something most gardeners understand.  It is vital for nearly every function a plant requires. It lies on both sides of the equation for photosynthesis, for example. Without adequate water, a plant simply has to shut this vital function down. Without photosynthesis, a plant cannot grow or flower. If it's severe enough, it can't do anything and it will die.  Water also is the vehicle for bringing in nut...

Nonnative plumbago ( Plumbago auriculata ) This may seem sacrilegious to a great many who read this, but I believe that there is a somewhat dangerous dogma being promulgated these days about the almost-holiness of being a native plant in a landscape designed for living creatures such as pollinators and birds. I find it to be very short-sighted on the surface. Every day on social media sites devoted to life in landscapes I read posts and comments targeted at native vs nonnative plants where virtually the only thing being considered is whether a plant is native or not; the concept that being native somehow confers a special quality that must be embraced. I find this disquieting because it ignores the real issue - that being, "what role will this plant play in one's overall goals?"  When Dr. Tallamy published his seminal book, Bringing Nature Home, he gave all of us words to ponder regarding the impact that nonnative landscapes have had on indigenous wildlife. It was, and i...