Linda’s Green Thumb

If you like to “Play in the Dirt” Citrus County Florida will provide you with year round enjoyment—if you so choose to participate. And a good thing is, plants in Florida are relatively inexpensive-at least I find it that way in Citrus County.  As a Northener come south, you can say goodbye to growing tulips and other spring bulbs unless you “force” them by refrigeration and a planting schedule. I buy them in pots from the grocery store. You can say hello to tropicals and some old favorites.

Now, I was an avid gardener in Michigan before I moved to Citrus County Florida and that meant planting annuals in late May to early June, watch them grow to frutation and then die in September.  Well, in Florida, to my husband’s dismay, one can plant annuals probably every 4 months.  He swears he has to put two hands on the wheel of our car as the car tries to turn into Color Country automatically as we drive by the nursery.  (Yes, a great spot for flowers as well as Lowe's, Wal-Mart and Home Depot).)

Starting in November, you plant frost hardy annuals like pansies, petunias and snapdragons.  We can get several frosts in Citrus County from December up until St. Patrick’s Day—March 17. 

After March 17, I plant verbenas, begonias, cleomes, marigolds, impatiens, vinca, cosmos, pentas, coleus, geraniums, etc. all of which will grow to maturity fast, most likely dry up with a hot, dry summer and then you can plant more.  Zinnias are great and re-seed themselves for the following year, as do the vincas, torenia, cosmos and impatiens.

Everyone’s favorites are of course, perennials because you just let them do their thing.  My favorites are canna, Gerber daisies, daylilies, wild ginger, roses, and the carpet and knockout roses are great since they do not get the diseases other roses do and they have showy color. 

Thinking about planting Tropicals? Frost tender bougainvilleas seem to grow and grow and then when it’s time for them to bloom in Citrus County in December—frost comes and makes them ugly.  I personally am ready to take the plant out—since it grows profusely and stabs me several times a year as I trim it!  A hibiscus must be planted where it is safe from any continuous winter cold.  I leave one in a pot and then put it undercover when the weather becomes cold.  I have one hibiscus in the ground that is next to the house, facing west, and it grows very green leaves but blooms only a little-but it is so pretty!  It’s best to buy new hibiscus plants each year and replant or pot them.  The same is true with mandevilles which are showy until the frost comes.  I love amaryllis.  I buy one each December to bloom at Christmas and then plant it in the ground.  The following spring it will bloom and then continue to bloom every year after.  They are gorgeous once left to spread out in the garden.

I have had some luck with orchids.  I tend to put them out in the trees for the summer and bring them in to enjoy close up when they bloom.  Fertilize with orchid bloom and time-release fertilizer.

Landscaping is a whole other story. Crepe myrtles are showy in the summer and ligustrums and bottlebrush bushes provide good landscape privacy. A spectacular bush to have for fall color is the Cassia bush.  Brilliant yellow flowers bloom in late fall and it continues to bloom until hit by the frost several times.  It too, is invasive, so keep trimming it all summer until about August and then let it go to bud and flower.  If you have questions just email me. Check out the University of Florida’s info site:  http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP022