Garden Help: Florida-friendly landscapes help conserve water

[Barry Ansbacher]

By Terry Brite Delvalle

A Florida-friendly landscape is not a new concept, but it is new
terminology included in Senate Bill 2080. In most cases, the term
"Xeriscape" was stricken and replaced with "Florida-friendly
landscaping." This is a move in the right direction since "Xeriscape,"
indicates an arid climate and Florida is considered semi-tropical to
tropical.

There are some changes that apply to Homeowner Associations (HOAs). A
major item included in SB2080 is, as of July 1, "HOAs may not prohibit
a property owner from implementing Florida-friendly landscaping on his
or her land." HOAs are not required to do anything, but many are
currently working on revising their rules to include Florida-friendly
guidelines.

Landscape Committees or Architectural Control Committees can still
oversee homes within a development but cannot mandate water-wasting
practices or inappropriate site design, excessive or improper
fertilization, excessive use of pesticides or wrong plant/wrong place.
HOAs may not prohibit reasonable and appropriate use of mulch, plants
attractive to wildlife (such as butterfly and hummingbird gardens),
swales or rain gardens, waterfront buffers and compost bins or rain
barrels.

This doesn't mean that HOAs will loose control of the development and
home values will plummet. A Florida-friendly landscape can be well
maintained and HOAs can still provide limitations. For example, if a
property owner wants to include a compost bin or a rain barrel, the
HOA can mandate that it be placed in the side yard or backyard and
cannot be viewed from the street but must be screened with either
plant material or a privacy fence.

HOAs can still require that landscapes should be well maintained, free
of debris and weeds managed. A list of plant material can be included
for use around ponds to protect the waterfront and prevent fertilizer
runoff. Options might include canna lily, muhly grass, gulf cord
grass, pickerel weed or blue flag iris.

For more information on this topic, go to aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/guide/
aquascape.html.

To further water conservation, areas watered with high volume
irrigation may be reduced in size as plant beds using micro-irrigation
increase. This will affect existing irrigation systems, so some
changes may be required.

Lawn and plant beds should be on separate zones because they have
different irrigation needs. The use of drought-tolerant plants will
also conserve water because once established, they will not require
supplemental irrigation except during an extended drought.

Requirements can be made so that each homeowner is required to
maintain turf or a low ground cover in a designated area in the front
landscape to maintain integrity of the development.

HOAs could offer options that include St. Augustine grass, zoysia,
centipede, Bermuda or Bahia or a low growing ground cover such as
Asiatic jasmine, powderpuff mimosa, perennial peanut, or mondo grass
(shade).

A change related to irrigation is in Senate Bill 494 (section 373.62).
This requires everyone with an in-ground irrigation system to have an
operational rain shut-off device or soil moisture sensing device that
inhibits or interrupts operation of the system during periods of
sufficient moisture. The major change is that systems installed prior
to 1991 were exempt and now they must comply.

So what is a Florida-friendly landscape? Florida-friendly landscapes
are not out of control or full of weeds, but are lush compared to a
traditional landscape. They protect natural resources by conserving
water, reducing waste and pollution, creating wildlife habitat and
preventing erosion. There are nine Florida-friendly principles, which
include right plant/right place, water efficiently, fertilize
appropriately, mulch, attract wildlife, manage yard pests responsibly,
recycle yard wastes, reduce stormwater runoff and protect the
waterfront.

For more information on Florida-friendly landscaping, go to
fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/ and floridayards.org/.

Another new publication that will be helpful is "Adopting a Florida-
Friendly Landscape: Steps for Converting a Traditional Development
Landscape to a Florida-Friendly Landscape" found at edis.ifas.ufl.edu/
EP396.

Model Florida-friendly covenants are also available from DEP at
www.dep.state.fl.us/water/nonpoint/pubs.htm (item #6).

Terry DelValle is a horticulture extension agent with the Duval County
Extension Service and the University of Florida/IFAS.