GARDENING Index
Diseases & Weeds
Flowers
Fruits & Vegetables
General Information
Container Gardening
Insects & Pests
Kids Gardening
Lawns & Landscaping
Landscaping, Arranging & Mulching
Raised Beds
Structures, Walls & Walkways
Other

Plants & Foliage
Public Gardens
Seasons & Zones
Services & Associations
Shrubs & Trees
Soil & Water
Structures & Ornaments
Tools
Water Gardening
Wildlife

SPONSOR LINKS

  • Worst Yard on the Block
    		•
    From "Desperate Landscapes"
    episode DDSL-303


    (Continued from page 1)

    Cara and Tom's plants

    Below is a list of the plants that were chosen to dress up the yard:

    advertisement


    PHOTO
    Sweet viburnum
    Viburnum odoratissimum

    This large evergreen shrub (or small tree) is prized for its fragrant flowers.

  • Fast grower
  • Mature size: 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide
  • Produces red berries, but they're not often seen when grown in Florida
  • Can be used as a hedge
  • Not often bothered by pests
  • USDA Zones 8-10

    Leyland cypress
    X Cupressocyparis leylandii

    This fast-growing pyramidal evergreen is often planted for fast screening. If planted well, this conifer can grow up to three or four feet per year. It can be pruned but it looks best if allowed to keep its natural shape.

  • Mature size: Up to 100 feet tall and 20 feet wide

  • Tolerant of salt spray
  • USDA Zones 6-10
  • Can grow up to 100 feet tall and 20 feet wide
  • Often used as a privacy hedge

    PHOTO
    Live oak

    This well-loved native evergreen tree is often associated with the South.

  • Average size is 30 to 50 feet tall with a spread of 80 feet
  • Acorns are edible
  • Grows best in sandy, well-draining soil
  • Once established, it's drought tolerant
  • Tolerates auto pollution
  • Salt tolerant
  • USDA Zones 8-11
  • Its wood is among the heaviest of any tree in the U.S.
  • Common mistake: planting too close to other trees, home, drive or sidewalk.

    PHOTO
    Variegated pittosporum
    Pittosporum tobira 'Variegata'

    The creamy-white flowers of this shrub (or small tree) smell like orange blossoms. The leaves have irregular creamy white margins.

  • Grows 5-10 feet tall and wide
  • Plant in shade it will grow taller than planted in sun
  • Fast grower when it's young and a bit high maintenance, needing regular pruning
  • Will survive drought but will look worse for wear. Perks up when watered adequately.
  • Blooms in spring.
  • USDA Zones 8-10
  • Maintenance tip: Prune after flowering.

    Indian hawthorn

  • Three to six feet tall and wide
  • Some can be trained to grow as a small tree
  • Drought and salt-spray tolerant
  • Pink, white or red flowers in spring
  • Blue fruit attracts birds
  • USDA Zones 8-11

    Plumbago or leadwort
    The sky-blue flowers of this shrub resemble those of phlox.

  • Grows three to 10 feet high and wide
  • Evergreen in warm climates
  • Blooms almost all year except for coldest months
  • Prefers sandy soil with good drainage
  • Once it's established, it is drought tolerant
  • USDA Zones 8-11
  • Maintenance tip: Produces flowers on current season's growth; prune in late winter.

    Foxtail fern, asparagus fern
    Protasparagus densiflorus

  • Unlike other asparagus ferns, this one has upright stems.
  • Stems look like bottle brushes.
  • Plant has a fluffy appearance.
  • This can be invasive. We are using it only in containers to limit its spread.

    Boston fern

  • Native to Florida forests and swamps
  • Long fronds up to three feet long
  • Prefers partial shade
  • Prefers moist soil
  • Good ground cover in shady areas where nothing else will grow
  • USDA Zones 9-11
  • Note: frost will cause it to die back, but it will re-emerge in spring
  • Note: dark spots on back are spores,not disease

    White bird of paradise

    This plant is the tree form of orange bird of paradise, which is often used in floral arrangements.

  • Can grow 18 feet tall and up to six feet wide
  • Flower is white with a light blue tongue and a purplish bract
  • Can be killed by temps lower than 24 degrees. To avoid plant loss, plant in container and move indoors during cold snap.

    PHOTO
    Fakahatchee grass, or gamma grass
    Tripsacum dactyloides

    This easy-to-grow plant is native to the southeast U.S., but it performs well in much of the country.

  • Clumps can reach five feet tall and four feet wide
  • Dark green blades
  • Flowers in late spring or mid-summer depending on your part of the country
  • Loves wet areas around ponds, ditches, streams
  • USDA Zones 5-10


      1 | 2


  • ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  		• Worst Yard on the Block
    		•