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Florida Gardening

Good news for Wildflower lovers

14 years ago

There's an article in the Orlando paper about how there's going to be less mowing along the highways and more wildflowers. It saves on mowing costs and may even reduce the number of accidents. I hope the state/DOT will keep doing more and more of this. Here's a link.

Bill

Here is a link that might be useful: More wildflowers

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Comments (7)

olyagrove
14 years ago
Thank you for interesting article, Bill - I am looking forward to more wildflowers!

Last year, I saw annual phlox for the first time growing along a highway...I dug one small plant, and it grew happily in my yard...An annual, I did not think I would see it again - but it reseeded and this year I have a few nice patches of annual phlox!
It will be interesting to see what other wildflowers will do well here, growing along the roads! :)
From Backyard Summer 2009

Olya
an_ill-mannered_ache
14 years ago
thanks, bill.

"It's a very different aesthetic," Caster said. "But I think people are ready for it."

that's it. we need to redefine the aesthetic. what counts as normal is always a culturally determined variable.
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imagardener2
14 years ago
castorp
thanks for the article.

Ladybird Johnson did so much to raise the level of wildflower awareness. If they can do it in Texas surely Florida can too.

"we need to redefine the aesthetic"
I heartily agree. Perhaps some good can come from decreased government spending. The increased use of native plants in medians and in shopping centers is great. The interstates are the next obvious place to go native.

olya
LOVE that phlox. you are so much braver than I who spotted some great gaillardia when I lived in Naples and couldn't figure out how to rescue it. And your butterfly! Lovely.

Denise
fldirt
14 years ago
Yeaaaaaa. It's about time that Florida starting doing this. Other states have wonderful wildflowers along their highways. Helps to pass the time driving when you have something beautiful to look at. I-10 had some nice wildflowers this spring.
irma_stpete_10a
14 years ago
(Does anyone know...) Is Texas' program still going strong?
happy_fl_gardener; 9a, near DeLand
14 years ago
Bill, I saw that article in the newspaper yesterday too. My thoughts were, well, it's about time. Glad someone thought of it. Hopefully, it may be a way to help save our butterfly population.

Olya, I have some wild phlox in bloom near my house and I would have never thought to bring some home. What a great idea. Your efforts were well rewarded. I have some perennial phlox that started to bloom last week. I'll post pictures of it when it reaches its peak. Last year it bloomed longer than usual. It seemed like it bloomed for a couple of months. I'll keep track this year.

Christine
tropicalfreak
14 years ago
It's about freaking time!!

-Tropicalfreak

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