[Ohiogirl]

What's been a pleasant discovery in your landscape, either something that was already there when you bought or a plant you've tried that you just love?

Can you share your success stories?

I've got a couple of failures, but I'm hoping it's just because I've been too impatient to wait until I'm there longer and haven't been there long enough to get things off to a good start.

I'm looking for good performing blooming things, especially for Snowbird gardens when you're not there to check on things much in the summer. I do plan to make at least 1 or 2 trips down every summer to check on things and visit my Orlando daughter, so I'm hoping, with the summer rains, that I can keep an herb garden going until I get back in the fall, and also that some annuals may make it thru till we get back in the fall. What works best for you?

[graciegirl]

We have planted a line of bushes across the side of our backyard for privacy.

The ones that grow fastest is Bottlebrush and they have pretty red blossoms.

For new people who jump and put in little palms and big palms, some ...a lot, of palms are not cold resistant, as you could see this summer. The cold really hurt a lot of palms. Before you spend a lot of money find out which are cold resistant and which aren't. The ones planted by The Villages show no damage. I bet they are expensive.

I am looking forward to going to the workshops put on by the county agriculture extension program. I hear they are interesting and informative. They are held in local rec centers and I believe they are free.

here's a website for Florida Friendly plants http://www.floridayards.org/

If you click on the "Plant Database" it will allow you to build your plant list for plants that will thrive in central Florida.

As always, GG is correct in regards to the workshops. They are held various days of the months in and around TV and are free.