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- Prepare turf for the long summer ahead by watering only when necessary. Learn where the irrigation timer is located and turn it off. Turn it on and water deeply only when the grass begins to show signs of wilt.
- Caladium breeding has come a long way in recent years and sun and shade varieties can provide riots of color in full sun and shade.
- Not all roses are created equal in Florida gardens. Try to find your favorite rose grown on R. fortuniana rootstock. Alternate chemical and organic feedings every other month. To prevent diseases, deeply water the roots as needed and try to keep excess water off the leaves.
- Sponsored by the Central Florida Daylily Society, the Daylily Show & Sale comes to the Harry P. Leu Gardens on Saturday, May 17 from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission to the gardens is $7 for adults and $2 students; admission to the show is free. For more information, visit
www.leugardens.org or call (407) 898-9945.
Garden Maintenance
- Double - check the depth of garden mulch and add 1 to 2 inches before temperatures soar. Mulch moderates the extremes of soil temperatures as the sun rises and falls and decomposes to help improve the organic content of the soil.
- Watch for those pesky chinch bugs and sod webworms in the lawn and treat as needed.
- Finish pruning camellias and azaleas in May. Remove any dead branches and stems that cross over each other and offer an entry point to diseases. Pruning after May will reduce the number of blooms next spring.
- All types of turf should be fertilized by now. Soil tests performed at home or by County Cooperative Extension agents are a good guide to learn what type and how much fertilizer to use. Trees and shrubs need a good feeding now, too.
What to Plant
- Plant summer annuals now before the heat sets in. Flowers with summer color include marigolds, salvia, portulaca, ice plant, celosia, periwinkle and cosmos.
- Water is our most precious resource in Florida. When planting new areas or replacing old ones, look for plants that require less water. Drought tolerant plants don't have to be ugly -- many drought-tolerant plants have outstanding flowers and/or foliage. Bottlebrush, croton, fire bush, firecracker plant, frangipani and the native beach sunflower are a few examples that enjoy the Florida sunshine.
Robert Bowden is director of the city of Orlando's Harry P. Leu Gardens. He appears often on nationally syndicated television programs and travels throughout the U.S. giving presentations on a wide variety of gardening subjects. www.leugardens.org.
