HOLLYWOOD GARDEN CLUB Making Hollywood more beautiful one garden at a time! August 2016

Member of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs – http://ffgc.wildapricot.org - District XI- http://browardgardenclubs.org National Garden Clubs, Inc. and Deep South Region

HOLLYWOOD GARDEN CLUB MEETINGS 3RD WEDNESDAY of the MONTH Fred Lippman Multi-Purpose Center

6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 2030 Polk Street, Hollywood, FL 33023

VISIT OUR WEBSITE - Hollywood Garden Club http://hollywoodgardenclub.com What would you like to see in our newsletter?? Email pictures from your garden or other suggestions to mtabela@comcast.net LIKE US on FaceBook Membership in Florida Federation of Garden Clubs is open to all regardless of gender, age, race, ethenicity, or religious affiliation

2016 “Gardening is cheaper than therapy- and you get flowers”

Contribute to our raffle by bringing a potted plant to the meeting!

GROUND COVERS Ground covers are low growing plants that have a clumping or creeping habit or both. They can function as fillers, for erosion control, and weed suppression, plus they are easy to maintain. The most widely used ground cover is turf grass but because of the time and expense of maintenance, need for irrigation and fertilizer, plus diseases and pest problems, there are situations where turf grass is not the best environmental choice. We all love gardening but we need to have areas in our garden that take little if any care otherwise we would be inundated with gardening chores. Maybe you already are! Take a look at ground covers as an alternative in your garden.

Photo by Lee Layman

Happy Birthday Errol Simmons

Special thanks to Sandi from Broward Orchid Supply for her informative class on potting orchids and her tour of all her beautiful orchids. Thank you from all of the Hollywood Garden Club.

Susan Berry’s pet Iguana “Lucky” was chosen as Pet of the Month in the Hollywood Gazette. Congrats Lucky!!

HGC Ground Covers 2 August 2016

Here are some of the ground covers available:

The dark green liriope shown above with variegated flax lily along a border, they make a nice contrast and very easy care. They do well in sun or shade giving them great versatility.

One of the most popular ground covers is ferns. Ferns are easy care and can fill in or hide unsightly areas. They make an attractive border or can be used in containers. They can eventually overtake an area but since they are shallow rooted just pull out or trim to keep under control. This variety grows to about 24”.

Artillery fern used as a border. Just snipe it with a pair of scissors to keep it in line. It grows to about 12”. The light green color make a good contrast with other plants. It is easily propagated with cuttings stuck right into the ground. It will thrive in full sun or part shade. This plant is one of our favorites.

Purple queen has vibrant purple color. This is a fast growing ground cover to about 2’ to 3’. It likes full sun and its water needs are low.

HGC ground covers 3 August 2016

Native Mimosa is a ground cover growing

to about 6” and can be used as a turf

replacement. It can take light traffic and

can be mowed. It spreads to fill in an area

and can be trimmed to keep it contained.

White Alder (Turnera subulata) can be a small bush or

ground cover it is not fussy about soil conditions and

has either white or yellow flowers. It can become leggy

with age so it is best to trim it close to the ground to

keep it bushy.

Beach Sunflower (Helianthus debilis) a native to coastal

Florida blooms sunflowers year round. A well behaved

sprawling 1’ tall by 3 feet wide plant. It thrives on

neglect and loves sandy soil. Different species of

butterflies are attracted to these charming flowers.

Ground covers provide protection from topsoil erosion, most are perennial. Some can be mowed to 3-

4 “ or just left to spread and flower. To keep in check just trim as needed.

Joseph’s Coat (Alternanthera) Little Ruby.

This plant is best in full sun, cut back in

the spring for bushy growth, height is 20

– 28 inches. This plant really adds color

to the garden.

THINGS TO DO LIST AUGUST 2016

PRUNING – Roses can be cut back. Prune anything that will cause damaged in high winds. Poinsettias should get

the last trim this month. Bougainvillea’s should have ONLY the awkward or unwanted growth trimmed now because,

the showiest blooms grow in the winter. Pinch back and remove spent blooms to improve appearance and stop seed

production. Remove diseased leaves. Cut and throw away all curled leaves. Shape up hedges and plants now so they

look good for the Holidays. Replace all plants that aren’t doing well after years of pruning.

PROPAGATION - Air layering should be done now before the slow growing winter season. Take out old coleus

and throw them away, root the tip cuttings. If they had nematode damage on the roots, do not plant new plants there.

Plant them in pots and move them around. Prepare your soil for veg. planting. Solarize; cover the soil with black

plastic to kill weed seeds. Leave in place till next month. To start seeds, use unfertilized soil or seed starter.

INSECTS – Co-exist unless damage gets to unacceptable levels. For indoor insects spray a chemical barrier around

your homes foundation. Snails can be controlled by the use of Sluggo Snail Bait. ANTS-Raid ant bait trays. Try

rubbing and washing off insects with a hard spray of water. To prevent spray burn in hot weather, do not use oils.

PLANTING – See, EDIS, Florida Vegetable Gardening. These bulbs can be planted now, spider lily, walking iris,

crinum, canna, caladium, Easter and day lilies. Bedding plants to plant are vinca, coleus, salvia, zinnia, gazania,

celosia, marigold, torenia, gaillardia, verbena, sunflower, pinta and caladium. Fruit trees should be planted this month

to have a head start on the winter weather. Ferns make great ground covers, weeds do not like to grow under them.

Fishtail is my favorite. Purchase a blooming plant every month and your garden will be in bloom year round.

FRUITING – The trees in season now include avocado, carambola, mango, fig, muscadine grape, guava, jaboticaba,

longan, monsteria, papaya, passion fruit, sapodilla, sugar apple, atemoya, jackfruit, banana, velvet apple, Barbados

cherry, egg fruit, lemon, mamey sapote, miracle fruit, natal plum, pineapple, rose apple, and sea grape.

MULCH – Use mulch to suppress weeds and keep the soil at an even temperature. It should not come into contact

with the plant stems. A high moisture environment created by mulch increases the chances of stem rot, which can

result in plant death. Organic matter added to the soil minimizes erosion and improves the nutrients. Cuttings of the

plants and trees should be left underneath them, as mulch. This puts some of their nutrients back into the soil that they

used while they were growing. Pine bark mulch works the best for me. It doesn’t break down fast. Melaleuca mulch

has chemicals that inhibit seed germination; eucalyptus mulch repels any insects including termites.

FERTILIZE – Use time-released fertilize, while it’s hot. Feed palms and landscape plants that show nutritional

deficiencies. Use Lesco palm fertilizer. Don’t look for the cheapest fertilizer; you get what you pay for. Use Epson

salts for yellowing of the fronds. Coffee grounds can be used as fertilizer and to increase the acidity in soil. Leaving

mowed grass clippings on the lawn is equivalent to one fertilizer application per year. Grass clippings do not result in

thatch build-up. Thatch is a stem and root over growth caused by over-fertilization and over-watering.

BLOOMING – Bougainvillea, alamanda, mussaenda, water lilies, African tulip tree, heliconias, ginger, royal

poinciana, geiger tree, plumbago, ixora, hibiscus, rose, penta, periwinkle, orchids, portulaca, purslane, Mexican

bluebell (ruellia), shrimp plant and desert rose, are just a few.

COLOR LIST - PURPLE – Torenia, Lantana, Vinca, Verbena, Salvia, New Guinea impatien, Setcreasea.

BLUE – Plumbago, Ageratum, Scaevola, Pentas, Blue daze, Agapanthus. RED – Geranium, Impatiens, Petunia,

Salvia, Ixora, Hibiscus, Crown-of-thorn, Kalanchoe, Passion flower, Vinca. ORANGE – Impatien, Geranium,

Petunia, Clivia, Day lily, Azalea, Marigolds, Gazania. YELLOW – Lantana, Marigold, Melanpodium, Golden globe,

Day lily, Calendula, Purslane, Allamanada.

Susan Berry, President of the Hollywood Garden Club, Master Gardener, Advanced Master Naturalist,

Certified Landscape Designer, Certified Garden Consultant and FMNP Land Steward