Going vertical creates a living wall

Things are looking up for gardeners who are short on space but long on imagination.

It's increasingly easy to build vertical gardens, structures that enable plants to grow upward if there is no room for growing them laterally.

These living walls can make great backdrops for mixing color with cuisine; use them to frame patios and decks with tapestries of miniature tomatoes and spaghetti squash. Or make privacy screens by draping morning glories, clematis and sweet peas over netting or latticework.

Interactive Garden Calendar

GARDEN CALENDAR | A year-round guide to gardening in South Florida

Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Florida Friendly Yard becomes the new xeriscape

The old buzzword was xeriscape. The new is Florida Friendly Yard. Or, Naturescape. The words buzz loudly every time there's a drought here, but they should be making a racket all the time.

A Florida Friendly Yard means landscaping that that minimizes supplemental irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides. It is a haven for such critters as butterflies, bees, birds and children. Such a yard is easy on the environment, reducing pollution and runoff, and welcoming wildlife.

Given our strained water supplies, the Florida Friendly Yard needs wider acceptance all the time.

Time to plant, fertilize, mulch

The calendar is much more logical in South Florida than other parts of the country. It is, technically a new year, but Northerners must wait a few months before planting crops or harvesting. How happy can a New Year be if you must wait so long to work in your garden?

This month highs will be about 75 degrees and lows about 58. It's time to plant and fertilize and mulch. So let's talk strategy.

If you want dense plantings around the edges of your property, consider a plan that will attract local birds, butterflies and bees. Native plants will provide many benefits, including the lack of a need for clipping. A grouping of natives suitable for your area can grow together, provide privacy, attract birds and butterflies, require no water or fertilizer and do its part to connect with other green spaces to provide a corridor for native wildlife. Imagine cardinals, woodpeckers, blue jays, mockingbirds visiting every day to show off their colors or sing for free. Or imagine lowering your water bill, using

Get your garden humming with birds

South Florida is the best place in the world to be in December. The temperature will be cooling to an average daily high of 76 degrees and a low of 60 degrees. Snow birds and real birds alike know that this is the time to be outdoors in South Florida.

Put out a bird feeder this month and you will attract hummingbirds, robins, blue jays, cardinals, warblers, mockingbirds and woodpeckers to your garden. Buy a variety of seed for the different species and enjoy the show.

Plant more native landscaping and you will attract even more birds and butterflies that want to feed or nest in their natural environment. For instance, you will notice many birds finding food in your mahogany, pigeon plum, lignum vitae or oak tree.