Florida Yards and Neighborhoods is a University of Florida IFAS/Extension program developed to address pollution and disappearing habitats in Florida. Tenets are recycling, reducing stormwater runoff, using fewer chemicals, employing native plantsand using mulch to maintain soil moisture and prevent weeds.

Naturescaping, the Broward County program that absorbs the principles of Florida Yards and Neighborhoods, places emphasis on using native plants and on creating habitats for urban wildlife.

Once native plants have become established, they seldom require fertilizer, a chief contributor to urban pollution, and they need fewer pesticides.

In a Naturescape, wildlife "shelters" are built in: a stack of twigs for small snakes and native bees that build their nests in twigs; Spanish needles, green shrimp plants and other "weeds" that provide nectar sources for butterflies; native trees that provide berries at critical times of the year for migratory and resident bird populations; shrubs allowed to assume an informal, untrimmed form for birds that seek shelter and build nests in hidden thickets.

Florida Yards advocates these principles:

• Use slow-release fertilizer, which supplies nutrients as the plant needs them.
• Group drought-tolerant plants to save water. Plants such as impatiens that need a lot of water are best grown in containers and watered by hand.
• Water thoroughly and less often. Giving plants a lot of water less often encourages the roots to grow deeper, making them more drought-tolerant.
• Keep an eye out for pests and treat them only when they appear. Allow beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, time to gather in sufficient numbers to control aphids or other harmful insects.
• Plant for energy efficiency. Shading south and west walls, directing southeasterly breezes with shrubs and shading exterior air conditioners can reduce energy bills.
• Use porous surfaces rather than concrete, which allow rain to filter back into the aquifer instead of running into storm drains and then into the Everglades or bays.

-- GEORGIA TASKER

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