Creating a Teaching Garden with Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Principles

Abstract

The Bette S. Walker Discovery Garden, located in the courtyard of the Hillsborough County and UF-IFAS Extension Service, was created to provide dynamic, small gardens demonstrating environmentally friendly design and management techniques of the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program. This program was created to help preserve, protect, and conserve the state’s natural water resources and teaches nine landscaping principles that educate Floridians on how to design, install, and maintain an attractive, healthy, and environmentally-friendly landscape while saving time, energy, and money. These principles include: right plant–right place, water efficiently, fertilize appropriately, maximize mulch, attract wildlife, control yard pests responsibly, recycle, reduce stormwater runoff, and protect the waterfront.