Ring in the New Year with New Friends!

My choices of flowers and plants to include in landscapes this New Year makes me want to ring bells far and wide to let gardeners know how easily they can expand their Florida garden palette. With the heavy rainfalls from (can you believe it?) four hurricanes and a good rainy season in the Southeast, my selections this year are to accommodate the higher than usual lakefronts, littoral zones, and communities with wetter than normal soils. Do you live near a lakefront or a retention pond? Do your plants keep rotting out? The key to landscaping in mezic (moist) and hydric (wet) soils is to not use more irrigation but to select the right plant for the right place. I want to add that once established, the following plants are relatively low maintenance and will survive on irrigation once a week during drought periods. Adding these flowering and native selections to your yard in 2005 will add unique interest, seasonal color, and new low maintenance options for the green thumb who has every kind of plant in his or her yard.

1. Glossy Abelia, Abelia x grandiflora - A delicate, weeping shrub with bell-shaped white or pink fragrant flowers that I love having in my garden. Reaching 4' to 6', abelias withstand freeze into Zone 6 and bloom in the springtime and early summer in Central Florida. Resistant to deer, this plant can handle sun or light shade, tolerates neutral to alkaline soil and adds a fall ambiance to your garden when it loses some of its leaves. Abelias are not drought tolerant but can be maintained easily with irrigation or rainfall once a week in summer.

2. Lakeview Jasmine, Chinese Box 'Lakeview, Murraya paniculata - One of my favorite shrubs in my garden - I first found this beauty by scent, wafting, I mean walking through a nursery. The dark green leaves highlighted by clusters of fragrant jasmine flowers make a perfect hedge or addition to an outside patio. Successful in full sun or partial shade, this shrub can attain a height of 10' to 12' and is resistant to pest problems. Blooming year round, this plant is a perfect addition to the wildlife garden, attracting bees, butterflies, and birds. Thrives in Zones 9 to 11 with consistent watering and will welcome moist locations near lakes, low-lying areas, and retention ponds.

3. Saucer Magnolia, Magnolia x soulangeana - I won this flowering tree two years ago at an UF/IFAS Extension conference and was told it may not do well in Central Florida. Ha! I showed them that they were wrong! With encouragement and undying garden faith, it has not only survived, it has bloomed (right after the hurricanes) and it continues to thrive. It likes organic soil and partial shade with regular irrigation. Growing in Zones 4 to 9, the Saucer Magnolia will take Central Florida freezes. The fragrant, large, purple to light pink (depending on variety) flowers, emerging from fuzzy green buds, are the most striking of the deciduous saucer magnolias. The large leaves add elegance and diversity to the standard tree selections of most Florida landscapes. Slow growing but can attain heights of 30 feet or more, so make sure it's in the right location (acidic soil) to prevent having to transplant later. The saucer magnolia is at home in any shade-loving, Japanese-themed or woodland garden.

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