UF Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program

Episode 2 of Flip My Florida Yard is now live on YouTube. ▶️ Watch now: youtube.com/watch?v=O8ehdlKwUSE

This week, we’re tackling two major yard challenges with smart, DIY solutions:
🌧️ In Tallahassee, we help a family fix flooding and erosion with a retaining wall, rain barrel system, and water-wise design

🦋 In Coral Springs, we transform a rocky, weed-filled yard into a Florida-Friendly landscape that attracts birds, butterflies, and pollinators

Get inspired with practical projects you can try at home, from drip irrigation to repurposing materials and building your own wildlife features.

Medium‑sized Florida‑Friendly trees offer shade, beauty, and habitat, without overwhelming residential spaces.

Benefits of medium‑sized trees include:
• Cooling shade that helps moderate temperatures
• Flowers, fruit, and cover that support birds and wildlife
• Manageable size for streetscapes and yards
• Strong structure when planted in the right place

Great Florida‑Friendly options include:
East Palatka Holly, Ilex × attenuata (native to FL)
Pigeonplum, Coccoloba diversifolia (native to FL)
Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis (native to FL)
Shortleaf Fig, Ficus citrifolia (native to FL)
Pink Trumpet Tree, Tabebuia heterophylla

Choosing trees suited to the space they’re planted in leads to healthier landscapes and fewer long‑term issues. 🌿

Few things compare to the joy of recreational fishing in Florida,casting a line into a quiet lake at sunrise, drifting along a shaded river, or spending an afternoon on a favorite neighborhood pond. These moments depend on clean water and thriving aquatic ecosystems.

What’s easy to forget is how closely connected those waters are to our residential landscapes. Rain and irrigation water move across lawns, sidewalks, and streets, entering storm drains and flowing into nearby lakes, streams, and rivers. We may not see that journey, but the impact is real.

Do your part and use the 9 principles to guide your landscaping choices. SaveFLWater.com

The second edition of the newly released Florida-Friendly Focus newsletter was released on Tuesday.View this newest edition online: bit.ly/4ehCYQu

Subscribe now to receive the next edition in September, directly to your inbox. Share with friends and help others in your community better understand the foundations of the 9 FFL Principles and the impact decisions made at home can influence local water quality. Subscribe at https://bit.ly/4vIRPu3.

It’s here! A brand-new season of Flip My Florida Yard launched today on YouTube 🎥 This season homeowners get actively involved in the flips, pitching in with DIY projects that can be completed in a day or afternoon.

Join us this week as we transform a newlywed couple’s front yard in New Smyrna Beach and a Gainesville mom’s overgrown yard into a peaceful family retreat

Learn how to create a Florida-Friendly landscape, conserve water, and design a space that supports both nature and well-being.

▶️ Watch the new episodes on YouTube, youtu.be/G_9x0CfCULI.
Flip My Florida Yard episodes are also available via the .

🌿 Brown patches, spots, or thinning grass?
Take a closer look with this easy‑to‑follow UF/IFAS turfgrass disease flowchart before taking any action. Complete flowchart viewable at gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/infographics-collection/turfgrass-disease-flowchart/.

Expert advice and disease identification services are also available at local UF/IFAS Extension offices.

A failed plant shouldn't be the end of your gardening journey.
Every plant that didn’t thrive offers insight on, local pest pressure, seasonal weather and light patterns, and observations on soil conditions that could conflict with planting needs.

Steps to turn past losses into future success:
✔ Match plants to the exact sunlight your yard receives, consider all seasons
✔ Choose species that thrive in your soil and drainage conditions
✔ Start with Florida-Friendly plant selections that tolerate a wide range of conditions
✔ Ask for 1 on 1 guidance from UF/IFAS Extension during workshops or plant clinics
✔ Use UF/IFAS tools and resources when researching plant options
✔ Don’t let one past experience limit your plant palette
Every successful gardener has stories of what didn’t survive or struggled to survive. Along the way, you are learning about the FFL Principle, Right Plant Right Place and adapting to a yard that works with Florida’s environment. Each carefully selected plant you choose intentionally brings you closer to the landscape you’ve envisioned with less maintenance and worry.

Create a pollinator paradise right from your own yard 🦋🌸
Explore the app here: https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/resources/apps/butterfly-gardens/

The UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Butterfly Gardens app makes it simple and enjoyable to design a beautiful, sustainable garden that attracts butterflies while supporting Florida’s environment. With expert guidance, you can build a customized plant list based on your space, explore over 100 butterfly-friendly plants, and learn how to maintain a thriving habitat.

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned gardener, this free tool puts everything you need at your fingertips on any device. Start planning your butterfly garden today and turn your outdoor space into a vibrant, living ecosystem.

Happy World Environment Day! Irrigation can guzzle your wallet and waste precious water if leaks are not addressed. Have you seen sand washed up on the driveway or sidewalk or noticed a puddle of water? What about a spongy spot in the yard? These could be signs that you have some leaks in your irrigation system.

For more information, take a look at this UF/IFAS blog post https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/duvalco/2026/05/05/3-ways-to-spot-hidden-irrigation-leaks/