The yard of Lori & Terry Greene, visited by folks from the Eugenia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society on May 25, 2021, demonstrates dramatically how you can use native plants to create beauty and privacy within the confines of a HOA. They have filled their yard with a huge diversity of native plants, both common and uncommon.
At the northeast corner of the yard, shown above, is a winged elm (Ulmus alata), a deciduous tree with wonderfully winged branches, a magnificent royal palm (Roystonea regia), the corner accent of mushy grass (Muhlenberiga capallaris), and the tagged shrub, bloodberry (Varronia globosa), which is loved by pollinators & birds and is deserving of wider use our landscapes …
Thank you to Terry for labelling lots of the marvelous mix of plants in his yard from the temperate sweet bay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana), which has a reputation for failing to thrive unless placed in the “right place” …
… to the tropical sky-blue cluster vine (Jacquemontia pentacarpos), which graces this privacy “trellis”and contrasts with the fire bush (Hamelia patens) …
Take note of the pretty copper pot filled with our state wildflower (Coreopsis levanworthii) above and the companion planter below with coastalplain palafox (Palafoxia integrifolia) …
… to this tall planter on the front porch filled with Tampa vervain (Gladularia tampensis) and tropical sage (Salvia coocinea) …
Terry recently “re-did” the front planting bed, and that area will be “visited” in a future post.
Everyone had an opportunity to get some native plants for their yard. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the plant auction conducted from the bed of Terry’s truck …
Even the butterflies were thrilled with his yard, and these gulf fritillary butterflies chose some mthly grass as a place to mate …
Eugenia Chapter - Florida Native Plant Society 