Florida superlatives

Dennis Cassidy of Tropiflora in Sarasota pens a long but very n interesting essay about his beloved Florida. This is an excerpt from his weekly newsletter.

"Sort of floundering around for ideas I opened my FaceBook page, something that is rather rare for me, and noticed a rant about what someone hated about Florida. That got my attention so I clicked on the link and got a site full of comments from people that had a beef with my home state. After reading a few I came to suspect that the complaints were from people that were likely unhappy with themselves, probably came here to escape and when they looked in the mirror found that they hadn't escaped at all. The reason for their unhappiness was right there, looking back at them. At least that was my impression.

The complaints covered nearly everything about Florida, including the very things most people (I would imagine) come to Florida for. Some classics: Too hot. We'll okay, sometimes it does get pretty hot but not usually hotter than most states and not as hot as many, but humid and hot we do have. All in all though those days are rather rare when the combination is unbearable. I would ask who would come to Florida and not expect heat? I wonder if they complain about it in the winter.

Lack of seasons was a common complaint, and ditto the above comments, who looks for seasonal change in the sub-tropics? If you want dramatic seasons, stay up north. Besides, we do have seasons, sometimes they change twice a day! A frosty morning could easily turn into a beach day by lunch time. Here in central Florida we see some of our trees lose their leaves and change colors and in northern Florida it is almost indistinguishable from adjacent states, with plenty of cool and cold weather and even the occasional snow, but rarely more than an hour's drive to a beautiful beach. South Florida not so much, seasons tend to be rainy season and dry season more than winter and summer, but why else would you be here?

I actually saw more than one complaint about too much sunshine! Can you believe this? Did they not see the state slogan on our license plates 'The Sunshine State'? This is something we Floridians take pride in. In fact one of our local newspapers used to be free any day the sun didn't shine. They didn't have to give many away either. And honestly in all of my years I never heard anyone wish for more fog or winter gloom. Others complained about the lack of transportation. Yes, if you plan to visit or live in Florida, you'd be better off learning to drive. Having speedy rail service between cities is a something best suited to the heavily populated northeast or other urban areas. Florida is huge, the largest state on the eastern seaboard with vast distances between some of our metropolitan areas. It is nearly an 800 mile drive from Pensacola to Key West (792 miles) and we have several counties larger than some states! Our greatest concentration of population is in southeastern Florida from West Palm Beach to Miami and here you can find some elevated rail and a lot of bus service. The rest of the state I am happy to say is still pretty isolated.

Some people complained about the lack of work or the nature of the jobs available. Florida was for years mainly agricultural and it still is to a large degree but tourism has taken the number one spot. Florida is the WORLD'S number one tourist destination! Aside from the tens of thousands of jobs in those industries, Florida is huge in international trade (40% of all US trade with Latin America), our number two industry, with construction and aerospace rounding out the top five. There are thousands of jobs in medical fields, research, electronics and software, financial and many more clean industries. What you won't find are dirty factories, mines and refineries.

Florida's agriculture is superlative; we are the number one producer of oranges and produce 40% of the world's orange juice. Thoroughbred horse ranching is huge in Florida with many hundreds of ranches located mainly in the hill country of north-central Florida, but the king of all ranching operations is beef cattle. The U.S. beef cattle industry started right here in Florida five centuries ago! Today Florida is ranked twelfth in the entire U.S. in cattle; in fact, the largest single brood cow herd in the whole country is here in Florida. Much of Florida's interior might resemble the Wild West with cattle ranches covering thousands of square miles in total. Florida is tops in winter vegetable production and number one overall in snap beans, cucumbers for fresh market and pickles, squash, sweet corn, fresh market tomatoes, watermelon and sugarcane.

The last most common complaint in the list was that "Florida is too flat". Really? Would these same people complain that Wyoming's mountains are nice but where are the beaches? That aside Florida has many miles of hill country. Our highest point is only 345 feet, but it can seem much higher in some areas with rolling hills and beautiful vistas. But back to beaches, Florida is number one far and away with 663 miles of sandy beach and number one (excluding Alaska) with 2,226 miles of saltwater shoreline. We have more than 7,700 lakes greater than 10 acres with Lake Okeechobee being the second largest in the U.S. There are 4,500 islands greater than 10 acres with only Alaska claiming more. And further, Florida has more than 11,000 miles of rivers, streams and waterways and 27 first magnitude springs, more than any other state.

There are a few other things that I personally like about Florida, and number one is the Everglades. Critically important water shed and wildlife habitat, the Everglades is a World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve and the largest sub-tropical wetland ecosystem in North America. There are over 800,000 acres of State Parks in Florida and many National Parks as well. Florida has the oldest continually occupied city in the United States; St. Augustine, founded in 1565. Florida also has the southernmost city in the continental United States; Key West. Florida has the only living coral barrier reef in the United States which is the third largest in the entire world behind Australia's Great Barrier Reef and the Belize Barrier Reef. The list could go on and on, Florida is a state of superlatives.

So really, when I saw the article with all the people complaining about Florida, I had to scratch my head in wonder if any of those people had ever actually been here; and I saw a little red too. Sure Florida is getting crowded, it is now the third most populous state, but with still less than twenty million people it is far from overcrowded. That is perhaps the single point that distresses me the most though. I remember Florida as a near paradise, before the 'rat infestation' as a dear friend of mine calls the arrival of Disney World. Since then the floodgates have opened and Florida has experienced its greatest changes. When I was still a kid in 1960, Florida's population was under five million. After Disney World opened in 1971 Florida's population exploded, almost quadrupling to today's numbers. The percentage of growth attributed to migration into Florida during that period was about 90%.

All in all, after travelling the world for about fifty years now, I still find my solace here in Florida. I have found innumerable places that were like heaven to visit, but Florida is my home. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to convince anyone else to move to Florida, no, not at all. In fact let me list some of the things that you may want to keep in mind if you're planning to move here: Pythons, yep, Florida now has a healthy population of giant Burmese Pythons and huge iguanas, monitor lizards and many other exotic reptiles as well. Mosquitoes. Though mosquito borne diseases are very rare, the little buggers can sure bite and don't forget about sand fleas! Sunburn is a genuine hazard. Our beaches are so beautiful and tempting that you are likely to be lulled into a state of complacency and get a severe burn. That's not likely to happen if you stay in Michigan! Florida is number one in lightening strikes, hurricanes and tropical storms and don't forget alligators in your backyard and sharks at the beach. But somebody has to live here and I guess I'll tough it out another forty or fifty years or so. It could happen; we had a guy of 103 hit a hole in one on a Sarasota golf course last week. But if you must come, remember to stop by and say hello!"

__________

Ardesia, you didn't add any or your comments to this. What is your opinion of Florida?

My view of Florida is it is a great place to grow almost anything tropical and a lot of non-tropical plants and is such a varied kaleidoscope of color as I drive through neighborhoods. I love to visit Florida every year and wished I lived there or Central America or a Caribbean Island where you can put your tropical in the ground and watch it grow by leaps and bounds. What we grow as houseplants are often hedges or trees in the tropics. The one thing I would never do again is visit an amusement park (Busch Gardens, Disney, Epcot, and Six Flags in Atlanta, King's Dominion in Richmond, and when it was in operation - Opryland Amusement Park in Nashville) in summer. The exception would be a water park but only on a weekday since the weekend is usually overflowing with guests. As for the heat, that is what AC, pools, and beach is for.

Agreed, people who move here then complain about the heat and lack of seasons obviously didn't do ANY research before uprooting their whole lives. Actually, a first grader probably knows all about Florida climate...no research needed, just ask a 6 year old.

I hate Disney and refuse to go. My family has deep roots in Old World Florida. My great great grandfather was a Spanish immigrant and my great great grandmother an Italian immigrant. They lived and worked on the groves in Dundee and Winterhaven. My great uncle was a gator trapper. My great grandmother a master gardener. My mother and aunt remember never seeing gators during their childhood; they were afraid of people. No one fed them, teased them or built subdivisions around their lakes.

I live on Anna Maria Island and loathe all the tourists. I love it during September when it's too hot for these loudmouthed pale "tour-ons" (as we call them)--that's when it's quiet and there's no trash floating in my canal and on the beach. I'm glad there's a healthy population that hates Florida--that fewer people to invade this paradise.

LOL, I love old Florida and I thought Dennis' essay was spot on. Right now I live on a sea island off the coast of SC and our growing conditions and seasons are not unlike much of Florida so I tend to look for gardening info on this forum more than the Carolina forum.

I am actually heading down that way in a few weeks. Unfortunately I'll be visiting family who will be staying in a highly populated community in central FL. Not my favorite part but I'll get away for a bit and see the parts I want to see.

We get the tourists here too, I hear 'ya. They are the bread and butter for our community but sometimes it would be nice to have fewer around.

That's right - don't trash the tourists since they seem to prop up some states' or regions' economy. There are some rude natives as well but that is worldwide for the most part.

Been to Disney 3 times (November two times and July once - miserable). Daytona and Sanibel Island are much more enjoyable in summer. Enjoyed both visits to Disney in November though especially the light show. My nephew got married on the beach off Bradenton - beautiful area. Lived in Key West for four months when I was in the Navy but it was too chilly to do much (Jan to early May). In April it got warm enough to hit the beach. I go to a nursery every year outside Orlando for the past 7 years and visit one in Miami when I can (five times over ten years). Finally got to Marie Selby Garden this spring - lovely. Fairchild twice, Harry Leu gardens once. Swam with the manatees last November at Crystal River (the part we were at was not crystal at all - thank goodness the manatees could navigate in that murk and muck else we would've never seen them). I will continue to go back as long as I am able.

Thank you ardesia for posting Dennis Cassidy's article. I enjoyed the read.

My husband (A Florida native, from generations of Floridians) and I are outdoor nature loving people. We have camped all over this state for well over 35 years, from the Big Lagoon state park in the panhandle, all the way down to Key West. To know Florida you need to get into the meat and bones of the state. Give me a nice hike through tall pines and huge live oaks covered with hanging moss, any day over Disney World. Paddling a kayak through the beautiful tannin stained black water streams can be so relaxing. On a really hot day, a dive into clear blue ice cold waters of a natural spring can be so dang refreshing. Of course anywhere in this state you're never too far from a nice stroll along the ocean.

Honestly, out of 365 days a year, I think we have only a handful that we feel it is just unbearable to sit outside in our garden, of course nice shade trees and fans help. The best thing of all, you can grow house plants outside☺☺☺.

I think all those that complain it is so hot here are standing in those long hot sunny sweaty lines at the theme parks...they have no idea what Florida really is.

Ardesia, I hope you can visit either Wekiwa or Blue Springs while here, the manatees will be in Blue springs if the river is really cold. Although it has been pretty warm lately.

I've been to Blue Springs to see the manatees a few years ago; we've never seen Wekiwa but maybe this trip. We snorkeled at some springs in northern FL once but it was about 40 years ago and I can't remember where, exactly. All I can remember was how extraordinary the clear cool water was.

Hot and muggy is a way of life here too. It may be unpleasant at times but I would much rather drive through hot weather than snow and ice.

Ah, there are hotter and muggier places than Florida. Try Thailand or Okinawa in July or Cancun at the end of May. I will agree one time we flew into Tampa for Memorial Day weekend and it felt like a brick oven when we left the terminal and it was 9 PM but then I just had my gall bladder out earlier that week so maybe I was overly sensitive that time.

Sunkissed, (Sherri)
Couldn't have said it better myself. You would make an excellent PR person for our state.

Coming from a Conn. Yankee consider that a high compliment. After 46 years I'm a native. lol

Disney (we call the Rat house) is definitely not the Real Florida. Employs a lot of people including my son but is not kind to their employees. He loves his job but he's one of the few.

Oldest son who is retired Air Force was in Iraq and he said the heat there was unbearable but they lived through it cause they had to.

Ardesia St. Helena Isl. is also a lovely place.

Happy gardening in the new year.
Bonnie

I suppose Iraq is like Arizona - dry desert heat (still hotter than Hades though). Glad to hear your son lived through it. My son in law (Marines) has been there twice but he didn't talk much about it and I never asked either.

Hello, everyone. Thought I'd toss in a word from a noncomplainer newcomer. We like lovely Florida so much -- and dislike dying leaves and gray woods half the year so much (we're originally from California) -- that we had purchased a MH in a coastal park to enjoy when our lovely green disappears. That has been just too frustrating for a gardener, though, so we just purchased a ratty little place on 1/3 acre on a large pond/marsh/swamp -- by far the loveliest place we will have ever lived. And definitely the only one with alligators eyeing us from the water.

Some we know down here have made friends and involved themselves in the activities they came here for -- people who lived good, functional lives elsewhere and continue them here. Some of them were seduced by Florida's beauty and are always out enjoying it, and some are quite happy in their sunny, treeless new subdivisions.

But those others, whose complaints are defined by their unreasonableness, Florida's just one target. We used to hear the same stuff from people better at complaining than analysis who moved from California to Arizona and New Mexico, even to cool, green Oregon and Washington. Then, for a while every gathering seemed to have a person or couple who were moving to Las Vegas because, as we heard from person after person (strikingly similarly -- same sales seminar?), "everything is so new and nice!" Not like yucky old L.A. with its world-class assets and amenities. We moved away around then ourselves and are very glad to have missed the inevitable feedback from that group.

BTW, I visited Tropiflora a few weeks ago for the first time, to purchase my very first orchids and bromeliad during their annual sale, and it was so nice to know for once who and where you guys were referring to.

That is typical behavior though. Whether it is yourself or a neighbor/worker that has recently moved, there will always be comparisons for the first few weeks/months/maybe a year and how the old place was so much better than the new digs. After a year or so, the new residents often find things that make their lives so much better that they'd never consider moving back to the old place.

We had NYC neighbors that for their first year talked about how stupid southerners were (then they'd say "but we weren't talking about you"). I mentioned that they were always welcome to move back to the big city. That was nearly 30 years ago and they bought a new home and eventually retired in the good old south. Their son married a local girl and now their grandchildren are born in the south. How shocking!

being a very recent transplant [ & snow bird] I really enjoyed that article.

we moved here for various reasons; high taxes in the midwest, horrible weather in the midwest [ even though i do not "do" humidity well, I do not plan to be here for summers in the foreseeable future]

Love the tropical gardens i can have, plus -- house plants outside
and access to cruise ports.

I also do not "do" Disney. Will take the grandkids, when I have them, but other than that -- I have no need to go there.

We love the Daytona / New Smyrna beaches ... I'd live there in a heart beat but it's more expensive then mid-state.

I'm sure I will think of more reasons why I will love it here.

OH yes... The sun just came out [after being gloomy for a few days] -- gotta love that sunshine.

Bless their hearts, hcmc? :)

We've never been to Disney World, decades since I was hauling carfuls of kids to Disneyland each year, but I confess I'd enjoy seeing it, notably including the plantings, even though preferences for my own garden are very different. They'd have to practically give away tickets for that to happen, though.

Tropicals would be wonderful, tcs. I'd love to hide our new ancient mobile home in a jungle of South Florida foliage, but up in Citrus County I hope to be able to just have a patch of sort of tropical-looking near the patio, if critters allow. Exploring natives is going to be fun, though.

Hortensis, it is bless their little pea (or cotton) pickin' hearts from the deep south. HA!

I think Busch Gardens has a better plant palette than Disney though (maybe in tune with the jungle theme). Reminded me a little of Thailand while visiting B.G.

I must admit the light show at Disney last Thanksgiving was worth the trip alone. Missed that part of Disney the first two times. It was chilly though in late November!

One small point about Dennis Cassidy Tropiflora in Sarasota, his real name is
Dennis Cathcart of Tropiflora in Sarasota. If that is who your talking about.

Yes thanks, I knew that, guess my brain was on vacation. I have found him to be a great nurseryman to deal with.

I don't remember seeing him from the sale, but there were a bunch of people there. I remember very knowledgeable young men, though, obvious passionate plant lovers who gave me a really good impression of the nursery. Thanks for the tip about Busch Gardens, hcmc.

Being a Tampa native, I wouldn't live any other place. Granted, that means I may never see snow...but I am Ok with that. I like being able to walk outside in the middle of "winter" wearing shorts and a t-shirt and pull weeds if I wanted to. I like having a growing season year round.

I do agree on the Busch Gardens comment about the "plant palette". We live less than 10 minutes from Busch Gardens/Adventure Island and get passes yearly. Having a pre-teen son, he likes to hit that parks frequently and it does feel nice to hit Adventure Island in the middle of a summer afternoon after working in the yard all day. I enjoy walking about there, and enjoying the landscaping. Busch Gardens is more of a natural jungle feel, while Disney has the perfectly manicured and landscaped feel. Personally, I like the jungle look. 

Shauna

Hortensis,
You are only about an hour from me and would be very welcomed to attend a RU should I get the energy to have another in April of this New Year. We have a great time and exchange plants and have a pot luck dinner. Keep it in the back of your mind. Of course there will be info on here when it's closer to time.

Bonnie

Thank you very much, Bonnie. We should be there then, and I'd love to if you do. It's 7 degrees here in north Georgia, BTW, which is what made me think of the Florida forum. DH built a roaring fire, then just said, "Let's GO!" As in, why aren't we down there enjoying those Florida superlatives?

I obviously definitely have to go see Busch, Shauna, which sounds much more to my taste as well. Even though it's reportedly 32 degrees around our zone 9A place this morning, I'm hoping to convert the 30' carport-style covered patio into a special, inviting place by surrounding/covering it with as much of that look as I can achieve. The lawn that edges it isn't doing the trick, in spite of pretty views, because right now it just makes one wonder why they'd put a carport back there. :)

Mt. Washington in NH is reported to be 80 below this morning with the wind chill. OUCH!

that just hurts to think about. was tough enough here at low 30's. Looks pretty out, with the sun shining... but that wind cuts right thru ya.

Hope everyone and their plants survived the cold night. Even though it didn't get cold enough to freeze in my area, I covered my delicates and brought in my potted plants. betyter to be sage than sorry. Luckily, we were supposed to only have one really cold night and then start warming up again.

Shauna

Thank goodness it was just one night. I did cover my peppers and some sensitive tropicals, but it wasn't windy at all the night before when I was covering them. That wind came in real strong during the night, blew all my covering off. They all look unfazed this morning, the wind did keep frost from settling.

Hoyas and orchids were safe inside the garage.

I am a native Floridian, (3rd generation on on side(might be more) and second on the other) there are so many wonder places to see in our state. My mom and I use to take day trips, some time 500 or more miles in a day. I also took trips to visit family over in west Florida, very hilly country. To many do not see the the true side of our state.
I have people look at me funny when I tell them my favorite restaurant is almost 2 hours away on the gulf coast at Steinahatchee. And my favorite plant nurseries are over in Tallahassee.

Lol about the no seasons. I was just in Orlando all of last week house hunting with my husband the mechanical engineer who just started a job down there with a major international company. It was 82 degrees when I got off the plane on New Year's Day and 38 degrees in the morning the following Wednesday. Parts of northern Florida even had snow. I was amused by the news anchors befuddlement about how to describe the precipitation. Was it a flurry? They couldn't decide. I would describe the footage as a snow squall, but I am from the Boston area, what would I know? In orlando, it was sunny and into the 60's but breezy by noon. And no one in Florida ever had to shovel any of this "snow" either.
Saturday morning at 3:30 am, it was chilly at about 45 degrees when we drove out to Titusville to view the rocket launch at Cape Canaveral. I wore my fleece jacket but was not cold at all. The launch was amazing, btw.
Meanwhile, back in Boston, It was 19 degrees that Wednesday with real snow. I did not miss one flake.
Martha

Martha - how long are you sticking around?

It certainly has been a gloomy month.

I am back up in MA for the moment enjoying my lovely sunny 18 degree day. The sun melted off the little covering of icy snow we had the other day. My house faces due South and that is useful for keeping the driveway clear. I didn't even have to scrape my car!
I expect to get things moved and become a Florida resident by the end of this month.
Martha

I've been in Florida now for 37 years. Started in Orlando for a year, then to Ft. Lauderdale. Moved up here to North central Florida 9 years ago. Each area different from the other.

I was born and raised in Michigan, have never missed the "seasons" because they come with a price. COLD!!!!

We have had some very cold weather these last few weeks, many mornings with ice on the windshield. (I still don't own a scraper) but haven't seen any snow around here. When I leave the house for work I dress in layers, work t-shirt, 2 sweat shirts and a padded parka jacket. I had my sis sent me down some leather and fur mittens which I keep in the car for those cold mornings. By the end of the day I have shed most of the layers and frequently forget to bring them in the house when I get home. Luckily, I have a few sweat shirts as back up.

I really can't recall ever complaining about Florida. Oh sure, I complain every morning this winter that I am cold and my fingers are numb, (I am just a bag of old bones you see) but thank the heavens I live in Florida and not further north of here.

Some good friends of mine moved down from New Hampshire 3 years ago. They don't suffer the cold much (imagine that) but do suffer from the heat. I tell them they need to get used to it as after 10 years, the heat will be fine and they will be shivering in the winter. HEEHEE.

I also tell them it is customary and not a sin to say Yes Mam and Yes Sir and they should teach their children this is correct. When I moved up here from S. Florida, I was quite taken with the good manners of the children when addressed as Miss Molly. You don't get this from the transplants, only from those born and raised here.

For the gardening, in South Florida I thought I had a green thumb. When I moved here, I found I didn't know anything. It's more difficult to choose the right plants when you live on a sand hill that could get down to 4 degrees in the winter. So through trial and error I found what likes MY sand, and what can take freezing to the ground and come back in the spring. The secret is Florid Natives.

I love living in Florida and couldn't think of any other place I would rather be.

My BIL asked me if I was going to cover any plants for this last cold spell. I told him "NO if they can not survive the cold that GOOD BY, and I will replace them.
I live on a tiny hill, most of the land in this area is sand but not my area as we are near some creeks and we also have a hard pan of clay about 1 to 2 feet down.

Sandy -- i said the same thing to Dh just yesterday -- when driving thru the neighborhood, seeing all the sheets/blankets on plants ... I said, why plant it if it will not survive chilly nights?

we do not get as cold as you do up north, and so far this year I do not believe we dipped below 32° ... though it will be cold again next week... though they keep changing the forecast.. was gonna be 27, now 30... hopefully that number will keep going up.

OH -- the lady down the street even covers her marigolds.... and they are pretty hardy.

For those living in Central FL zones 9a-9b, this link has a list of hardy plants.

http://www.garden.bsewall.com/Lists/List_intro.htm

I have lived here over 35 years and have to admit I have some tropical/subtropical plants in my garden, they're too big to cover and some years when we dip below 32° they've suffered freeze damage. I do think many of my tropical plants have adapted to our weather extremes here. Let's face it, if I only planted the plants that will flourish in this zone, I'd be bored with my garden. I have better luck with tropical and subtropical plants than I do colder zoned plants, the heat takes more of a toll on plants than the cold does here.

Most established plants on the list above will come back again just fine if we get a hard freeze (I'm talking several hours in the 20's, not one piddly little 32°night). I have some tropical plants that freeze back every year and come back every year, kind of mother nature's way of trimming things back for me. That said, I've lost a few established plants over the years to freezes, but I've lost way more plants for reasons other than a freezing night.

Sherri [geeze - hope I got your name right... ]

I've been searching this site to find that I have some of these seeds, which I kept in my stash from when I was in IL. the last one i looked at was Conoclinium coelestinum, which i absolutely LOVE ... in IL it was a late bloomer, but I still have seeds, plus ones for red ones.

I am hoping to do mostly drought tolerant plants -- i did that in IL too, with being a snow bird, I think that is wise.

I'd love to do nice grasses, but do not want HUGE clumps.

Terese, That's nice that you found some plants on the list that you've kept the seeds. I hope they work out for you. The mistflower I'm pretty sure I've seen on hikes before.

This is a site that sells native wildflower seeds pretty cheap. I've bought some from them, had success with some but not all. Wildflowers are tricky in the home garden.


http://www.floridawildflowers.com/

-Sherri

wildflowers being tricky in the home garden......so true. I have bought from the Native Plant Society, looking for plants that would do well in my sand. Bought and planted some native rudbeckia (black eyed susans?) and they now grow everywhere. Luckily, they can be pulled easily.

I went wacky with "Blue Curls". Dug them from my other property and planted them here. They are now everywhere. I don't mind so much except they get in the pathways and I have a hard time pulling them as they seems quite content.

I am closer to becoming a Floridian, folks. I just sent my furniture and my box of hand gardening tools down your way on the moving truck. I expect to be down there by the end of the month. We bought a house in Oviedo, where my husband is batching it now as his job has started. Meanwhile, since I posted last, we have had 85" of snow. Hopefully I have cleared the driveway for the last time!
Martha

Martha, I live next to Oviedo, we'll be neighbors. Nice place to live. Today is a bit cold, but by the time you get here it will be beautiful. There is a great garden center called Lukas Nursery, you have to check it out. The Lowe's in Oviedo has the best garden center of all the close by Lowe's too.

Welcome to Florida!

-Sherri

Congratulations Martha!!

I love Lukas Nursery