Category Archives: Gardening

September Container Gardening Recipe 2023

September 20th, 2023 by earthworksjax Container Garden Recipes, Gardening Tags:

September Container Gardening Recipe 2023

Celebrate Fall the Florida way with this “Tropical Fall” container blend!

 

Why envy regions with falling leaves when your garden can radiate with these autumnal shades? The vibrant golds, oranges, reds, and purples from crotons, heliconias, and bromeliads showcase a uniquely Floridian Fall. And sure, sprinkle in some mums to infuse classic autumn charm into your display.

  1. Heliconia, also known as a false bird of paradise, enjoys full to partial sun. They rely solely on the hummingbird for pollination. They make excellent cut flowers.
  2. Croton Petra is known for its stunning foliage, which features bright, bold colors in shades of yellow, red, orange, and green. Easy care.
  3. Bromeliad is in the same family as the pineapple! They are known for their long-lasting, vibrant blooms. They make a lovely, colorful houseplant as well.
  4. Creeping Jenny Lysimachia nummularia is the perfect spiller for containers and hanging baskets. It also “creeps” and makes an excellent ground cover.

 

Fall Tropics Container Garden Recipe

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  • Lawn Pest Control, Lawn Weed Control
  • Aeration and Top Dressing
  • Water Features, Koi Ponds,
  • Waterfalls, Bubbling Fountains
  • Garden Center & Pond Supply Store

General Services Areas

Jacksonville (Jax), Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Orange Park, St. Johns, Nocatee

Earth Works

Location

GARDEN CENTER
12501 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32246

LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS
(not open to the public)
St. Johns Bluff
1057 St. Johns Bluff Rd. N.
Jacksonville, FL 32225

Hours

Monday-Saturday 9-5
Sunday 10-5

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
New Year’s Day • Easter • Memorial Day
July 4th • Labor Day • Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve • Christmas Day

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August Container Gardening Recipe 2023

August 22nd, 2023 by earthworksjax Container Garden Recipes, Gardening Tags:

August Container Gardening Recipe 2023

 

Beat the heat with a garden display full of unique sun-loving plants.

The choices are endless for these collectible plants. They are all truly thrillers! Their unique shapes, colors, and blooms make them perfect stand-alone stars.

Plant one per pot, then group them in a coordinating container series. Or combine a few of your favorites and let them do their thing.

  1. Cordyline Red Sensation Very easy to grow in virtually any location. Deep red-burgundy sword-like leaves make this an outstanding choice as a focal point.
  2. Crown of Thorns This flowering succulent loves the sun but can do great as a houseplant. Planted in the ground, it can grow quite large. Protect from a freeze.
  3. Aptenia Variegated or Baby Sun Rose is a trailing succulent perfect for spilling over the edges of your pot. They also make a great groundcover option.
  4. Stapelia Gigantica This unique succulent is known for having one of the largest flowers in the plant kingdom. Although the blooms are beautiful, their common name, “Carrion Flower,” suggests you might not want to give them a sniff.
  5. Aloe Vera is not just beautiful when it shoots up striking red spikes that are sure to thrill. Break off a leaf and use the gell-like sap to ease sunburns and insect bites!
  6. Mangave Blazing Saddles This amazing hybrid was designed to be a star in any landscape! A cross between Agave and Manfreda, the resulting spotted leaves and rosette shape make it simply gorgeous.

 

August Feel the Heat copy

Services

  • Landscape Design & Installation
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  • Landscape Lighting, Drainage design & Installation,
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  • Lawn Pest Control, Lawn Weed Control
  • Aeration and Top Dressing
  • Water Features, Koi Ponds,
  • Waterfalls, Bubbling Fountains
  • Garden Center & Pond Supply Store

General Services Areas

Jacksonville (Jax), Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Orange Park, St. Johns, Nocatee

Earth Works

Location

GARDEN CENTER
12501 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32246

LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS
(not open to the public)
St. Johns Bluff
1057 St. Johns Bluff Rd. N.
Jacksonville, FL 32225

Hours

Monday-Saturday 9-5
Sunday 10-5

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
New Year’s Day • Easter • Memorial Day
July 4th • Labor Day • Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve • Christmas Day

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July Container Gardening Recipe 2023

August 17th, 2023 by earthworksjax Container Garden Recipes, Gardening

July Container Gardening Recipe 2023

You’re Sure to Fall in Love With This Heartfelt Combo.

That blooming bleeding heart vine was the eye-catching inspiration for this recipe. The white and red flowers lead to the red heart-shaped caladium and the exotica begonias’ electric red foliage. The variegated leaves of the flax lily and ajuga create a bright backdrop for all that drama. Although some of the plants in this recipe are “hot to trot,” this grouping will be happiest with a bit of morning sun, dabbled light, to shady conditions.

  1. Dianella Flax Lily is a classic thriller with thick variegated leaves. Its flirty flower spikes perfectly fit our theme. Full sun to shade makes it an easy care choice.
  2. Caladium Hot 2 Trot is one of Proven Winner’s new sun or shade-loving caladiums! As their name says, they can take the heat. With deep red heart-shaped leaves, they are drought tolerant and deer resistant too!
  3. Bleeding Heart Vine The inspiration for this combo, we are using this gardener’s heartthrob as a trailer. But she will want to climb, so she’ll be spilling and thrilling before you know it!
  4. Ajuga Burgundy Glow is most often used as a ground cover. In our recipe, its spreading nature makes it a perfect spiller.
  5. Begonia Exotica is an exciting rarity from the rain forests of New Guinea. Its large, metallic-looking leaves sport bright-pink variegation that demands attention. This prefers shade and moist soil to thrive and keep its leaves’ rich color.
July Heart throb

Services

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  • Landscape Lighting, Drainage design & Installation,
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  • Lawn Pest Control, Lawn Weed Control
  • Aeration and Top Dressing
  • Water Features, Koi Ponds,
  • Waterfalls, Bubbling Fountains
  • Garden Center & Pond Supply Store

General Services Areas

Jacksonville (Jax), Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Orange Park, St. Johns, Nocatee

Earth Works

Location

GARDEN CENTER
12501 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32246

LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS
(not open to the public)
St. Johns Bluff
1057 St. Johns Bluff Rd. N.
Jacksonville, FL 32225

Hours

Monday-Saturday 9-5
Sunday 10-5

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
New Year’s Day • Easter • Memorial Day
July 4th • Labor Day • Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve • Christmas Day

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June Container Gardening Recipe 2023

by earthworksjax Container Garden Recipes, Gardening

June Container Gardening Recipe 2023

Don’t have much space? Put your Pollinator Garden in a pot!

 
 
Bring on the butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees with this recipe. The bees were all over this June container garden as we took the photos!
 
  1. Salvia Mystic Spires is easy to grow, low maintenance, heat tolerant, and deer resistant! The perfect thriller, perennial, and, most importantly, a bee favorite!
  2. Rudbeckia Rising Sun makes a bold statement with loads of 5″ blooms that will continue through fall! Heat and drought tolerant too!
  3. Dwarf Pentas is a Florida-friendly perennial that attracts many pollinators! It comes in a variety of colors and is an excellent ever-blooming filler.
  4. Lantana New Gold is a classic spiller with a trailing nature and continuous bloom. Along with the other flowers in its recipe, it will make this planter your Summer through Fall favorite.
 

 

Pollinator garden in pot

Services

  • Landscape Design & Installation
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  • Firepits, Retaining Walls , Seat Walls,
  • Landscape Lighting, Drainage design & Installation,
  • Lawn Care Services, Lawn Maintenance, Lawn Fertilization
  • Lawn Pest Control, Lawn Weed Control
  • Aeration and Top Dressing
  • Water Features, Koi Ponds,
  • Waterfalls, Bubbling Fountains
  • Garden Center & Pond Supply Store

General Services Areas

Jacksonville (Jax), Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Orange Park, St. Johns, Nocatee

Earth Works

Location

GARDEN CENTER
12501 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32246

LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS
(not open to the public)
St. Johns Bluff
1057 St. Johns Bluff Rd. N.
Jacksonville, FL 32225

Hours

Monday-Saturday 9-5
Sunday 10-5

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
New Year’s Day • Easter • Memorial Day
July 4th • Labor Day • Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve • Christmas Day

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May Container Gardening Recipe 2023

May 22nd, 2023 by earthworksjax Container Garden Recipes, Gardening

May Container Gardening Recipe 2023

 
 

Bonsai: The Original Container Garden

 
Bonsai (pronounced: Bone-sigh), literally translated means tree in a tray or pot. However, it is a lot more than just that. One of the oldest forms of container gardening, Bonsai, was brought to Japan via Buddhist monks from China around the 12th century. (It is believed to have been practiced in China as early as 200 B.C.)
 
In the 1900s, the art form caught the West’s attention as Japan slowly opened to outside cultures. After the Second World War, Bonsai began to explode around the globe as Japan entered the world stage, and the small potted trees captured the hearts of the world.
 
Bonsai is a mixture of horticulture and artistic principles. Both aspects function to create aesthetically pleasing forms in trees that can survive in small shallow containers. A major misconception is that Bonsai is a type of tree. It is not. Bonsai can be any species of tree. It is the principles, techniques, training, and cultivation that are performed upon the tree that make it Bonsai.
 
A few techniques that Bonsai practitioners use to create miniature forms of trees that live in small containers are Root pruning, wiring of branches, deliberate and concise pruning, as well as horticultural practices to keep the trees healthy and vigorous. Any shrub or tree can be trained as Bonsai. Ordinary nursery stock is often the starting point of some remarkable trees. But one has to be patient. Bonsai doesn’t happen overnight.
 
Training from beginning to end can take many years. Most beginners will start with a few untrained trees to practice on and a few other trees at various stages of development. This way, an inexperienced practitioner can experiment with the untrained trees while simultaneously maintaining and developing a few already-started trees.
 
Bonsai is a lifelong journey for many people. Come check out our homegrown selection of Bonsai, pre-bonsai, and starter plants. If you have any questions while you’re in the store, ask for Matthew, he’s always ready to chat Bonsai with our guests.

 

Bonsai

Services

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  • Lawn Pest Control, Lawn Weed Control
  • Aeration and Top Dressing
  • Water Features, Koi Ponds,
  • Waterfalls, Bubbling Fountains
  • Garden Center & Pond Supply Store

General Services Areas

Jacksonville (Jax), Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Orange Park, St. Johns, Nocatee

Earth Works

Location

GARDEN CENTER
12501 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32246

LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS
(not open to the public)
St. Johns Bluff
1057 St. Johns Bluff Rd. N.
Jacksonville, FL 32225

Hours

Monday-Saturday 9-5
Sunday 10-5

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
New Year’s Day • Easter • Memorial Day
July 4th • Labor Day • Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve • Christmas Day

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April Container Gardening Recipe 2023

April 14th, 2023 by earthworksjax Container Garden Recipes, Gardening

April Container Gardening Recipe 2023

 
 
You are going to love this Sizzling Red Hot Pot
This is no ordinary monochromatic design. She rolls out the red carpet for our favorite pollinators with varying-sized and shaped long-lasting blooms. This pot will do best in a partial sun area with plenty of indirect or morning light and some afternoon shade. 
 
  1. Red Porterweed (Stachytarpheta mutabilis) – The Ruby Throated Hummingbirds and a host of butterflies are sure to search this beauty out to enjoy its rich, near-continuous supply of nectar. In the ground, it can grow up to 6’x4′ and is deer-resistant and heat tolerant too!
  2. Red Gerbera Daisy Gerberas produce long-lasting 3-in. to 4-in. flowers from late spring through autumn in the garden, and their blooms make long-lasting cut flowers. They symbolize being surrounded by love.
  3. Dragon Wing Begonia Is famous for its dark, lush leaves and cascades of rich red flowers. It is heat and humidity-tolerant and blooms all season long, attracting hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees!
  4. Aptenia This hardy, drought-tolerant ground cover makes the perfect spiller in many container recipes. It is truly an easy-care plant, evergreen, and, like its pot mates, attracts pollinators.

 

Lady In Red Container garden recipe April 2023

Services

  • Landscape Design & Installation
  • Paver Patios, Paver Walkways, Paver Driveways
  • Firepits, Retaining Walls , Seat Walls,
  • Landscape Lighting, Drainage design & Installation,
  • Lawn Care Services, Lawn Maintenance, Lawn Fertilization
  • Lawn Pest Control, Lawn Weed Control
  • Aeration and Top Dressing
  • Water Features, Koi Ponds,
  • Waterfalls, Bubbling Fountains
  • Garden Center & Pond Supply Store

General Services Areas

Jacksonville (Jax), Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Orange Park, St. Johns, Nocatee

Earth Works

Location

GARDEN CENTER
12501 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32246

LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS
(not open to the public)
St. Johns Bluff
1057 St. Johns Bluff Rd. N.
Jacksonville, FL 32225

Hours

Monday-Saturday 9-5
Sunday 10-5

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
New Year’s Day • Easter • Memorial Day
July 4th • Labor Day • Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve • Christmas Day

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March Container Gardening Recipe 2023

March 17th, 2023 by earthworksjax Container Garden Recipes, Gardening

March Container Gardening Recipe 2023

 

Spring Flowers are Here!
Pick Your Favorite Color and Go All Out!
From lavender and mauve to aubergine and deep purple, the unique flower shapes, sizes, and greenery patterns combine for a planter of purple pizzazz! Don’t care for purple? You’re sure to find plenty of choices in your favorite shades among our overflowing tables full of flowers!
  1. Angelonia Angelface Blue® has deep blue-purple flowers and grape-scented fragrant foliage. They are heat-loving and grow and bloom best when the heat is on—heat and drought-tolerant when established. Also deer-resistant and make great, long-lasting cut flowers.
  2. Cleome Senorita Rosalita® is heat tolerant and grows to 48″ tall. It is perfect for adding some foliage drama to containers and beds. There’s no limit to what you can do with this cleome – it looks fantastic in combinations, mass plantings, and on its own!
  3. Salvia Mysty– An outstanding perennial for heat-tolerant gardens, this compact plant produces an abundance of large, showy blue flower spikes. Excellent in a container, garden bed, or as a cut flower. Great for our pollinators!
  4. Osteospermum– Also known as African daisies, it is a cool weather annual that will give you beautiful blooms from winter through spring. Although a full-sun plant, afternoon shade will help colors last their longest.
  5. Superbeanea® Sparkling Amethyst has lilac and white flowers all season. With a mounding-trailing habit, they function as spillers and fillers in planters and are best planted at the front of landscape beds. They are heat tolerant, resist deer, and attract butterflies.
  6. Brachyscome is covered in stunning violet daisy flowers with gold eyes at the ends of the stems from late winter to late fall. Its attractive tiny ferny leaves remain green in color throughout the season. It makes a great filler in containers.
Purple Power Container Garden Recipe

Services

  • Landscape Design & Installation
  • Paver Patios, Paver Walkways, Paver Driveways
  • Firepits, Retaining Walls , Seat Walls,
  • Landscape Lighting, Drainage design & Installation,
  • Lawn Care Services, Lawn Maintenance, Lawn Fertilization
  • Lawn Pest Control, Lawn Weed Control
  • Aeration and Top Dressing
  • Water Features, Koi Ponds,
  • Waterfalls, Bubbling Fountains
  • Garden Center & Pond Supply Store

General Services Areas

Jacksonville (Jax), Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Orange Park, St. Johns, Nocatee

Earth Works

Location

GARDEN CENTER
12501 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32246

LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS
(not open to the public)
St. Johns Bluff
1057 St. Johns Bluff Rd. N.
Jacksonville, FL 32225

Hours

Monday-Saturday 9-5
Sunday 10-5

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
New Year’s Day • Easter • Memorial Day
July 4th • Labor Day • Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve • Christmas Day

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February Container Gardening Recipe 2023

February 19th, 2023 by earthworksjax Container Garden Recipes, Gardening

February Container Gardening Recipe 2023

Yes! You Can Create Houseplant Container Gardens

Bringing plants into our homes is back in a big way with this houseplant container gardening recipe. Just like you put together beautiful combinations of plants on your porches and patios, you can also make elegant planters to complement your interior design. The basics are the same. Combine plants with similar light and watering requirements using the thriller, filler, and spiller recipe. Here we have pulled out the red of the stems of our thriller with the fantastic red leaves of the Heartbeat Begonia as our filler. Also, the silvery blue-green leaves of Apoballis Acum are matched by the unique spiller Cebu Blue Pothos.
 
  1. Apoballis Acum Lavalei– Don’t let this camo plant ‘hide’ in your collection! Apoballis Acum “lavallei” is a rare tropical houseplant relatively new to the United States. Grow in bright, indirect light inside the home and keep away from hot sunlight, which can burn tender leaves. If grown outside, place it in a shady location.
  2. Heartbeat Begonia– Drought Tolerant, Colorful/Attractive Foliage, Shade Tolerant, Low Maintenance. Bright, excellent foliage plants grow in the deepest shade – carefree and colorful.
  3. Cebu Blue Pothos– a pretty and popular variety of pothos with shiny, silvery-blue leaves that seem to sparkle in the right light. Trailing or climbing, Cebu blue is a beautiful addition to any indoor jungle, and it gets bonus points for being such an easy-care plant.
 
 
February Container Gardening Recipe

Services

  • Landscape Design & Installation
  • Paver Patios, Paver Walkways, Paver Driveways
  • Firepits, Retaining Walls , Seat Walls,
  • Landscape Lighting, Drainage design & Installation,
  • Lawn Care Services, Lawn Maintenance, Lawn Fertilization
  • Lawn Pest Control, Lawn Weed Control
  • Aeration and Top Dressing
  • Water Features, Koi Ponds,
  • Waterfalls, Bubbling Fountains
  • Garden Center & Pond Supply Store

General Services Areas

Jacksonville (Jax), Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Orange Park, St. Johns, Nocatee

Earth Works

Location

GARDEN CENTER
12501 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32246

LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS
(not open to the public)
St. Johns Bluff
1057 St. Johns Bluff Rd. N.
Jacksonville, FL 32225

Hours

Monday-Saturday 9-5
Sunday 10-5

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
New Year’s Day • Easter • Memorial Day
July 4th • Labor Day • Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve • Christmas Day

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January Container Gardening Recipe 2023

January 18th, 2023 by earthworksjax Container Garden Recipes, Gardening

January Container Gardening Recipe 2023

Turn the Winter Blues into Something Beautiful!
Inspired by the freeze, this beautiful speckled blue pot, and the electric blue of delphinium, we created this icy-cool combo for our January Container Gardening Recipe 2023.
 
  1. Delphinium – A compact variety Ideal for containers, the rock garden, and for edging the sunny border. Remove faded flower heads regularly to encourage repeat blooming. A summer perennial in cold climates, we consider it a cool-weather bloomer.
  2. Lobelia Laguna Dark Blue- A rare true-blue flower, this variety can take the heat and will bloom consistently. They do not like wet feet, so be sure your container drains well between watering. A haircut will encourage new growth and more flowers if they go out of bloom. Plus, it can trail up to 24″!
  3. Dusty Miller– Their silvery leaves look stunning when paired with blue flowers. Winter hardy in our zone and drought tolerant, this plant can go all year long in the Florida sun. They will grow 1-2′ tall and wide.
  4. Alyssum- Mounding and growing 6″ tall, makes this plant suitable for borders and pathways. Alyssum is also a fragrant addition to combo planters and containers. They are heat tolerant, deer resistant, and a butterfly attractor.
January Container Gardening Recipe 2023 Icy Blues

Services

  • Landscape Design & Installation
  • Paver Patios, Paver Walkways, Paver Driveways
  • Firepits, Retaining Walls , Seat Walls,
  • Landscape Lighting, Drainage design & Installation,
  • Lawn Care Services, Lawn Maintenance, Lawn Fertilization
  • Lawn Pest Control, Lawn Weed Control
  • Aeration and Top Dressing
  • Water Features, Koi Ponds,
  • Waterfalls, Bubbling Fountains
  • Garden Center & Pond Supply Store

General Services Areas

Jacksonville (Jax), Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Orange Park, St. Johns, Nocatee

Earth Works

Location

GARDEN CENTER
12501 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32246

LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS
(not open to the public)
St. Johns Bluff
1057 St. Johns Bluff Rd. N.
Jacksonville, FL 32225

Hours

Monday-Saturday 9-5
Sunday 10-5

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
New Year’s Day • Easter • Memorial Day
July 4th • Labor Day • Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve • Christmas Day

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January Lawn and Garden Tips 2023

January 2nd, 2023 by earthworksjax Garden Tips, Gardening

January Lawn and Garden Tips 2023

The January Lawn and Garden Tips focus on opportunities to improve your landscape after Jacksonville’s six freeze days from Winter Storm Elliott and early winter chores and preparations for Spring.

Landscaping Impacts of Winter Storm Elliott
Ten days into winter 2022, Winter Storm Elliott caused widespread plant damage in Northeast Florida resulting from six days below freezing between December 23 through 28 of 2022, one of the Top 10 coldest 5 days in 151 years of Jacksonville history.

The record low was officially 20F for Jacksonville on Christmas day, 21 degrees below average and the coldest in 12 years. While many residents were traveling over the holidays, their landscapes froze some days for 12 or more hours. Although the low temperatures were within our USDA hardiness zone ranges for 8b at 15-20F and coastal 9a at 20-25F many landscapes include plants with ideal growing conditions found in warmer climates.

Native plants along with many varieties of hardy shrubs, fruit trees, and palms were unaffected by the cold weather. Many property owners will gain a greater appreciation for the relevance of cold hardiness in adjusting their landscape design. Some treat winter dieback as an opportunity to remove and replace damaged plants with those lush tropical plants. Regardless of your position, Earth Works Landscape Design & Gardens has the plant material and design expertise to deliver your vision in 2023.

Winter 2023 Forecast
Meteorologists project our third La Nina Winter with a waning of La Nina as the associated lower-than-average sea surface temperatures are rising. “La Niña is the cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (“ENSO” for short) climate pattern,” according to Climate.gov. “La Niña is expected to continue into the Winter, with equal chances of La Niña and ENSO-neutral during January-March 2023. In February-April 2023, there is a 71% chance of ENSO-neutral.”

The better our understanding of our climate and weather conditions, the better we can plan and care for the long-term success of our landscape designs.

January lawn and garden tips 2023 1
Pollen Season

 

Tree Pollen Coming Soon to Northeast Florida
February is the month pollen typically is at its worst in Northeast Florida. However, warm winters bring pollen as early as December. In 2022 Jacksonville ranked 31st worst city for Spring allergies by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. This is the time of year that our stately oak trees shed their leaves and pollen filled catkins and immediately replace the leaves with new.

Pollen allergy symptoms include itchy throat, congestion, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, and headaches. As of the first week of January, pollen from trees, grass, and ragweed is low, but mold particulates are high. “During peak season for tree pollen, keep your windows and doors closed, especially on windy days,” according to Accuweather.com. Avoid outdoor activities in the early morning, and be sure to shower and change clothes after coming indoors.”

January Plant Pruning In Jacksonville and Northeast Florida
Many of your woody stemmed plants that suffered dieback from the December freezes won’t need pruning. Still, January is the time to prune roses and deciduous plants, including crape myrtles, pears, and plums. Your Double Knock Out roses that bloom every 5-6 weeks from Spring to Frost have likely stopped blooming and are ready now through early Spring for annual pruning. Evergreens, in general, can be pruned any time of year.

Prune your azaleas after they bloom, which can vary widely depending on the variety. “Bloom times are divided into three flowering groups of early, mid, and late or fall flowering varieties,” wrote Lorna King for Garden’s Path. “The early group starts to flower in late Winter to early Spring, roughly from February to April. Midseason is comprised of late Spring and early summer or May and June. And the late or fall group flowers from midsummer and into fall, mid-July to October.” Reblooming azaleas should be pruned after the Spring bloom only. If pruned after the Fall blooms, that could stimulate growth put at risk by Winter cold.

Pruning
Planting

Planting Choices for January
Offset the drab look of plantings that have died back with Winter annuals, including Pansies, petunias, snapdragons, violas, and dusty millers. We still got a good selection of Camellias, the Queens of Winter, with many still putting out blooms heading into Spring. The Earth Works greenhouse is full of houseplant options suitable for your unique lighting, humidity, and temperature conditions. And planting shade trees, fruit trees, and palms are less stressful, with less shock potential during these cooler months. Visit Earth Works Gardens or set up a landscape design consultation with one of our designers to bring your vision to life in your landscape.

Prep Soil In Winter For Beautiful Spring Turf
Please take steps to ensure a beautiful Spring lawn by planning to complete your soil AERATION & TOP DRESSING, or schedule it with Earth Works Lawn Care before Spring. Our naturally sandy soil requires nutrient replenishment for your best Spring & Summer lawn. Proper care of your lawn during dormancy will make for a healthy, vigorously growing lawn turf that holds up to threats from pests and pathogens. Schedule a visit by Earth Works Lawn Care for an AERATION & TOP DRESSING quote. Our lawn service, including lawn pest & fertilization spraying quotes, is free online.

Schedule Your Pond Clean Out In Winter
For Aquascape ecosystem pond owners, we recommend an annual winter pond cleanout. Earth Works designs and builds low-maintenance ecosystem ponds that collect the majority of debris in the skimmer basket. Still, some waste settles to the pond bottom, requiring a periodic cleanout. Unserviced pond debris buildup is a water quality concern, particularly as the water temperature warms up, fish grow larger, and feeding increases. Thus, Earth Works recommends that you schedule your annual winter pond cleanout service be completed before Spring. Don’t wait. Contact us to book today!

Get Your Landscape Design Scheduled In Time for Spring Outdoor Living

Our January Lawn and Garden tips would not be complete without encouraging you to book your landscape design consultation sooner than later, as it will be a busy Spring! Then spend some time gathering the pertinent documents and photos of landscapes you like that represent the vision you create with your designer. Please don’t wait until it’s too late to get your choice of project completion dates. Check out our landscape design consultation video to better understand our process.

Services

  • Landscape Design & Installation
  • Paver Patios, Paver Walkways, Paver Driveways
  • Firepits, Retaining Walls , Seat Walls,
  • Landscape Lighting, Drainage design & Installation,
  • Lawn Care Services, Lawn Maintenance, Lawn Fertilization
  • Lawn Pest Control, Lawn Weed Control
  • Aeration and Top Dressing
  • Water Features, Koi Ponds,
  • Waterfalls, Bubbling Fountains
  • Garden Center & Pond Supply Store

General Services Areas

Jacksonville (Jax), Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Orange Park, St. Johns, Nocatee

Earth Works

Location

GARDEN CENTER
12501 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32246

LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS
(not open to the public)
St. Johns Bluff
1057 St. Johns Bluff Rd. N.
Jacksonville, FL 32225

Hours

Monday-Saturday 9-5
Sunday 10-5

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
New Year’s Day • Easter • Memorial Day
July 4th • Labor Day • Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve • Christmas Day

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