We expect our turf grass to go dormant in the cooler months, but don’t turn your back on Fall Winter watering as the lawn and garden need that moisture. “The month with the fewest wet days in Jacksonville is November, with an average of 5.3 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation,” according to WeatherSpark.com. “The drier season lasts 8.2 months, from September 27 to June 2.”
We are halfway through our third week of November here in Jacksonville, and it has rained just three times this month, mainly on the 6th & 7th. Then we got a sprinkle on the 12th. In November 2020, it rained several times each week in Jacksonville for a total of 17 times that month. That was a much more favorable set of circumstances. Like a soaker hose, the water is delivered with greater frequency in small regular doses. Nothing is perfect though, as too frequent watering can result in shallow root systems and invite fungus.
“As Jacksonville heads into the driest month of the year in November, the potential for a flash drought will grow without persistent rain in the forecast,” according to News4jax.com. “A flash drought often begins as a small rain deficit in one county and then expands like fire across the landscape. Flash droughts are often accompanied by erratic precipitation over sharply defined geographic areas.”
There is only a slight chance of rain over the next 10 days. And November, along with October, has the clearest skies of the year for Jacksonville. Some days may be overcast without much precipitation ahead of a cold front, which can give us a head fake that we will get rain that never materializes. Rain totals thus far for November are what they were for all of Nov 2020, but when it comes down all at once, the soil doesn’t absorb as much of it as it is lost to stormwater runoff.
“Irrigation frequency will vary based on grass species, rainfall amounts, soil type and amount of compaction, shade presence, geographical location in the state, and, most importantly, by season,” according to the University of Florida. “Irrigation systems should be reset seasonally to reflect the differing water requirements of grasses based on time of year. Ideally, University of Florida guidelines call for watering lawns on an “as-needed” basis. This can be determined by observing the grass for signs of water stress, which indicate that water lost in transpiration is not being replaced and the plant’s needs for water are not being met. The signs that you need to look for are: • Leaf blades are folded in half lengthwise in an attempt to conserve water. • The grass takes on a blue-gray tint rather than maintaining a green color. • Footprints or tire tracks remain visible on the grass long after they are made.”
The Fall season watering is more crucial than Winter, primarily considering higher daily temperatures in Northeast Florida. As seen in the chart by Meyers and Horn, Florida Turf Growers, our St Augustine turfgrass requires a greater frequency of rain or watering in Fall than Spring. Measured in Gainesville the St Augustine grass can go 3-9 days between watering in Spring and only 2-8 days in Fall.
Obviously, our flower beds, landscape plants, and garden will need rain or regular Fall Winter watering. Drought conditions cause plant stress. “Without periodic rains or irrigation, your plants will stop producing fruit and will drop any fruit they have already produced,” according to UF Gardening Solutions. “Remember, most Florida soils drain easily and don’t retain water. Adding organic matter to the soil will help the soil retain moisture, conserving you water and saving you effort.”
Earth Works recommends keeping your turf, landscape, and garden healthy with at least two rain or watering events per week while abiding by local watering restrictions. Contact Chad Lakin, Earth Works Lawn Maintenance Operations Manager, with your specific lawn care questions at 904-996-0712 and get a free quote for your lawn care.
Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Contact us with your questions and to book design consultations.
We proudly serve clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
The 2022 Jacksonville Pond Tour is our annual opportunity for water gardening fans to visit many of the area’s finest water gardens and koi ponds built by Earth Works. This year’s pond tour date and times are Saturday, June 11 from 10 am- 4 pm. This is an opportunity to not only view them in person but speak with and ask questions of homeowners about their water gardens. Join us on the bus to see some of Jacksonville’s most beautiful ponds and water features.
Earth Works’ pond specialists will give details at each stop and answer any questions you may have. Lunch and cocktails are provided. This tour will also include a free self-guided option. A self-guided map will be provided on our website and in-store the week of the tour.
$75 per person provides bus tour of the ponds, with lunch, beer, and wine provided. (If participating in the bus tour please meet at the garden center at 9 am, will arrive back from the tour between 5 pm & 6 pm). BUS TOUR SIGN UP LINK.
THANK YOU to all our 2021 Jacksonville Pond Tour hosts including Coggins-Robins, Jungs, Delands, Beckenbachs, McGregors, Duffneys, Sellers, Leens, DeLoachs, Wards, and Payne families. If you were kept away due to the cold, wet, and windy day or something else enjoy some of our photos and videos here of ponds on the tour.
The 2021 Jacksonville Pond Tour was a self-guided event held on Saturday, November 6, from 10 am to 4 pm. The first stop on the tour was the Garden Center which has displays of:
-Ponds in Four Sizes and Pondless Water Feature options to view and schedule construction for at your home or business.
Before the 2021 tour, during a visit by Greg Wittstock, founder of Aquascape, one of the 2021 tour participants, Denise Sellers, shared a testimonial about their water garden. View her testimonial video here.
We consider our clients part of the Earth Works family and that certainly goes for the Leen’s who we’ve done numerous projects and photo/video specialty shoots with promoting aspects of the Aquascape Lifestyle. The Leen’s were #9 on the 2021 Jacksonville Pond Tour route. The construction challenges of building a pond around the pool equipment are a faint memory after seeing the final product at the Leen’s residents. The beautiful Missouri limestone gives this waterfall and 11’x 16’ pond its unique style.
The Wards were one of our first filmed pond construction videos. They are a friendly couple that we are grateful for access for a second time on the pond tour as #11on the list of stops for 2021! This 12’ x 12’ pond is tucked in nicely next to the pool creating the effect of being one beautiful body of water. The surrounding gardens and outdoor kitchen finish off the space beautifully.
The DeLand residence was #4 on the pond tour. Completed only weeks before the tour it has multiple entertainment areas. This backyard has it all, starting with a pondless 2.5’ waterfall cascading into a 25’ stream you cross over to relax in a hot tub or hammock. The enclosed space also has a summer kitchen and comfy sitting area.
At the DeLoach residence #10 on the pond tour, we removed every bit of grass in the backyard and filled it with lush plantings and activity areas for this growing family. The centerpiece is a 16’ x 25’ swim pond with a sunbathing area, custom stone staircase, and a 25’ stream running throughout the space. There are so many special features to this landscape design to explore and enjoy.
The Beckenbach residence in Atlantic Beach was #5 on the pond tour. The size and number of perfectly placed boulders create an incredibly natural effect on this pond. The addition of 2 stacked slate urns gives it an extra splash! A beautiful tree-covered deck and surrounding garden finish this great place to enjoy nature out of the hot Florida sun.
For comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden, and landscaping needs, contact us at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. We proudly serve clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Earth Works builds ecosystem ponds that work with natures’ nitrogen cycle for pond owners wanting to provide a healthy aquatic environment for plants and animals. Organic debris, including fish food, animal, and plant waste, accumulate in ponds and are broken down by nitrifying bacteria making nitrogen available to plants in a process called nitrogen fixation. “Nitrification constitutes a two-step process,” according to the Journal of Microbiology. “In the first step, ammonia is oxidized to nitrite by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), followed by the oxidation of nitrite to nitrate by ubiquitous nitrite-oxidizing bacteria.”
High organic nutrient concentrations from runoff pollution are often in the news causing oxygen depleting algal blooms and high levels of harmful bacteria that kill fish and other wildlife. Earth Works offers annual pond cleanouts as part of regular maintenance for the healthy pond ecosystem. We stock both cold and warm water activating beneficial bacteria for dosing your pond filter to fuel the eco-friendly nitrogen cycle for pond owners. While it sounds complicated, the properly constructed and engineered pond with adequate filtration, skimmer, pump turnover rate, and properly stocked fish and plants with annual cleanouts are ecologically balanced and easy to maintain. “Nitrosomonas bacteria first convert nitrogen gas to nitrite (NO2-) and subsequently Nitrobacter convert nitrite to nitrate (NO3-), a plant nutrient,” according to Lenntech. Nitrates become unhealthy for fish at 120 ppm where plants are insufficient for absorption. While these processes are invisible Earth Works supplies various water test kits and water additives to treat and regulate pond water parameters.
Under dirty conditions, certain bacteria species threaten the health of fish and other pond wildlife populations. “Aeromonas Alley” is described as when water temps are between 42F and 62F when Aeromonas bacterial strains at high concentrations in dirty ponds can result in fish ulcers, hemorrhagic septicemia, brown blood disease (caused by nitrite toxicity), and death. Good and bad bacteria populations are increasing their activities as water temperatures increase, making nitrogen bioavailable over what pond plants can use, which is why we encourage clients to schedule their pond cleanouts in winter heading into spring. Complicating matters, some of these Aeromonas bacteria species convert nitrates back into nitrites in denitrification. Nitrite levels over 0.15 milligrams per liter in fish inhibit their absorption of oxygen. Regular dechlorinated water changes are the best low-tech approach to reducing levels of nitrites and nitrates in the pond.
The nitrogen cycle explains the basics for converting nutrients into plant food. Earth Works and a network of Certified Aquascape Contractors provide information, products, and services to improve biosecurity to beautiful, low-maintenance ecosystem ponds.
For comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden, and landscaping needs, contact us at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Contact us with your questions and to book design consultations. We proudly serve clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Understanding curb appeal landscaping principles benefit you regardless of whether you’re looking to buy, sell, or spruce up a home in Northeast Florida. In the accompanying video, Earth Works Owner Jason Duffney provides examples of curb appeal landscaping principles used in developing a plan for a new homeowner in Jacksonville.
The landscape should fit the architecture. The color, form, texture, and scale of plants compared to the home affect curb appeal, as do their arrangement and maintenance. “So when doing landscapes for homes, the first thing I consider is the windows, columns, and walkways…,” Duffney said. “The windows are the eyes of the home. And whatever you do like in the makeup world, you are going to accent around those eyes.” If you decide to have hedges in front of the home, consider trimming them or utilizing a dwarf variety to avoid obstructing the view. Trees likewise should not obstruct windows unless the intent is for them to provide a privacy block. However, the privacy benefit of blocking the street view can become and pitfall if potential buyers can’t see the home. Duffney demonstrates how the sight of columns blocked by hedges is enhanced by removing those hedges and installing Blue Point Junipers.
“Design principles include unity, balance, transition, focalization, proportion, rhythm, repetition and simplicity,” according to Basic Principles of Landscape Design published by the University of Florida. “Landscaping combines elements of art and science to create a functional, aesthetically pleasing extension of indoor living to the outdoors.” These principles aren’t an exact science but a good guide for improving curb appeal in the eyes of many.
“We always try to focus on having balance in the yard,” Duffney said. “A home like this, you can do things symmetrical. Certain homes you can’t, but you can always create balance.” Both symmetrical and asymmetrical types of balance help a landscape make sense. “Symmetrical balance is used in formal landscapes when one side of the landscape is a mirror image of the opposite side,” according to Principles of landscape published by Michigan State University. “These landscapes often use geometric patterns in the walkways, planting beds, and even how the plants are pruned into shapes. This type of balance appears to be rather stiff in appearance and often is highly maintained. Asymmetrical balance, also known as informal balance, differs from one side to the other and appears to be relaxing and free-flowing.”
As ongoing maintenance and upkeep are essential for curb appeal landscaping, consider replacing annual flower beds with various colored evergreen plants. “A lot of people get fixated on doing lots of flowers,” Duffney said. “For homeowners that don’t mind being in the garden a lot, that’s a great option, but you can actually create with lots of evergreen material a landscape that is very easy to sustain. You can do it with evergreens and not have so much work.” Annual beds and flowers during the off-season can leave an area of the landscape looking bare and unkempt. That’s problematic for home buyers and sellers potentially burdened with untimely upkeep. Duffney likewise demonstrates how to layer plants and use plant material to hide utilities along with a host of other considerations. You can do curb appeal landscaping projects yourself or reach out for assistance to a professional landscape design firm like Earth Works for a design consultation. We are here to help.
For comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden, and landscaping needs, contact us at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Contact us with your questions and to book design consultations. We proudly serve clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Understanding the essential tree facts for hurricane season is crucial to reducing the threat of damage from storms here in Florida. Hurricane season is officially from May 22 until November 30, 2021. This is the time when many Floridians will face tropical storms and possibly hurricanes. The Florida Panhandle is currently facing landfall of Tropical Storm Fred with rain bands impacting Jacksonville while Tropical Depression Grace is tracking through the Caribbean, and Tropical Depression 8 that could become Henri is gaining strength near Bermuda.
The following are a few tree facts for hurricane season preparation.
1. Older trees may need pruning to reduce the risk of overhanging limbs to structures and power lines. Remove dead, diseased, cracked, and broken limbs at risk of falling during high wind events and hurricanes. A licensed arborist can provide professional assessments of what needs to be done to protect the specific trees before and after hurricane season. With eighteen inches of rain in the last six weeks, the ground is saturated with water that weakens root systems.
2. Some trees are at greater risk of attracting lighting, with those struck most often being oak, pine, and palms. When hit, the tree will attempt to repair itself but should be monitored over some months. Ultimately the damaged tree may require pruning or complete removal.
3. Tree species with shallow roots and large canopies, when combined with saturated soil, are at higher risk of coming down during high wind and rain events. Examples are Maples, Willows, Elms, and Birches.
4. Recently planted younger trees’ root systems may still be inadequate to protect against extreme wind and rain and can be at serious risk of falling. Staking trees when planted and leaving them staked throughout the season is best. Many can be stood back up, replanted, and secured if they fall. Still, they can be badly damaged in such events where the roots become ajar, exposed, or damaged.
Though tragic, it’s hardly a surprise when we see news coverage of a limb or large tree that fell into a home or that crushed a vehicle during high wind and rain. Regardless of the conditions of our trees, when faced with an impending storm event, it is best to assess the situation. Be aware of your surroundings, especially what is above, and take necessary precautions to protect friends, family, and yourself.
Visit our garden center for all your plants and gardening supplies. Contact Earth Works Landscaping department to schedule a consultation for all your landscaping, hardscaping, and drainage solution needs. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Contact us with your questions and to book design consultations.
Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Earth Works of Jacksonville provides comprehensive drainage solutions for Northeast Florida homeowners and businesses to protect your home and property from flooding and other harms associated with prolonged standing water. Earth Works Owners Douglas McGregor and Mark Fechtel have been providing drainage services for over 30 years. We offer customized drainage services and solutions with multiple configuration options discussed in our consultation process tailored to your specific needs.
Typical configurations include: -GRAVITY DRAINAGE WITH DRAIN BOXES for points of collection and hard pipe (PVC or sewer and drain) or an ADS Corrugated Pipe to move water from the problem area to a lower outflow area to provide proper drainage. A transit or automatic level is used to shoot the grades and elevations to ensure that there is proper gravity flow. If there is not adequate fall, a sump pump drainage system can be installed to move the water out of the problem area.
-French drains to catch runoff and provide gravity drainage solutions. French drains can be connected to systems of various configurations and type of pipe.
-Channel drains are appropriate drainage solution for pool decks, outdoor kitchens, hardscaping, and driveways. Connect channel drains to downspouts and route off property with hard pipe to outflow boxes or connect into one of our custom drainage systems.
-Swales and cisterns are examples of options for onsite water retention required in many Northeast Florida counties due to presence of environmentally sensitive ecosystems. We can also provide underground water retention with aqua bloxs or a dry well if the soil is sandy enough. The aqua bloxs could be combined with a pond or pondless water feature.
All of Earth Works drainage solutions meet federal, state, and local regulations designed to protect your property, safety, and the environment. Our drainage systems are guaranteed to work and are warranted for 1 year on parts and labor.
CONTACT US (904)996-0712 to schedule a consultation to create a design plan to accommodate your comprehensive drainage solution needs. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Contact us with your questions and to book design consultations.
Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
What company doesn’t want employees that are knowledgeable and passionate about their products and services? We salute our knowledgeable and passionate employees educating the public every day about our products and services. We also celebrate and recognize outstanding performance at our monthly employee meetings and support our employee’s professional development.
Our marketing department consists of Terri McGregor, Kevanie Counts, and John Hawley. They together produce and distribute Earth Works media content. Employees from all our divisions are the familiar faces and voices for their departments in that content. What you see on camera is what you get when you visit the garden center or when they roll up to complete an assignment at your property.
Earth Works phone message is the voice of Christina Lowe, a professional deejay who spends her days sharing her love of plants with garden center clientele.
Chad Lakin provides lawn tips on camera and blogs supported by Mark Fechtel who likewise speaks for all aspects of company operations with Doug McGregor.
Every member of the design team makes it on camera, most frequently being John Cacchione and Patti Sanders, to discuss showcase projects they design and implement.
You can watch all the Earth Works landscape foremen discussing what they encounter implementing those landscape and landscape lighting designs. They include Chris Cooprider, Nick Scott, David Arthur, Tim Gipson, and Glenn Stanza.
On any given day, a camera is in their face without warning for the purpose of employees educating the public about plants, landscaping, landscape lighting, hardscaping, water gardens, drainage, and lawn care. In doing so, our audience gets to know more about our products and services and the individuals that make up the Earth Works family that serve you here in Northeast Florida.
We don’t have staff on camera to strictly focus on saying nice things about the company. Instead, they are encouraged to share their knowledge and expertise as employees educating the public about our brand as part of their everyday experience. In turn, our audience gets information directly from who they would be speaking with if they become Earth Works clients. Via this process, our staff members sharpen their verbal skills while being shown trust and recognition by Earth Works, which serves as further professional development.
While companies expect employees to perform their jobs well, most don’t make them the company’s voice. It works for us in various ways, such as seen when staff is informed by new clients that they feel like they already know them from having watched them in video content on www.earthworksjax.com. “A study in 2019 found that majority of professionals (70%) did consider their jobs a reflection of their identity, with 87% saying they’d want to work somewhere where they feel like they’re a part of something and “part of a family,” according to Human Resources Director (HRD). “Sadly, only half of professionals said they actually knew what their company stood for or represented.”
Our core values at Earth Works are integrity, teamwork, excellence, and fun. Besides being a business operating here in Northeast Florida for over thirty years, we are family and welcome like-minded people interested in growing with us. And thank you to our loyal followers for watching and sharing our content!
For comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden, pond, and landscaping needs contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online and at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Contact us with your questions and to book design consultations.
Proudly serving clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Hilliard, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Close to the Tournament of Players Championship (TPC) at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, nestled among the homes of PGA & NFL players is the one-acre GYO GREENS Ponte Vedra aquaponics farm. “We grow specialty petite greens, microgreens, petite veggies, and edible flowers,” says the owner Helga Tan Fellows. “Our variety of petite greens is large and we offer those in seasonal arrangements. Our microgreens include various young vegetable leaves like broccoli, carrots, Pac Choi, celery, and the likes. We grow other items like petite radishes in the outdoor planters, more mature vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, okra, etc.”
Education coupled with sustainable farming is at the core of the GYO Greens mission. They have been serving as an educational resource for area elementary, high schools, and universities since opening in 2014. “It is wonderful to be able to share this place for those who want to learn,” says Fellows. “I have been fortunate to live in a few countries in Asia and Europe and visit and learn from other colleagues and farmers. Of course, many local farmers have been very supportive and shared a lot. I figure if I could do this, then I must share it. When the student is ready, they are welcome to visit and learn. Our mission is straightforward: To grow fresh, natural, and delicious specialty products while educating our community about Aquaponics and Sustainable farming.”
GYO translates from Japanese to the English word fish. The farm has two 3000 square foot greenhouses with 4500 planting pots per greenhouse producing organic greens and herbs for chefs in the area’s high-end restaurants. Fellows published “The GYO Greens Cookbook, Recipes from First Coast Chefs and Friends,” featuring dishes that include her greens, herbs, and flower garnishes.
Upon entering the property, visitors cross over 100% reclaimed material walking over recycled granite pavers under cover of a solar array that supplies approximately 75% of the facility’s power.
GYO Greens Ponte Vedra aquaponics farm system design consists of three fish tanks containing approximately 1000 koi in one of their two greenhouses. The system pumps 10,000 gallons of water and effluent pumped through an Aquaponics solids filter (swirl filter). Then the water passes through an up-flow filter followed by a biofilter that then goes through 2 Pentair UV lights with an easy-to-monitor inline Milwaukee pH Meter. The filtration separates solids with the remainder flowing through plant tables using the dynamic root floating (DRF) technique for plants to pick up nutrients from the water that recirculates through this closed system. The system installation and their ongoing quality auditor and consultants are Aquaponics Engineering and Design. “The simplicity of the system makes it very easy to maintain as long as you follow consistently and properly the operating tasks,” says Fellows. “Like any process, it is important to be trained and knowledgeable. We are constantly learning about the plants and water parameters. Monitoring the water quality parameters to prevent issues and adjust as needed is essential to ensure a healthy system.”
The nitrogen cycle, fundamental to pond science is at work in the aquaponics system. Fish waste is converted to nitrogen that fertilizes the plants, which, in turn, cleans the water that cycles back to the fish. The GYO Greens team has scheduled weekly fish health checks along with constant monitoring of the aquaponics system chemistry. They have a quarantine tank for isolating fish prior to introducing them into the system as well as treating sick fish. The only consistent supplementation is Iron, which is often lacking in aquaponics systems. Iron is a necessary plant micronutrient that, when deficient, can cause yellowing of leaves and when available improves plant quality and yield.
Portions of the system go through regular maintenance but the system is never entirely shut down. “It is busy here,” says Fellows. “We have a rigorous weekly schedule dictated by our procedures and farm requirements. We tend to the plants and fish every day, of course. But typically, on Mondays, we are making sure plants are Ok and preparing orders while also calling customers. Then we have two days dedicated to water testing and fish management and another day for pest management. Then, two days dedicated to deliveries. During the weekend, we sort of “reset” the farm with some extra mandatory maintenance, cleaning, etc., and we take time off to reenergize!”
The farm has grown, but as for the future, “Right now, it is the right size for us,” says Fellows. “We were smaller, and in 2018 we expanded to the second greenhouse. No plans to do further expansion as this is the perfect size for the current business and education.” She sees her aquaponics system as akin to any other farm. “At the end, we are all passionate farmers trying to promote this process,” says Fellows. “We may have unique processes that set each farm apart, but in the end, we are all farmers. For instance, we use our aquaponics water to grow our microgreens. We also use the fish water runoff to fertilize our planters outdoors.”
Being that Fellows has an engineering background, some might question their ability to take on such a venture as this, but she dismisses those concerns. “It helped, of course, when planning and understanding the process and eventually running it,” says Fellows. “However, initially, the decision was pure out of convenience and a bit of having a hobby to spend “free time.” It is a great way to grow plants beautifully in a natural closed-loop without adding many nutrients. Urban farming, in my opinion, will play a big role in the future to supplement traditional farming as the population continues to grow and space is very limited.”
There were a few problems initially that required adjustments. “We lost power failure due to extreme weather conditions before we were able to have our power back up system,” says Fellows. “Very early in our journey. We lost a lot of fish. Lots of tears. We love our fish!”
Fellows credits their success to “Genuine public interest for healthy and local food and of course learning about farming on the business side of things. We can’t keep up with the requests for tours and education. Which I am thrilled and very proud as education has always been in the forefront of GYO’s existence and mission.”
Like all other businesses dependent on the public and especially restaurants, they were impacted by the pandemic of 2020. When asked about this, Fellows explained they shut down to the public as a safety precaution that only restarted in July of 2021. “Our main customers were only restaurants,” says Fellows. “When they closed, we went to zero sales. It was shocking, of course. However, this gave us the opportunity to evaluate our strategy. We donated some of the produce to centers in need. We began selling directly to the community that always expressed interest in buying from us. Selling to the community led to our new online store, which is now up and running and quite the tool for reaching customers beyond restaurants. We also took time to finish projects like implementing the solar array and minor improvements around the greenhouses and the grounds. I kept reminding my team of the wonderful words of Ms. Hepburn: “To plant a seed is to believe in tomorrow” – this is how we have kept moving along…. The beauty of the plants reminds us how special is the place we work. The community stepped in when the pandemic hit, so it was wonderful and quite touching to see all the support.”
GYO Greens Ponte Vedra aquaponics farm mission focused on education has built a dedicated community. Fellows credits the community with her most cherished memories as, “It is always with students,” says Fellows. “We have kept all the thanks for having those students visit us, learn and be so excited about the process. Some of the young ones insist that the parents bring them back. They become our customers too. When the students are older, they offer to volunteer or help in special events. We have a great success story here with one of our farmers. She was a high school volunteer who is now a key member of the farm team. She is not here today as she is delivering produce and talking to customers.”
When asking Fellows, the priorities of GYO Greens into the future, she responds, “Strictly education but to educate we need to farm and grow produce. Our customers (both restaurants and retail) keep us busy and alive! We now have the approval to become a nonprofit organization and upgrade our education offerings and even provide scholarships. We have already been collaborating and planning with local universities. We HOPE fall will be a great start of this new phase.”
To find out more about GYO Greens Ponte Vedra Aquaponics Farm, place an order or schedule a tour visit www.gyogreens.com.
Earth Works of Jacksonville, supports the mission of GYO Greens as their values are closely aligned with ours. For comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden, pond, and landscaping needs contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online and at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Contact us with your questions and to book design consultations.
Proudly serving clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
The signs of damage from heavy rain and over watering can take weeks to appear. Some damage in the form of fallen limbs and trees occurs quickly and is easy to see. In July 2021, Hurricane Elsa passed Jacksonville with tropical-storm-force wind and rain. It added to a week with more than 5 inches of rain that mostly fell on July 4th and 7th. While that amount of rain wouldn’t stop fireworks and doesn’t warrant alarm bells going off, it came during a month-long period of above-average rainfall that contributed to bringing down part of a tree that crushed one of our owner’s automobiles. We scurried about during the last week of September 2022 as Hurricane Hermine was approaching to hopefully avert similar damage from high winds and rain.
Chad Lakin, Earth Works Lawn Care Operations Manager recommends that your lawn should receive a half-inch of water three times per week from rain and/or irrigation. During weeks when it rains for three or more days dropping an accumulated weekly total of 1.5 inches of rain or more you should consider turning off the automatic timer on your sprinkler system and only water as needed. And be aware that irrigation regulations in Duval County restrict sprinkler system operation to twice per week. Be sure to check and abide by your county guidelines.
SEVEN FACTORS AFFECTING LAWN AND GARDEN DAMAGEFROM HEAVY RAIN include elevation, grade, soil composition, percentage of impervious area, drainage system, landscape design, and fungal pathogens.
Elevation: Much of Northeast Florida is at or slightly above sea level with a high water table. “Almost 25,000 kilometers of Florida’s coast is below 3.5 meters in elevation,” according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. “The northeastern region of Florida is one of varied natural, geographical, and topographical environments. The region is a part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and contains an assorted mix of land cover types that span from coastal marshes to upland hammocks and scrub areas.”
Grading: Proper site grading requires a slope of the landscape away from home and other structures and into drainage systems that include swales and retention ponds. “The ground immediately adjacent to the foundation shall be sloped away from the building at a slope of not less than one unit vertical in 20 units horizontal (5-percent slope) for a minimum distance of 10 feet measured perpendicular to the face of the wall,” according to Florida Building Code 1804.4 [Excavation, Grading and Fill] Site Grading. “If physical obstructions or lot lines prohibit 10 feet of horizontal distance, a 5-percent slope shall be provided to an approved alternative method of diverting water away from the foundation. Swales used for this purpose shall be sloped a minimum of 2 percent where located within 10 feet of the building foundation. Impervious surfaces within 10 feet of the building foundation shall be sloped a minimum of 2 percent away from the building.” These measures reduce the threat of flooding and erosion from rainwater that doesn’t percolate into the soil.
Soil Composition: Our Northeast Florida soils tend to be sandy, allowing better percolation of water than clay soils. Heavy rains can saturate soil that can’t absorb additional water resulting in increased flooding, erosion, and runoff. “When soils become saturated from heavy rainfall, loss of nitrogen (N) becomes a major concern,” according to Kruger Seeds. “After soils are saturated, the two processes that can reduce the amount of available N are denitrification (microbial conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gases) and leaching.” Leaching of nutrients from the soil during heaving rains can change soil pH. “Rain leaches alkaline elements including calcium, magnesium and potassium from the soil into runoff water, leaving acidic elements like hydrogen, aluminum and manganese to replace the bases,” according to SFGATE. “This means that areas with high annual rainfall amounts, such as parts of New England, generally have more acidic soil than the arid deserts of Arizona.”
Impervious area: Impervious areas include driveways, walkways, decks, and patios. Municipalities in Northeast Florida have restrictions on the percentage of impervious surfaces allowed. Coastal communities have the most strenuous rules. Atlantic Beach limits impervious area to 45% and requires onsite water retention storage. Hardscaping projects must take into consideration all sources of water conveyance to comply with the city code. “The downspouts from the house they are all connected underground and run to the swale,” said John Cacchione, Earth Works landscape designer. “So all of the water from the roof is collected. Nothing is going out into the street.” Make sure your landscaping company understands and readily complies with applicable regulations.
Drainage system: The wide variety of drainage system designs available require routine maintenance to work effectively. Clogged gutters, French drains, and storm drains won’t function as designed. Standing water over time becomes lethal for turf and many varieties of plants. “During a flood, the greatest danger to your grass is suffocation,” according to the Turfgrass Group. “Grass needs sunlight, water, air—CO2, to be precise—and nutrients to grow. When your turf is submerged, the grass cannot get the CO2 it needs. It can survive this way for a day or two, but after four of five days, the chances of survival drop significantly. Generally, cool water and cool temperatures are the least destructive. If the air temperature is above 80 degrees and the water is shallow enough to be warmed, even a day or two could kill the grass.”
Landscape Design: Your choice of plants can have a significant impact on whether your lawn and garden are damaged or flourish after heavy rains. Native plants evolved in the local environment doing better in native soil and weather conditions than many non-natives. A professional landscape designer takes rainfall, soil composition, and drainage into consideration when establishing your landscape plan. Xeriscaping is popular but could require bringing in soil and regrading the landscape if the ground holds a lot of water during raining season. Alternatively, cannas, hostas, Japanese maple, and taro are a few examples of plants well suited for moist soil. Plant choices should be appealing to your taste and be in conditions to succeed and not succumb to damage from heavy rain.
Fungal Pathogens: Fungus thrives in wet conditions above and below the soil surface, growing on wet leaves while attacking roots. “Although the upper plant parts can deal with rainy periods pretty well, the roots are where most problems occur,” according to The Times-Picayune. “Excessively wet soil (especially combined with warm temperatures) can create stressful, and potentially destructive, conditions for the roots of bedding plants, perennials, vegetables, shrubs and even trees — especially newly planted ones.” Two serious fungal diseases are Gray leaf spot, Pyricularia grisea and Take-all root rot Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis. Gray leaf spot can infect blades when they are wet for less than a day at temperatures between 70F and 95F. “This fungus slows grow-in, thins established stands and can kill large areas of St. Augustine grass turf,” according to the University of Florida. “In Florida, St. Augustine grass is the only warm season turf grass affected by this important disease.”
Take-all root rot commonly attacks stressed lawn turf that destroys turf root systems over weeks leading to yellowing and irregular brown patches. “Take-all root rot is a stress-related disease, and the following stresses may trigger the disease: soil compaction and poor drainage, drought, excessive irrigation, improper mowing height, excessive thatch buildup, improper fertilization, excessive shade and the overuse of herbicides,” according to Louisiana State University.
Earth Works offers regular aeration that prevents soil compaction and top dressing for improving percolation and replenishing nutrients. For comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden and landscaping need and to minimize lawn and garden damage from heavy rain, contact Earth Works of Jacksonville at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Contact us with your questions and to book design consultations.
We proudly serve clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
This new paver driveway improves curb appeal, value, and satisfaction for this Jacksonville Beach homeowner. “John (Cacchione) came up with a wonderful plan,” said Homeowner Faith Stone. “And I met with him and reviewed the plan and said this is it.” The plan included tearing out and removing the existing concrete driveway and replacement with Tremron glacier colored 12” x 24” pavers in the Park Plaza style and landscaping. “It has transformed our house,” said Stone.
Pavers are attractive, safe, and considering permeability, they are better for the environment than poured concrete which has a shorter average lifespan before cracking. “I see that a lot, with new homes, some of the older buildings, even some of the new projects with concrete driveways are cracked with trees by them, with heavy machinery on them, with water from the roof eroding underneath them,” said John Cacchione, Earth Works landscape designer. “The pavers are a good replacement.”
Cracked and uneven concrete driveways leave bad first impressions as they are an eyesore, tripping, and driving hazard. “Beyond the installation, a paver driveway is a better investment because it lasts longer and adds curb appeal to your home,” says Home Advisor. “The average paver driveway lasts between 30 and 50 years. Pavers are up to four times stronger than poured concrete, meaning they can support four times as much weight. Slabs tend to crack over time, while pavers can come loose individually.”
Tremron Glacier, Park Plaza style pavers are available in 2 3/8” and 4” thick options. Other Park Plaza paver size options include 8”x8”, 8”x12”, 12”x12”, 16”x16”, and 24”x24”. “So we’ve got the four-inch-thick paver, and we’ve got a six-inch base of Krush Krete underneath all of that,” said Cacchione. “That was unique to this job, and we’ve got a cool border here too where we normally do a single border here we did a little double border. It gives you just a nice imprint of that contrasting color.”
Raised edging and borders are options for driveways with practical benefits, including less grass intrusion onto the pavers. It keeps vehicles on the driveway rather than in the landscape. Flat edging and borders provide aesthetic value with endless design possibilities. “Versus just a single band (border), you can do the double band,” said Cacchione. “You can do a triple band. I like to do the little sandwich band, I call it. So you take two 6”x9” pavers, and you sandwich another little thin paver between them. It’s a really pretty look. So dressing up your borders like that is really a nice way to dress up a driveway. You can do that on existing concrete driveways too. It doesn’t have to just be pavers. You could come in with a paver border, a paver apron, and then some paver bands that we cut into the concrete to enhance what you already have. You don’t have to tear out everything.”
We recommend widening sidewalks to front doors when replacing driveways as builders commonly construct them 36” wide, which isn’t pedestrian-friendly for two people walking together to a porch or front door. We enhanced the entrance, so it’s really big now,” said Cacchione. “It gives you that sense of welcomeness to the front door.”
With age and use, driveways require maintenance and eventual replacement that reflects on home value. “The National Association of Realtors surveyed homeowners, landscape professionals, and Realtors to evaluate how certain outdoor remodels contributed to resale,” according to Homelight.com. “Upgraded hardscape and landscape design both placed in the top four projects that buyers find appealing and that Realtors agree can add resale value.”
High and low gloss sealers are available for your new driveway, along with rust remover, rubber, paint, and tar removing cleaners. “The glossy sealer will give you that wet look all the time,” said Cacchione. “You do have to reapply that every 3-5 years based on your wear and tear. So the sealer will lock that look in place, or we can do a matt finish, which will give you not the glossy finish, but the finish when it is dry. I do recommend the sealer. I do recommend you reapply it. It’s going to be a lot easier to clean your surfaces off if you’ve got that coat of sealer on the paver.”
This Jacksonville Beach client trusts Earth Works for various services that started with a visit to the garden center where she purchased plants and met Cacchione. That friendly business relationship blossomed into providing landscape design plans and a beautiful driveway that met and hopefully continue to exceed her expectations.
Just as this driveway improves curb appeal, value, and satisfaction count on Earth Works of Jacksonville with all your landscaping, hardscaping, drainage, water gardening, and lawn care needs. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Contact us with your questions and to book design consultations.
Proudly serving clients in Northeast Florida including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine. Happy Gardening!
