Exploring plants and
gardening in the Coastal
Southeastern United States
Magnolia grandiflora (by R. Hubbuch)
These are the observations of an obsessed gardener. I live, work and garden in 2012 USDA zone 9a in north Florida. My home garden is a trial garden. I will try any plant, provided it is not known to be a pest plant. Fruits and vegetables get extra attention but ornamental plants must survive in the native soil with little assistance from me, once established. After planting, my primary involvement is to observe and record each plant's responses to my garden conditions. If a plant survives for several years, I try it in other places and recommend it to other gardeners. If it is weedy or has chronic problems, I remove it and replace it. In contrast, the landscape that I manage is expected to be attractive year round. Thirty miles to the south and across the St. Johns River, its winter lows are about five degrees F warmer than my home garden. Here the greatest challenges are sustainability and fiscal responsibility. In particular, I strive to minimize labor demands and the use of irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides by selecting the best plants for the conditions. In all trials, failures are as important as successes. Each is recorded in the following pages.
USDA zones 8 and 9
In 2012, the USDA released a new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone map. The on-going changes lead me to suggest that it may be best to use the USDA zone map as a broad guide. Often, the map does not apply well to the zone borders. In particular, I find a lot of differences between the reported hardiness of plants and the behavior of those plants in the Coastal Southeast. Undoubtedly, some of this is due to soils, rainfall, pests and other factors not related to winter temperatures.
The 2012 and 1990 maps of the Coastal Southeast may be viewed and compared on one page by clicking here.
For an interesting history of the zone maps, click here.
The 2012 and 1990 maps of the Coastal Southeast may be viewed and compared on one page by clicking here.
For an interesting history of the zone maps, click here.
Quercus virginiana with TIllandsia usenoides
The information in these pages should be of greatest interest to gardeners in the Southeastern United States from east Texas through north Florida to coastal North Carolina. My observations are based on a limited geographical area. Gardeners with soils, rainfall, pests, and other conditions that are different from mine will have different experiences. I appreciate your comments. E-mail me at thegardener@southeastgarden.com.
More about the gardener.
Links to other plant and garden websites.
More about the gardener.
Links to other plant and garden websites.
A Gardener's Travels
I like to visit gardens across the Coastal Southeast to learn more about the ranges of our garden plants, to learn about new plant species and to see new ways of displaying plants and information about them. I am in the process of adding information about gardens in the Coastal Southeast to these pages. Also, I have had opportunities to travel around the world in my career. Of course, my focus was on plants and gardening. The travel pages on this site include descriptions and photos of some of these trips. Most of these are my photos but the page on British Colombia, Canada was contributed by a friend. Take a glimpse at the Coastal Southeast and more of the world through the eyes of a plant nut by clicking on Travels.
The photo to the left is the flower of an Australian protea, Telopea speciosa, growing in Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in South Africa.
The photo to the left is the flower of an Australian protea, Telopea speciosa, growing in Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in South Africa.