The Family Adventure Guide - December Issue 2023 - Magazine - Page 12
3 best garden plants for beginners
By E. Ferrari
Pentas bloom continually, producing stunning
clusters of red, pink, lavender, or white flowers.
They are easy to plant and grow in Florida. The
flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
A well-drained soil is ideal, as well as full sun or
some shade. Once established, it can tolerate
moderate drought. The best flowers will bloom
when fertilized regularly in the spring and
summer on sandy soil. A few times a year, you
can also apply a slow release fertilizer.
The daisy-shaped flowers in gerberas come in a
variety of colors. They are popular with
pollinators. They're great for landscapes and
container gardens, and you can use them indoors
as well for bouquets.
Grow Garvinea gerberas in full sun or part shade
and moist, but well-drained soil. Keep them
hydrated during times of drought, and fertilize
regularly in spring and summer to keep them
blooming.They are perennials in North, Central,
and South Florida.
GERBERA
PENTAS
PEACE LILY
Florida’s official state flower. Most varieties
show off daisy-shaped golden-yellow flowers,
but you can find selections with single or double
flowers, and blooms in shades of yellow, gold,
orange, red, and pink. Any coreopsis variety you
grow will attract butterflies and will be droughttolerant.
Grow coreopsis in full sun or part shade and
well-drained soil. Once established, most are
reasonably drought tolerant and do a good job
of taking care of themselves. They thrive in both
garden beds and borders as well as containers.
Most coreopsis varieties are short-lived
perennials in North Florida and annuals in
Central and South Florida.
THE FAMILY ADVENTURE GUIDE- FLORIDA EDITION
12 | June 2022 issue
