Mandevilla is a beautiful plant which shares it’s hot pink and red flowers with many of us all through the summer months. Some like to keep it running up a trellis or cover and arbor with it. Whatever and however you want to show off your Mandevilla is fine with me. I just love the color!

The problem comes around every year around and my email begins to get filled with the question of what to to with the Mandavilla throughout the winder months.

Sorry to say you cannot turn your Mandevilla into a houseplant, but I’ve shared these overwintering tips for years and find people who continue to enjoy their Mandevilla year after year by following these guidelines. It starts with fertilizer and expectations! I hope they help you…

Read the Overwintering Mandevilla Tips here

The Sago palm makes for a handsome yet rugged plant in the landscape. In reality it is not a palm at all but a cycad.

The Sago can be used indoors as well. Over the last few years the Asian cycad scale has wiped out a very large percentage of the old established plants in the Florida landscape. Chemical pest control has not worked very well.

With the “green push” being made on everything from solar lighting, water use, building materials it’s sad plants do not seem to fall into the overall “green boom” or discussion.

I recently read an article in one of the ag magazines with intrigued me very much - plus it’s all natural.

Tom Broome in Lakeland, Florida the owner of The Cycad Jungle could not sit still and watch all these cycads decades old find their demise from the Asian scale. As all good growers do he tested and played.

After some observation and reading he decided to try a favorite morning beverage to battle the scale and it wasn’t milk! Tom used coffee grounds! Coffee is organic and has been used in gardens for decades.

He first tried controlling some scale and mealy bugs. Within days the results were in - death to the mealy’s and scale.

The problem is when you get on a larger scale drinking that much coffee to get enough coffee grounds is impossible. However, he found the local Starbucks as the perfect place for excess coffee supply.

Basically he mulched large Sago’s with coffee and the plants recovered.

I like the idea so much I decided to try it out on some neighbor’s cycads to see what happens. Maybe you should give coffee a look as a natural pest control option like neem oil.

One thing you may want to try is to make yourself a “coffee tea” by letting the coffee cook in the sun just like sun tea is made but do it for a few days… then try spraying some outdoor plants with it.

Great more ways to enjoy Java!

The “Oyster Plant” or Tradescantia spathcea “Tricolor” for you botanical enthusiast has long been used a ground cover in the landscape.

All it takes is one plant to fill out a pot and bring it’s rich “purple” leaves to add some accent to a landscape or introduce some needed color.

Now the “Oyster Plant” has went tricolor.

You’ll enjoy the same leave rosettes but now with variegated white, pink and green striped leaves on top and the same deep purple undersides.

Try using them as a small interesting house plant for accent color or planting in beds or as groundcovers. If used indoors make sure the Rhoeo gets lots of light!

It’s always nice to see a very dependable easy to care for plant come out with a new twist.

Soon the world will set their eyes on the Summer Olympics in China. All over China thousands prepare for not only athletes but spectators alike. Asia carries on their long tradition for unique tranquil gardens along with a special approach bringing a “nature Zen modeled” beauty to potted plants like bonsai.

In North America we often associate topiary plant sculptures in the landscape with theme parks like Disney and Busch Gardens.

Enjoy the images below as the Chinese prove they can create some extremely beautiful topiary with amazing detail. I truly hope the world gets the opportunity to enjoy this spectacular “landscape sport” of plant topiary!

Many people claim to want quality when they look to have work done - landscaping is no different.

The basic requirements for a successful landscape job is no different for hired work or for the do-it-yourself landscaper.

Here are some tips to install a landscape for success at planting and into the future.

1 - Pick the Best plants! Hand pick and tag the plants for your landscape - No Exceptions.

2 - When installing plants (yes you do install plants) plant at the proper depth. Remember the old saying… “Dig a 20 gallon hole for a 10 gallon plant.” Do not bury the root ball or plant below grade.

3 - Always use the right planting mix or existing soil if healthy for the plants and acceptable.

4 - When trees and palms are planted prop and stake as necessary

5 - Water in all plant material thoroughly. Watch out for air pockets on large trees and palms make sure the air pockets get filled with soil

6 - As required fertilize all newly planted material

7 - Avoid using “Red Mulch”! Planting beds need to be mulched to the proper depths and specifications.

8 - Pay attention to detail. Trim and prune as necessary

9 - Double check the irrigation system for coverage and watering times.

10. If the job is commercial do a walk through with the designer, landscape architect, or approved representative to make sure the “finished” project meets the plans and specifications. If the job is a DIY ask your spouse for a good critical eye.

All jobs large or small can benefit from following these simple tips. Now go landscape!