Florida Friendly Landscaping comes to Highland Dunes

Submitted by Susan Hardee Steger

April 25, 2016 1:00 a.m.

If you wonder if Florida Friendly landscaping saves money, ask the residents of the North 18th Street Highland Dunes neighborhood who joined together to take on the task of transforming a one-quarter acre neighborhood park into one that is environmentally friendly.

The park, located just over the North 18th Street hill, was initially landscaped by the developers of Highland Dunes with an assortment of shrubs, palm trees, and sod. Included in the park was an irrigation well and above ground sprinklers. The home owners association (HOA), noticed park maintenance with electric costs for a well pump, plus mowing, and fertilizing  was a significant share of the HOA budget.  Added to the future maintenance cost was the need to deepen the well. When presented with the problem, several residents suggested a new xeriscape also knows as Florida Friendly or dry landscape approach targeting plants that can survive on natural rainfall.

Quinn Garber, HOA president, Linda Johnston, and Warren Buchanan.

A resourceful landscaping team was formed whose members include , Warren Buchanan, Kerry Hunt, and Linda Johnston, with Michele Soutner  as board liaison. They reached out to the Florida Friendly Landscaping Program (FFLP), a cooperative effort with the University of Florida Extension Service and connected with Dr. Gail Hansen, associate professor. After a meeting with Dr Hansen, her students, staff, and a tour of the property the FFLP agreed to design a landscape.

Warren Buchanan prepared drip irrigation system.

The Highland Dunes HOA committed to installing the landscaping material, record before and after water usage, and install a drip irrigation system to help establish the landscaping. Local business Reflections of Nature provided the native plants and owners James and Angie Loper offered helpful advice.

Neighborhood residents Gary and B J lend a hand.

For two days, neighbors gathered to plant over 1,000 plants. The plantings included bottlebrush trees, wax myrtles, southern red cedars, and a weeping yaupon.   An assortment of shrubs such as oak leafed hydrangeas, dwarf palmettos, bush daisies, red yuccas, asistic jasmine, for ground cover were added.  Then grasses and specimens such as purple muhly, dwarf fakahatchee, sea oats, crown grass, Gainesville blue agave, and agave blue glow completed the project.

For those interested in viewing the park's landscaping, a short walking path provides an up close view of the neighborhood's efforts.  For further information contact Linda Johnston at lsj75@yahoo.com