Full Description

This paper discusses a new landscaping program called "Florida Friendly Gardening - Easy as ABC", established by the Orange County Utilities Water Division. The purpose of this program is to educatestudents, teachers and parents about the importance of utilizing the right plants in the right placewhen landscaping to help conserve water. The Orange County Utilities Water Division and theSt. Johns River Water Management District provides funding for gardens through a cost shareprogram.Two schools in Orange County, Pinar Elementary and Lockhart Middle, participated in thissuccessful program during the 2002 - 2003 school year. Deerwood and Sunrise Elementaryschools were selected for the 2003 - 2004 school year. Students learn about Florida Friendly(FF) landscaping, the specific types of plants that should be utilized, how to install drip irrigationfor efficient watering, and how to maintain the garden. Participants also help design the layoutof the garden. The paper lists the criteria necessary for a school to participate in the program, and discusses the seven principles of Florida Friendly landscaping that were followed to create the gardens, which include: plan and design; obtain a soil analysis; choose proper plants; use turf wisely; irrigate efficiently; use mulches; and, perform proper maintenance.

Product Details

Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 06/17/2004 Number of Pages: 5File Size: 1 file , 280 KB