Is Your Landscape Project Ready for Prime Time?

If you've been working on including more native plants in your landscaping project, here are two ways to gain recognition: (The beautiful photos are some of the 2010 award winning landscapes.)

1) Apply by August 30th to be part of AFNN's Florida-wide media campaign. In partnership with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), the Association of Florida Native Nurseries (AFNN) is launching the Plant Real Florida statewide media campaign promoting the use of Florida native plants in residential landscaping. FDACS will produce a 30-second televised public service announcement that will run statewide on cable television from March through December 2011. Viewers will be directed to a new AFNN-sponsored website that enables homeowners to locate a variety of local resources, including AFNN native nurseries, landscape specialists, FNPS chapters and other Real Florida Gardener resources.

AFNN is particularly interested in landscaping that echoes or mimics native plant associations found in our natural ecosystems (e.g., hammocks, pinelands, coastal uplands). They'd like to see a mix of trees, shrubs, and native groundcover and preferably a few colorful native accents. It's okay for non-native plants to be part of the landscape; just not the dominate elements. Other "plus" features include butterfly, bird, pond and rain gardens, photogenic families, lots of onsite wildlife, etc. You get the picture--and speaking of pictures, include a photo of your property

Please send suggestions, questions, or comments by AUG 30 to AFNN Executive Director Cammie Donaldson at info@afnn.org

2) Apply for the Landscape awards by March 4, 2011, which will be presented at next year's FNPS statewide meeting in Orlando. For a list of last year's winners and information for how to apply, click here.

Comments by Jim Couillard, Chairman of the Landscape Awards Committee about this year's awards:

The 2010 FNPS Conference was a great success. The annual landscape awards presentation recognizes the owners, designers, and contractors who have created award-winning native landscapes that showcase the use of native plants. Besides being beautiful landscapes, these are landscapes that are truly functional and ecologically active and speak of a sense of place for each location.

The 2010 submittals ranged from Coral Gables up to Blountstown, from Sanibel to Hobe Sound and places in between. Seven applicants qualified to win awards. Judging was conducted by a three-member panel consisting of two Florida Registered Landscape Architects and one Florida Certified Horticulture. The winning submittals were within three categories: 1) Transportation, 2) Ecosystem Restoration, and 3) Residential.
The landscape awards program serves as part of the Society’s public relations strategy: the forum of presenting the awards, the local recognition the winners received in their hometowns, and the promotion of native landscaping.  The landscapes spoke of one of the most important aspects of landscape design: "a sense of place." And that place is here, our beloved Florida, for all of the diversity and ranges of plant communities.

It was a pleasure to serve as the Chairman of the 2010 Landscape Awards Committee and I am looking forward to serving again and recognizing more amazing landscapes.  (Note: Look for full coverage of all the winners in a future  Palmetto.)

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