Landscape Award Winners Gain Publicity
Richard Stauffer and Julie Wert, who live just south of the Hernando-Pasco line in Aripeka, won the Florida Native Plant Society’s second-place award for amateur residential landscaping at the 2011 annual conference in May.
Julie Wert states, "This article was in the St. Petersburg Times recently about our yard. The columnist, Dan Dewitt, was concerned that the Hernando County Commission had allowed twice a week watering rules again. He heard about our award from FNPS and came out to use it as contrast to typical suburban yards. I sent him home with a copy of Doug Tallamy’s article in American Forester and “Bringing Nature Home”. I just heard the article was picked up by newspapers in Indiana and South Carolina."
From the article: "Their yard, 1½ acres of coastal uplands just south of the Hernando-Pasco line in Aripeka, recently won the society's second-place award for amateur residential landscaping.
"It didn't win because it fits the definition of that tiresome word "sustainable," though of course it does. It won because it's beautiful — paths of hardy volunteer turf grass wrapping around dense gatherings of yellow-fringed Indian blanket blooms. ...
"Wert has strung a hammock in the yard, and I can see how lounging there could be somebody's highly acceptable vision of heaven."
This is a great example of getting "the word" out about native plants. Great that this article has gone viral to a degree. Julie's smart interaction with the reporter by providing a copy of Doug Tallamy's article and book lays the foundation for his next piece on native plants and the enviromnet. We all need to speak up for Florida's environment. If you have a story you'd like to share on your Florida native plant/environment action or publicity, please let us know. fnps.online@gmail.com
Do you have a great looking yard, a fantastic business landscape? If so, you should apply for next year's award. The 32nd Annual FNPS conference will be at Plant City May 17-20, 2012. It will be hosted by the Hernando and Suncoast Chapters. Hope to see you there!
sue dingwell
Ginny Stibolt
Julie Wert states, "This article was in the St. Petersburg Times recently about our yard. The columnist, Dan Dewitt, was concerned that the Hernando County Commission had allowed twice a week watering rules again. He heard about our award from FNPS and came out to use it as contrast to typical suburban yards. I sent him home with a copy of Doug Tallamy’s article in American Forester and “Bringing Nature Home”. I just heard the article was picked up by newspapers in Indiana and South Carolina."
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| Read the article online at: www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/florida-yards-can-be-natural-habitats-too/1178553 |
"It didn't win because it fits the definition of that tiresome word "sustainable," though of course it does. It won because it's beautiful — paths of hardy volunteer turf grass wrapping around dense gatherings of yellow-fringed Indian blanket blooms. ...
"Wert has strung a hammock in the yard, and I can see how lounging there could be somebody's highly acceptable vision of heaven."
This is a great example of getting "the word" out about native plants. Great that this article has gone viral to a degree. Julie's smart interaction with the reporter by providing a copy of Doug Tallamy's article and book lays the foundation for his next piece on native plants and the enviromnet. We all need to speak up for Florida's environment. If you have a story you'd like to share on your Florida native plant/environment action or publicity, please let us know. fnps.online@gmail.com
Do you have a great looking yard, a fantastic business landscape? If so, you should apply for next year's award. The 32nd Annual FNPS conference will be at Plant City May 17-20, 2012. It will be hosted by the Hernando and Suncoast Chapters. Hope to see you there!
sue dingwell
Ginny Stibolt
Comments
.. super lawn...