Flowers and Football Converge This Fall

Some of the sweetest days can be found in October. With evening temperatures in the 70s, it is a great time to have dessert near the firepit. Many deeply browned jumbo marshmallows will be consumed in my backyard this fall. I am committed to saving my evenings for relaxation, my mornings for mulch, and my weekends for football!

At our demonstration garden at Victor Hart Sr. Park, we are putting the roots of our newly established fruit trees and other sensitive ornamentals to bed. The walking path has also been reduced by our activities, so it, too, will be restored to the 3-inch recommended thickness. Many of these plants will appreciate the insulation that will not only help moderate soil temperatures but also help conserve moisture through our cold, dry winter season. Our garden club children enjoy toppling my tiny mulch kingdoms.

Although planting season is pretty much over, October is part of a very small window for strawberries. This year, we will set up small pots for our youth gardeners to take home by Thanksgiving break. We will also set up a few hanging baskets to adorn the pergola. A couple faux whiskey barrel containers will sport several strawberry plants trailing over the edge with red pentas holding the center. With consistent moisture and morning sun, we will have cute strawberry flowers followed by fresh berries throughout the cooler months.

Now to address the Gator in the room: whether you are a lifelong fan or recently climbed aboard a winning team’s bandwagon, your containers and landscape beds can proudly display your school spirit all season long. Here are some plant combinations that will work for several top Florida Universities (obviously listed in no particular order):

• University of Florida: orange marigold, snapdragon, or celosia, with white penta and blue daze
• Florida State University: burgundy coleus can stand alone or with golden yellow marigolds, chrysanthemums, coreopsis, and gaillardia
• University of Miami: marmalade crossandra, crotons, green coleus, orange marigolds, and coontie
• University of Central Florida: golden yellow chrysanthemum, dusty miller, gold marigolds, and silver falls dichondra
• University of South Florida: white penta, green coleus, and variegated liriope
• Florida Atlantic University: red penta, blue daze, white alyssum, and dusty miller

Here are some other plants to consider adding to your beds or pots to show your school spirit: dianthus, angelonia, Persian shield, Texas sage, society garlic, Gold Mound Duranta, native porterweed, and Stoke’s aster.

A little fresh mulch, a few strawberry plants, and a container or bed planted in your team’s colors may seem like simple projects, but these are the things fall in Florida are made of. As autumn settles into Central Florida and the holiday season begins, your landscape can be the welcoming backdrop for football Saturdays, gatherings, and the simple joy of spending more time outdoors.

Nickie Munroe is an environmental horticulture agent with the University of Florida’s IFAS Indian River County Extension.