My mother and my grandmother before her grew roses. My earliest childhood memories hold the scent of the fresh pot of coffee always sitting on my grandmother’s kitchen counter and the jar of roses on the table. The care taking of these precious plants marked the seasons, pruning being the main topic of winter discussion with the chore of cutting the spent blooms filling summer evenings.

When I became a homeowner for the first time, I raced to the nursery to purchase my roses. I spent many hours snipping, feeding, deadheading and felt great joy at their spring blush. Neighbors would pass by, stopping to take a sniff, a blossom, and to thank me for the contribution of my beautiful garden to the neighborhood.

Never again! Life is too short and the planet too thirsty for me to grow roses. That’s what this section of the site is all about. Let the English grow roses. To grow a rose in Florida consumes water that we do not have and requires a ton of chemicals that your grandchildren would be very pleased for you to keep out of their oceans.

Go native! There are hundreds of plants suited to our soil and climate. In a homogenized world, we can have gardens unique to our region that are as lush and beautiful as anyone could desire.

Visit the links. Join the Florida Native Plant Society. Browse a couple nurseries specializing in natives. Replant Florida with her native plants and let her do all the work of making them flourish!

Put down your pruning shears and go to the beach!