Written by: Diane Goldberg, St. Lucie County Master Gardener volunteer

You can have a colorful butterfly garden filled with wildflowers even in a homeowner association. I live in the Cascades in St. Lucie West and have one that has been recognized by the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program.

It's really very easy to do. It saves time, energy and money because it doesn't need intensive maintenance. The basic concept is to put in plants that won't need a lot of watering, fertilizing, or pest control. I do this with a nice mix of native plants and low maintenance hybrids. My plants don't need a lot of fertilizer and I don't use pesticides where I want to encourage birds, butterflies and bees. I chose the right plants for shady, wet locations and ones for dry sunny spots.

The first step is to know your soil ph, so you don't get plants that are acid lovers like ixora if your soil is alkaline. This way you don't have to spend a lot of time and money on fertilizing.

I select plants that encourage birds and butterflies to come, and by planting bushes with the ultimate growth in mind, so I won't have overcrowding. Overcrowding can cause diseases such as fungus and molds. My garden also has a lot of diversity. Large expanses of the same plants are also prone to disease and insect infestation, as well as not providing the same benefits to wildlife as a diverse plant community does.

I love my native plants because they are suited for the local wildlife by leafing out, blooming and bearing berries when they are needed most. Once established in the right location, they need little supplemental watering, fertilizer or pesticides.

This also helps our ecosystem by having a minimum amount of runoff into our storm drains, which can then carry pollutants like fertilizer, pesticides and petroleum products into our retention ponds that feed into canals, rivers and bays. The nitrogen and phosphorus in fertilizers cause algae blooms, which when too abundant can smother aquatic plants and delete oxygen from the water, killing fish.

Mulching can help too. A two or three inch layer of mulch will suppress weeds, retain moisture, prevent erosion and improve soil. Look for plants that are drought-resistant, native, slow growing, thrive without fertilizer, pest-resistant, non-invasive, and wind resistant.

For more information on the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program or to get your yard recognized contact the St. Lucie County Extension office at 772-462-1660 or email Kate O'Neill at kasmi@ufl.edu.

If you would like to chat with Diane about her recognized Florida yard, she can be contacted at (772) 343-8666.

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