Florida Yards & Neighborhoods 
The First Line of Defense
It may surprise you to know that your yard is the first line of defense for Florida's fragile environment. The health of Florida's estuaries, rivers, lakes and aquifers depends in par or how you landscape and maintain your yard. And you don't even have to live on the water to make a difference.
Storm-water runoff is the reason. Rain falls on yards, roads and parking lots, flows from the gutters into storm drains, and then washes into tributaries and lakes or bays, carrying pollutants like fertilizers, pesticides, soil, petroleum products and other pollutants. Scientists have discovered that fertilizers and pesticides from residential areas are serious threats to the health of Florida's water and ecosystems. When runoff contains nitrogen from fertilizers, algae can become so abundant that oxygen is depleted and fish kills may result. In some freshwater environments phosphorus is often the nutrient responsible for algae blooms. Toxic substances, such as common landscape and household pesticides, can damage reproduction in marine life.
But all is not gloom and doom. A new ethic is emerging among concerned Florida homeowners who seek to redefine the image of home and landscape. The ideas is to cooperate with local, natural conditions, rather than to battle the elements.
More people are conserving water energy inside and outside the home. Interest is growing in landscaping with native and other beneficial trees, shrubs and ground covers. Homeowners are choosing plants that blend beauty and environmental benefits. People are selecting safer alternatives to chemicals used indoors and out. Best of all, many of these benefits to the environment also save time and money while enhancing our special Florida lifestyle.
Florida-friendly landscaping emphasizes nine major principles which I will be expanding on in future articles: Right Plant, Right Place; Water Efficiently; Fertilize Appropriately; Mulch; Attract Wildlife; Control Yard Pests Responsibly; Recycle, Reduce Storm Water Runoff, and Protect the Waterfront.
This is the first in a series of articles I will be writing on the new area program called Florida Yards & Neighborhoods. The program is being implemented through your local county extension service in Highlands, Okeechobee and Glades County and is partially funded from Clean Water Act Section 319 funding from the U.S. EPA through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Ed Ayen is available to address interested groups such as homeowners associations, voluntary organizations and clubs. For further information he can be reached by calling (863) 402-6540 or email edayen@ufl.edu. His office is located at the Highlands County Extension Service located at 4509 George Blvd., Sebring, FL 33875-5837