The Florida-Friendly Plants Lisa Plants Again and Again

There is a quiet test every plant has to pass before it shows up on one of Lisa's plans. It has to survive a Jacksonville August without daily babying. It has to look composed in February when most of the garden has gone quiet. And it has to belong to the architecture it stands in front of.

The Structural Workhorses

Sabal palms anchor almost every coastal property. Loropetalum brings burgundy tone against brick. Yaupon holly handles salt, shade, and clay alike. These are the bones, the plants we build the rest of the design around.

The Florida Natives We Plant Constantly

Firebush, coontie, beach sunflower, muhly grass, simpson's stopper. Each of these is native to the state, drought-tolerant once established, and entirely capable of looking designed. There is no trade-off between native and beautiful. There never was.

The Florals That Carry the Garden

Camellias hold winter. Pentas hold summer. Old garden roses, where the architecture earns them, hold the season between. Container groupings on the front porch take care of the rest.

If a plant fails this test, it doesn't go in the bed. The goal isn't a plant collection. It's a garden that holds its composure all twelve months of the year.