In Florida, fall and winter are ideal times to create, maintain and enjoy your garden landscape. The weather cools off, there’s not as much rain and it’s more comfortable spending time working in the yard. A lot of different plants and trees thrive and burst with color in our mild central-Florida winters. To start, here are three tips for getting the most out of your fall and winter gardening adventure.
1. It’s best to plant in soil that’s mixed with organic matter. This allows more nutrients needed by your plants to be retained.
2. The best-looking gardens are ones that get proper fertilizing. You can use a slow-release fertilizer or compost. When you visit our nursery, you’ll find a variety of popular synthetic and organic fertilizers for all your gardening needs.
3. Pay attention to how much water you’re giving your new plants and trees. Rainfall falls off in November through April, so make sure to maintain a consistent watering schedule. Soaker hoses are ideal, because they allow water to penetrate right to the roots without evaporating like sprinkler spray.
Red Maple: Spectacular leaf displays are this tree’s hallmark, particularly in late winter when leaves turn shocking red.
Hong Kong Orchid: Blooms are reminiscent of orchids with fall and mid-winter colors of pink, rose and purple.
Chickasaw Plum: A small native tree, the Chickasaw Plum produces its flowers before sprouting new leaves.
Redbud: This tree features gorgeous floral displays near the end of winter with small white or pink blossoms decorating its bare branches.
Eastern Dogwood: A Florida native, the Eastern Dogwood is popular for its white floral bursts in February.
Fringetree: This is a deciduous tree that blooms for just a couple weeks in late winter or early spring with fragrant white flowers that resemble ribbons.
Taiwan Cherry: In January and February, Taiwan Cherry trees delight the eyes with lush pink flowers.
Camellia: Ideal for winter gardens in central Florida, Camellias bring lots of beautiful pink flowers and foliage that’s always green.
White Frangipani: A striking white (and sometimes yellow or pink) flower, this species blooms fragrantly in winter gardens.
Bougainvillea: This tropical vining shrub blooms bright in February, but its “flowers” aren’t flowers at all, rather unusually formed leaves.
Cheddar Pink: Cheddar Pink, usually considered a perennial, loves the sun and blooms pink from spring to early fall.
Chickabiddy: A sun-loving vine, this plant presents striking white, blue and lavender blooms until the first frost.
Corsican Pansy: This is an ideal winter plant in Florida that bursts with purple blooms when the air is cool.
Diascia: Diascias reach heights of about a foot and a half and light up gardens with resplendent pink from summer through fall.
Would you like to learn more about the many trees, flowers and vines that thrive in the Tampa, FL, area during the fall and winter? You’ll get all your answers when you visit our destination garden center and talk with an expert.
Cypress Creek Landscape Supply
Open Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. / Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed Sunday
12734 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, FL
(813) 933-7944
