Privacy Hedges South Florida Style

 Hello my friends!  How are y'all doing?  Has it started cooling down where you are?  Boy howdy, I don't know about you but I am truly looking forward to some cooler days around here for sure!  It's especially nice working on landscapes in temps that don't feel like the sun is 10 ft away lol.

Now that you're here, wanna chat about plants?  Hedge plants in particular.....I know you dooooo lol!

Let's get into what we call privacy or screening hedges.  This type of landscape style is an important garden element to so many people.  Especially since our cities & towns allow for zero lot lines, new builds are literally right on the edge of the allowed set backs.  In many cities the set back from the property line is only 6ft!  Which is not much in my humble opinion.  And when the newly built house is 40 ft high next to a single story house, well, privacy becomes very important pretty darn quick.

Lots of lush coastal tropical layers

So historically here in SE Florida, a 6-ft high fence would have been enough of a privacy border.  But due to the above mentioned issues, homeowners are currently struggling to find ways to offset the proximity of that ginormous mega-mansion house now erected next to them while abiding by the cities landscaping or building codes.

Every city and/or county will have building and/or landscaping codes of some kind.  Some cities are very particular while others use their county codes as their ordinance.  You would think that all of the cities in a county would have the same codes.  Nope, no they do not.  I've never received a proper answer as to why but here in Florida, the city code is primary, then county then state.  So if you live in an unincorporated area, your county's code would be primary then state.  State has very little leverage over cities and counties.  The city code has jurisdiction over county and state.

Total privacy from lots of layers of native plants

Do you know any of your cities landscaping codes? 

For example in Lighthouse Point, if you do not live on the water, your hedges can only be 8-ft high along the length of your backyard.  From the backyard along the lengths of your side yards all the way up to the front of your house's set back can only be 8-ft high.  From your house's set backs to the front property line, hedges can only be 5-ft high.   And if you want a hedge across the entire front of your house it can only be 5-ft high & only along the property line.  From your house's set back on the side yards up to the city's right of way in the frontyard, the hedge can only be 30 inches high.

Now if you are on the water, all of the above applies but there is a 25-ft set back from the seawall into your side yards & the hedge can only be 3-ft high as to not obstruct the water view for your neighbors.

Are you thoroughly confused yet?!? 😂

What baffles me is why they are allowing mega mansions up to 40-ft high to be built on zero lot lines but then institute a hedge ordinance of only 8-ft between you and your neighbor.  Did no one think about that?  Or is it that they don't care? What do you think?

Lighthouse Point hedging height diagram 🤣

In Coral Springs, hedges can only be 6-ft high in your backyard and on the sides of your yard (basically the same height as a standard fence) and only 4-ft high in your front yard to the city right of way.

In Fort Lauderdale the hedges can be up to 10ft high.

So you can see how different the hedge codes can vary from city to city.  If a city does not have specific codes then the county's codes will apply.

Now that we have the "now you know" knowledge outta the way, let's get into the good stuff...plants!!!

What type of plant should I use?  Good question!  Let's start with some fantastic plants which can work for just about everyone.  Then we can get into to a couple of the ones to stay away from (and for good reason lol).  Just an FYI, all landscape plants need to be on a consistent irrigation schedule though some are more hardy to our dry seasons.

Copperleaf (Acalypha) - most of the hedge plants I'm going to showcase are green but not acalypha, no way!  Acalypha's are vibrant & showy with so many different varieties to choose from.  They grow to an accommodating size without getting too tall.  Their growth habit is full, typically wider than tall and compact for the most part.  They do take trimming well but will look a bit ragged if a hedger is used on them to harshly.  They look their best when trimmed on the natural side. But not to worry they are fast growers. They are also very hardy, but do need a consistent watering schedule or will look wilty when the soil is too dry.  They can grow in a variety of soil types.  Some varieties like the darker leaved ones can grow in full sun but generally prefer part sun/part shade.  Copperleaf's range from 4-6 ft up to 10-12ft high by 4-6 ft wide

From top left to right: Louisiana red, Pink picotee, Ceylon & Java white

Bahama Maidenbush (Heterosavia bahamensis) - this Florida native evergreen plant can hang with the best of them..hardy, salty wind tolerant & thrives in dry sandy soils. Perfect plant if you live near the coast since that's it's native habitat. This is a slower grower so buy the largest size your budget allows.  Bahama maidenbush grows to be about 6-10 ft high x wide though takes trimming very well. Grows in full sun & can take some shade. Great pollinator plant. 

Bahama maidenbush

Cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco) - the red-tipped cocoplum is another Florida native evergreen that is native to swamps, coastal dunes & hammocks so it can grow is many different ecosystems.  Moderately salty wind tolerant but absolutely thrives in full sun!  The more sun it gets the thicker the growth.  If it's in too much shade it will thin out especially at the base of the plant.  Cocoplum is a columnar grower (grows taller than wide) & can get to be about 15-18 ft high by about 3-8ft wide.  Responds very well to trimming & is a fast grower.  Cocoplum have large edible fruit but when used as a hedge it typically doesn't have the opportunity to flower since it's being constantly trimmed.  Great pollinator plant.

Cocoplum

Coffee (Psychotria nervosa) - this Florida native evergreen plant is perfect for shadier locations like part sun/part shade.  Though it'll grow in full sun but will require more frequent watering.  Beautiful glossy & textured jade green leaves make it a stunner hedge.  Grows in a variety of soils, moderately salty wind & drought tolerant since it's considered an understory hammock plant.  It max's out at about 8-10 ft high by 3-6 ft wide & is a moderate grower.  It looks best in it's natural form so moderate trimming is best.   Coffee have small white flower clusters pollinators love that turn into the most beautiful bright red berries the birds gobble up.

Coffee

Crabwood (Gymnanthes lucida) - this Florida native evergreen plant is found as an understory plant in the hammock ecosystems.  Somewhat salty wind tolerant & once established can handle short dry spells.  Prefers organic rich soil but can grow in sandier soil types.  Has small shiny green arrow shaped leaves.  Crabwood is a columnar grower & is on the moderate to slower side of growing.  It can get to be about 15-20 ft high by 3-6 ft wide. Typically crabwood doesn't need trimming due to it's natural growth shape.  Has a long slender small cluster of tiny flowers that are a pollinators favorite.

Crabwood

Ilex 'skyscraper' (Ilex crenata 'skyscraper') - this new comer is not a native but a gorgeous evergreen that was created for those small tough spaces most plants would out grow.  It's tight extremely columnar growth habit is perfect for screening between mechanical units and zero lot line properties. 'Skyscraper' has deep dark green glossy leaves & grows like it's reaching for the sky.  Can grow in most types of soils & in full sun to part shade.  Ilex 'skyscraper' grows to be about 8-10 ft high but stays around 2-3 ft wide.  Almost needs zero trimming because of it's natural dense shape.

Ilex 'skyscraper'

Jamaican caper (Quadrella jamaicensis) - one of my favorite Florida native evergreen plants that has a beautiful deep olive green leaf color with a silvery back to them.  A super champ that can withstand most of what Florida's weather can dish out.  Grows in a variety of soil types & can be drought tolerant during dry spells. Very tolerant of salty wind.  Can grow in full sun but prefers a bit of shade throughout the day since it's natural habitat is in hammock ecosystems.  Moderate grower.  Can grow up to about 15-18 ft by about 5-6 ft wide.  Takes regular trimming very well & can become very thick.  Jamaican capers have the most beautiful pinkish white flowers in spring & summer that pollinators love which then turn into long seed pods.  Once the pods are ripe at the end of summer, they burst open in about August/September showing the most glorious reddish orange inside with ebony seeds the birds absolutely love.

Jamaican caper

Lancewood (Damburneya coriacea) -  this Florida native evergreen is not as well know among the other natives that have been on the market for awhile.  Luckily this native has been making some waves with us landscapers & with good reason.  It's glossy dark green long oval leaves are beautiful on their own but when it's in bloom with it's white flower clusters, watch out! Stunner for sure.  Moderate to fast grower, tolerant of most soil types, salty wind tolerant & grows in full sun to part shade.  It's native habitat is tropical hammocks & pinelands so it can grow up to about 20-28 ft high by about 5-8 ft wide.  Lancewood takes trimming very well & the leaves have an almost cinnamon/clove smell so enjoy it while you're trimming.  A pollinator favorite.

Lancewood

Marlberry (Ardisia escallonioides) - this Florida native evergreen plant is another local favorite known for it's beautiful dark green foliage, it's showy flower clusters the pollinators love & beautifully multi-colored berries birds delight in eating.  Typically grows in coastal strands, hammock & rock pineland habitats so it can tolerate all soil types very well.  Marlberry grows in full sun to part shade and gets to be about 5-18 ft tall by 3-6 ft wide. Looks best in it's natural form but does very well with regular trimming.

Marlberry

Myrsine or colicwood (Myrsine Cubana) - this long living Florida native evergreen plant is certainly on the slower side of the growing rates.  Though you will have this plant forever & will consistently provide a beautiful thick privacy screen.  Can grow in a variety of soil types, moderately tolerant of salty winds & grows in full sun to part shade.  Myrsine grows to be about 15-18 ft high by about 4-6 ft wide & takes trimming extremely well.  Also a pollinator favorite.

Myrsine

Myrtle-of-the-river (Myrcia zuzygium) - this Florida native evergreen plant is perfect for larger size hedges.  It has a beautiful light green glossy leaf & a columnar yet compact growing habit.  I've found that it does not do well in sandy soils & prefers a more moist rich organic soil type.  Does not like high winds yet can handle some salty air just fine.  The leaves have a spicy scent when crushed,  the small white flowers are sweetly scented loved by pollinators & the berries are a birds delight.  Myrtle-of-the-river grows to be about 18-20 ft high by about 4-6 ft wide.  Grows in full sun to part shade & does very well with regular trimming.

Myrtle-of-the-river

Podocarpus (Podocarpus macrophyllus) - this evergreen is originally from Asia though has been widely adapted into our North American landscapes due to it's wide compatibility of growing zones.  The super dark green leaves are small yet long & extremely compact columnar growth habit.  So you can have a very thick bush & it can be only a foot or two wide but you'd never know it.  It has a slow growth rate & keeps it shape for long periods of time, a perfect low maintenance hedge.  Grows in a variety of soils & very hardy to all kinds of environmental conditions.  Though when you're planting them, make sure not to plant them too deep or they will start to brown out & die.  They are extremely drought tolerant & once established do not required excessive watering.  Podocarpus genetically is a tree so they can grow up to 50 ft tall by about 30-40 ft wide but oddly enough do very well as a hedge due to their slow growth rate and longevity.

Podocarpus

Radermachera (Radermachera kunming) - this evergreen from Thailand has rapidly become the darling of the landscape industry for it's striking leaf shape & textural look form as well as it's gorgeous light pink trumpet shaped flowers that smell sweet like grape jelly.  They bloom all year round here so not to worry about trimming off some of the flowers.  Radermachera has lots of long stalks so try not to "hedge" it with a traditional gas hedger or it might look more like a praying mantis lol.  It just needs a light once over or hand pruning to keep it's natural shape looking like it should.  Typically used as a "tree" but we are now using it more often as a large hedge for larger properties.  If your area is small, this probably isn't the right plant.  Radermachera grows about 18-22 ft high by about 5-6 ft wide.

Radermachera

Simpson's stopper (Myrcianthes frangrans) - this Florida native evergreen is another native that has gained quite a following in the garden.  It's more readily available than some of the other natives & is such a perfect hedge plant.  Naturally it has an open growth habit but not to fret, the more you trim it the thicker it gets.  It grows in a wide range of soils, can take harsh winds and some salt spray.  Moderate to fast grower and holds it's shape like the podocarpus for long periods of time in between trimming.  The small bright green leaves start out a pretty copper color than turn green & smell sweet & spicy when crushed.  The white pom-pom flowers are super sweet smelling & pollinators adore them.  The berries are the wildlife's favorite food source.  Simpson's stoppers grow in full sun & can take some shade but will get thinned out with too much shade.  Simpson's stoppers can grow up to 20 ft high but I've really only ever seen them at 12-15ft high by about 2-4 ft wide.

Simpson's stopper

Spicewood (Myrcia neopallens) - this Florida native evergreen is related to the Myrtle-of-the-river & can be confused for each other.  They both look very similar, smell very similar, grow similar & have similar characteristics.  I intermix these in gardens to add some variation especially since they are both rockland hammock understory plants.  Spicewood can grow in full sun to part shade, prefer a rich soil over a sandy soil, slow to moderate grower & a pollinator favorite.

Spicewood

Southern wax myrtle (Myrcia cerifera) - this Florida native evergreen is also a relative to spicewood & myrtle-of-the-river, though has different characteristics than the other two since it's in the bayberry family. Like it's cousins, the leaves are highly scented. If you have an area that stays on the wetter side than dry then this plant is for you.  If you have an area that is dry then this plant is for you.  It's a naturally super hardy plant with excellent salt & wind tolerance so is a great native to use in coastal landscapes.  Has a naturally dense growth habit so can handle regular trimming.  Wax myrtle's can grow about 16-20 ft high by about 7-9 ft wide & can take regular trimming very well.

Southern wax mrytle

King's mantle (Thunbergia erecta) - this fast growing evergreen is a wonderful flowering hedge plant alternative.  It has a dense columnar growth habit & flowers dark purple trumpet shaped flowers all year round in full sun.  Though there is a vine version so be careful to make sure it's the shrub not the vine if you are going to be using this fantastic hedge plant.  This western African native can grow in just about any environment & soil type.  Does best in full sun but can take some shade.  Once established it can handle salty wind & some dry spells.  Even though it's a flowering columnar grower it handles regular trimming like a champ.  King's mantle grows about 7-10 ft high by about 3-5 ft wide.  A pollinator & hummingbird favorite.

Thunbergia

Viburnum's are another great hedge option - they are evergreens & there are a few varieties that do well here in SE Florida.  One of my favorites is viburnum suspensum (aka. sandankwa viburnum) from Japan with it's deep rich dark green suede like leaves.  Grows in full sun and stays full even in the shade.  Has a small white sweet scented flower.  Viburnum suspensum's growing season is opposite of all other plants down here, it's a winter grower & needs a bit of a cool down to promote good growth especially since it's already on the slower side of growing.  Suspensum keeps it's shape for a very long time so it needs minimal pruning throughout the year.  Prefers a rich well draining soil but can grow in sandy soils with regular fertilization.  Does very well in dry spells.  Viburnum suspensum grows about 12-15 ft high by about 4-6 ft wide.

Viburnum suspensum

Ok so now we have the Buyer Beware plants!

Clusia guttifera is a common plant seen almost everywhere here & quickly becoming the bane of most people's existence like the fate of the historic ficus hedge.   Clusia is often touted as a low maintenance small hedge plant...it absolutely is not small, it absolutely is not low maintenance and it is not a hedge plant for most residential landscapes. Clusia genetically wants to be a tree so this plant will quickly outgrow the area it's been planted in.  It wants to grow wider than tall so when people plant them on these zero lot line properties with about 2-3 ft of planting space...weeelllll you can see where I'm going with this.  They will quickly get to be 20-30 ft high by about +20 ft wide.  They grow arial roots out from their trunks, making the inside of the hedge a gnarly tangle.  Most people never know that because all of the leaves grow on the outside of the plant while the inside is bare.   To properly trim clusia, a machete is the only way.  When a gas hedger is used on clusia, it shreds and tears the oval leaves which then turn brown on the edges & no one wants to see that.  Clusia are full of a thick sticky sap so their branches are very heavy which is why trimming them can be costly due to the weight & amount of time it takes to prune by hand.  When we bring our maintenance yardwaste to the local transfer station they charge us by the ton.  The heavier the plant or tree the higher the cost.

This is a typical scenario here & unfortunately it happens all the time... i.e. a homeowner will wait to trim their clusia hedge to save money, but as they are waiting because of the cost factor, the clusia is growing leaps & bounds, quickly taking over the area.  When the time comes to trim the hedge, the branches are now thicker & have tripled in size.  Remember clusia have all of their leaves on the outside of the plant so when you come to trim the two to three feet of the hedge front because it's now growing into the walkway...viola!!!  It's all open bare & empty looking.  And no one wants that look!  And it ends up costing them more due to how heavy the clusia became over time.

SO JUST SAY NO TO CLUSIA, PLEASE!!! 🙏

Ficus, ok so if you don't know anything about the history of south Florida's ficus hedges just google whitefly 🤣 To make a long story short, decades ago there was one plant that was pushed as the perfect landscape hedge...enter ficus benjamina.   This plant was literally everywhere & almost every hedge was ficus.  Now enter the ficus whitefly (singhiella simplex) which attacked every ficus hedge in south Florida and beyond.  About 2007 ficus hedges were dying off faster than anyone realized.  This little insect is a predator that's found on the underside of the leaf & sucks the life outta the plant, killing it in a short amount of time.  University of Florida's agricultural & entomology departments were in overdrive working on how to kill the whitefly without killing the ficus.  Years later after loads of R&D these chemical pest controls were finally available for the pest professionals.  But they were super expensive, making it cost prohibitive for most residents & many communities.  Only those with financial means & the want were spending the dime & the time to treat their hedges for this pest.  Here we are in 2026, still have infestations of whitefly on other types of plants, still expensive but the ficus hedges are few and far between.  Ficus benjamina is a rainforest tree that genetically wants to grow upwards of  80-100 ft high by wide.  It has a shallow but extremely extensive root system that seeks out water sources.  They will find a drip from your leaky pipe and literally grow it's root to the source.  We have found ficus roots on a clients property when the only ficus tree on the block was four houses down the street and on the other side of the street!  Since the ficus roots are so shallow they tree is easily blown over in our intense storms & hurricanes.  Causing incredible damage pulling up everything out of the ground & falling on homes and cars.  Years ago one of our clients had to redo their entire patio & pool because the ficus roots grew through the ground busting into the pool!  Another client had their ficus tree grow roots up into the outside condensation drip pipe for their A/C unit all the way into their house!

JUST SAY NO TO FICUS, PLEASE!!! 🙏

So now you know a little more than you did before, which plant(s) are you going to choose for your privacy hedge?  So many good ones, am I right?

Thank you so much for spending some time here with me.

I truly appreciate you and look forward to our next time together!

Best wishes & happy gardening,

Sheri

xoxo

So What's the Real Deal About Artificial Turf???

 Hey Y'all!!! So glad you're back for another post!  

First let me just say thank you for being here, I truly appreciate you!  

So this is a long overdue post on artificial and/or synthetic turf...aaaannnddd it ain't gonna be pretty like the pictures you see of those nice looking artificial turfed yards. 😁  If you're down to get dirty with some hot topics then stick around cause the mud is going to sling, er shall I say the plastic is gonna fly lol!  But it should be fun 😉

So what do you know about artificial turf?  

Yes, it's green all year round.  Yes, it doesn't need water.  Yes, it is expensive.  Yes, it can be a great alternative for pets that tend to tear up sod.  Yes, weeds will grow in it.  Yes, it is very low maintenance compared to sod.  Yes, you can drive on it as small sections in a driveway.  Yes, it does not need to be mowed like sod.  Yes, it's extremely durable to wear & tear.   And yes, it lasts an extremely long time.

That's a good start!  What else do you know about artificial turf?

Do you know what it's made of?  Just in case you don't, the short answer is it's created from a multitude of plastics & chemicals; aka, one or more different polymers like nylon (PA), polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene (PE).  

Ok so let's break that down for a hot minute & geek out on some science...

Nylon is a high performance plastic polymer which is exclusively synthetic (man made/manufactured).  Nylon is resistant to wet environments, moderately heat resistant, can be colorized, easy to make & relatively low cost to make it.  You can find nylons in all kinds of things like automobiles, electronics, aerospace, consumer goods, electrical, etc.  Nylons are a petroleum product (made from oil), they are not organic so they do not break down over time & are almost never recyclable.  In order to manufacture nylons, it takes an extraordinary amount of energy with a biproduct of nitrous oxide that has extremely high greenhouse emissions.

Polypropylene is another plastic polymer that is highly durable, a high strength rate, can withstand extremely high heat & corrosion resistant. It's another petroleum product. It's probably one of the most highly used thermoplastics in the world to date.  It's used in just about everything from fabrics, food containers, household items, even the health & beauty & medical industries rely heavily on this polymer.  When you flip the plastic lid on your shampoo bottle hundreds of times & it doesn't break off,  you can thank polypropylene.

Polyethylene is the third plastic polymer on this trifecta of a synthetic plastic list. It too is a petroleum product.  It's probably the most popular polymer due to it's cost effectiveness, durability & strength factor.  It's extremely flexible yet strong, has excellent moisture repellant & has chemical corrosion resistance. You see polyethylene in items like the plastic liners of paper food containers, plastic bags, tape, shrink wrap, plastic food wraps, injection molding, etc.  Polyethylene is the most common microplastic found across the planet.  It's even been documented to recently have been found within our own brain cells.

At this point let's summarize what we know for far shall we...

-We know polymers are a plastic product.  

-We know they are considered to be the major contributing factor to the microplastics we are finding across our planet, in animals & in our bodies.

-We know they are made of strong molecular bonds to make sure they are a long lasting durable product.

-We know they are synthetically made (not organic matter) & do not break down over time.  So regardless of the recycle symbol on a product made with any or all of these polymers, none of them are considered truly recyclable.  

-We know they have an extremely high resistance to heat which means they can hold high heat temperatures without becoming flammable.

-We know they are toxic to make & consume an extraordinary amount of energy to produce with greenhouse gases as it's biproduct.

-We now know that we have invented the perfect plastic polymer to create a synthetic product that can withstand harsh environmental elements for a very long period of time without fail.

-And we know it produces toxic waste during the manufacturing, and while it is in use at your home leaching into the soil & after it's used it ends up in a landfill breaking down into micro plastics all along the way of it's disastrously long shelf life of hundreds if not thousands of years.

Enter the era of artificial turf!

Originally invented in 1965 by the Monsanto Company, yes that Monsanto Company that's been creating chemicals to kill things including us for decades now.  They originally called it ChemGrass but then later had a name change to Astro Turf as it was first installed at the Houston Astrodome in 1966.  Since then the sports world has embraced artificial turf as a common medium to play on.   Leagues like soccer, football, baseball & even tennis has come around to accepting this as a new technology to play on.  Public spaces & playgrounds now use it as an alternative to play on.  

Though let's sit on the idea of at what cost to us & our planet?  How truly accountable & transparent are these chemical companies?

How is artificial turf used in South Florida?

Here specifically in SE Florida, people typically use artificial turf at their homes for a few main reasons:

-The #1 reason I hear people tell me they want artificial turf is because of a "problem area".  Like in a hard to grow area that might not get enough sun for sod or a tight narrow mechanical area like a walkway with generators, a/c & pool units or an area that's just dirt & they want a cleaner area.

-#2 is typically "low maintenance" - artificial turf doesn't need traditional landscape maintenance like mowing, watering, fertilizing.  Though it does need regular blowing off of landscape debris & removal of weeds.  Every year it should have a top dressing of silica sand to keep the blades looking good.  

-Used in conjunction with our new "modern style" aka banal architecture😂imho : typically found as a patterned type of a style within driveways, walkways & patios.  Or just as a huge area in a backyard instead of doing landscaping or sod.

-#3 is typically used for dog runs & kids play areas to help minimize the area becoming a dirt pit.

Now don't get me wrong, I totally get it, there may be practical reasons for using artificial turf at your home, office, school, etc...

....But and these are some big BUTT's here...

The environmental impact of artificial turf is staggeringly tragic for us and our ecosystems.

So if you have artificial turf on your property, especially large amounts of it in full sun, you might already know this factoid I'm about to lay down....artificial turf will increase not only the ambient temperature but the actual temperature of the artificial turf anywhere from 20 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.   Our typical summers (without heat waves) on average are in the 90's with a feels like temperature of 100-114 degrees.  Some days it can be 88 degrees but with a feels like 104 and 70% humidity.  So if your artificial turf now increases the ambient temperature in your yard between 20-40 degrees & it's 92 outside with not a cloud in the sky, your yard's temps will go up to feeling like 120-160 degrees not only in the air but the turf will be just as hot if not hotter.  When concrete & things like artificial turf create these areas of massive heat they're called urban heat islands.  Without a natural balance of cooling off, our urban areas are now staying hotter longer & staying hot throughout the night instead of cooling down like how they should.  Because remember what we learned...artificial turf is made of polymers that have extremely high flammability resistance.  So they can get really hot & hold their heat.  They also do not absorb moisture so the humidity factor remains very high unlike a natural landscape that helps offset these environmental stressors.  What kid or dog wants to play hot lava literally on hot lava turf?  🌋🔥🌋

And if you haven't been privy to the latest research and/or current news on plastics...it's has been becoming a huge problem not only in America but globally, did I mention that before lol.  Just recently, Aug. 6th, the Miami Herald posted an article that the Miami Dade School Board is taking a hard look at whether to continue using artificial turf and/or to remove it all together.  Their reason was mainly the heat factor but other countries like the Netherlands are in the process of getting rid of it altogether.  Citing their concern for higher rates of cancer currently being found in children & pets that have used artificial turf on a regular basis.  As well as the shear amount of cancer causing chemicals that not only make up the artificial turf but as well as the 'rubber crumb' used instead of silica sand that settle in between the grass fibers to keep the turf fibers upright and playable.  The crumb is way more toxic than the turf...put those two together & it's a double whammy of terribleness!  For the Netherlands it's not just about the toxicity of the product it's also an environmental concern.  Bravo Netherlands for being a role model bravo!

This is in Phoenix, AZ. WOW!

And were any of you part of the FIFA Fever?  Did you know that FIFA mandated all of the soccer games were to be played strictly on natural sod...no artificial turf!  Their concern is for the health of the players due to the high amounts of carcinogen causing chemicals present in artificial turf.  So why do we still make it and let ourselves, our kids & pets play on it?  Think about that one for a hot minute...here's a hint big $$$ business, lobbyist & our elected officials.

Yes, you can truly get burned from artificial turf

In my humble opinion, we truly need a major shift in our perspectives on how we not only perceive beauty in our landscapes.   But also how to care for our environment better.  I.e. more trees less palms, limit or eliminate the amount of artificial turf on residential properties, create a greening-up initiative for our cities, go to your city commission meetings to raise awareness about this, start a community effort to change city/county/state ordinances, a national ban, the list goes on...but you get where I'm going here.  

Much like plastic surgery, natural is always the best way to live!

If we change our environmental standards we have an excellent chance of redirecting the tragic trajectory we are riding on.  Right now most of the world's population have heard about the environmental impact humans have had on the planet in a short amount of time.  So we are aware.   Internationally we have a massive pump & dump attitude...that whole it's all about me & for the right now, don't care about what happens in the future.  A not my problem attitude.  It's all about the almighty dollar, corporate greed without accountability.  Let me get mine now.  And thinking we won't have massive repercussions from our current pollution problems.    And yes it's a gigantic problem but the optimistic side of that is, we can actually change the way we view how we treat this planet.  Shifting our perspectives in turn will change the way we live our lives.  It will change the way we teach the younger generations how critically important it is to be a good stewardship of our planet.  We the people can make a change for the better.  When we make changes happen then corporations & the government listen, then they change.  Did I get on a soap box here, yes, but I think it's pretty darn important that we start talking about these things instead of letting other people & corporations make decisions on our behalf while being quite about it.

This can be a super overwhelming concept, especially when our current state of worldly affairs is pretty darn tootin' dramatic right now.  But I'd say saving our planet is pretty important, we only have one planet to live on and right now we are doing her a big dirty.  So let's get it together & say no to plastics in our landscapes, no to plastics in our kids playgrounds, no to plastics in schools & workplaces, no to plastics on our athletic fields.  Let's say yes to natural plants and sod.  Yes to changing how we think about plastic.  Yes to supporting local community efforts to help make a difference.  Yes to supporting those in our government that also support ways to help save the planet.  Yes to helping educate others in these efforts and yes to loving our planet more than we ever did!

"...If you love something, you give it a lot of attention...and if you give something a lot of attention, you very often learn to love it.  And that spiritual investigation requires that you pay attention to the world.  And that by paying attention to the world often leads you to love the world." - Mary Oliver

With that my friends I leave you to contemplate how you are going to say yes and in what ways can you make a difference in your community for a cleaner more accountable way of living.  Let us all know your thoughts on this or if you have some fantastic ideas to share or even just some super cool poetry quotes!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this & I'm so happy you're here!

Best wishes & as always Happy Gardening!

Sheri

xoxo