As gardeners across Tampa Bay contemplate replacing their cold-damaged plants or landscaping with new plants amidst the ongoing drought , Johanna Freeman has some advice: go native.
A scientist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in Gainesville specializing in terrestrial ecosystems, Freeman notes that native plants in backyards can imitate the wild places we are losing as the state’s population continues to grow. “A lot of what I do with my work is restoring and managing wild ecosystems,” she said. “Some of it– like the importance of fires– isn’t applicable in a home landscape but there are things you can do, particularly in the areas of supporting pollinators and pollinator habitats.”
The newly formed Florida Native Seed Partnership, spearheaded by the Florida Wildflower Foundation (FWF), is bringing scientists like Freeman together with university researchers, seed farmers, industry leaders and landowners to grow the native seed industry and ensure access to a reliable and affordable source of native seeds and plants…