New Florida project could help liven up your yard

You’re probably familiar with the show “Flip This House.” Florida now has a show called “Flip My Florida Yard” that you can apply to be on.

But what makes the perfect Florida backyard, you ask?

“When we found this spot, we just said, ‘Oh my goodness, this is so different,’ because of the nature and the space and not just everything crowded in there,” said Patricia Perry.

Perry spends part of the year in the Northeast so when she was looking for a place in Florida, she knew her yard was going to be a deciding factor.

But with education, Perry is now hoping to make her yard look beautiful and for it to help strengthen Florida’s environment. Perry believes “everybody plays a part.”

Thomas Becker, a residential horticulture agent working for the University of Florida, said, “We’re trying to protect our natural resources.”

He checked out Perry’s yard to see what could make it more Florida friendly.

“This is reducing the chemicals, pesticide use,” Becker said. Finding the right plants is half the battle. The other half? Placement.

“You want to try to create larger spaces and use plants that don’t grow as fast and so in a lot of cases, we can reduce and half the number of actual plants that get installed by choosing Florida-friendly plant species.”

With Becker’s help, Perry cannot wait to get started. “I’m an artist, so I do like to pick out the plants and I think I have an idea of arranging things and I’m not perfect, but I also think if you invest yourself in it, it lives better with you.”

If you think your yard needs a touch-up, you have until July 30 to fill out the questionnaire and send in pictures to the “Flip My Florida Yard” team.