August 1, 2024 • 29 mins
Unlock the secrets to creating a stunning Florida landscape as we sit down with Diana Interlante from Interlante Landscape Design. With her extensive experience since 1985, Diana shares her top recommendations for grass types that thrive in Florida's climate, shedding light on why Seville, Bitter Blue, and Palmetto grasses are superior to the traditional St. Augustine. We also explore the rising trend of hardscapes and container gardening, offering practical and visually appealing alternatives to traditional lawns.
Diana delves into the nitty-gritty of tree removal permits and the importance of maintaining good relations with neighbors, avoiding the hefty fines of improper removal. Succulents like agaves and cacti are becoming increasingly popular in Florida, and Diana explains why these water-wise plants are an excellent choice for sustainable gardens. Furthermore, she provides insights on caring for a variety of blooming plants, including norgr's, alamandas, jatrophas, Bird of Paradise, and knockout roses. For hydrangea enthusiasts, Diana's tips on managing these finicky plants will prove invaluable.
We wrap up the episode with a comprehensive discussion on outdoor maintenance and safety. From choosing the right artificial turf to the hidden dangers of plants like oleander, bougainvillea, and sago palms, Diana covers it all. She also addresses the limitations of using reclaimed water for certain plants and the necessity of potable water for others. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, Diana's practical advice and wealth of knowledge will inspire and equip you to create a beautiful, sustainable landscape in Florida.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning agents.
This is Joanne Nestor here.
I want to say hello to all ourCharles Rottenberg agents here
in the house and listening to me, and we're podcasting.
We're back again and I have aspecial guest.
Her name is Diana, Interlantewith Interlante Landscape Design
.
Good morning Diana.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Good morning, Joanne.
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Of course.
So how long have you been inlandscaping?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I've been in landscaping since 1985.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
I think that's great.
So you know that Diana startedwhen she was 12.
But she has a wealth ofknowledge and one of the reasons
I asked you to come here todayand we could talk about
landscaping is because agentsand their customers, their
clients we sell and buy a lot ofhomes and one of the things
(00:49):
that's very, very important isknowing Florida landscape.
People who come from up northChicago, the Midwest, they're
coming down here.
First thing they have to lookat is what grows here, right?
So let's first talk aboutcoverage, the grass.
What type of grass can we havehere in Florida?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
There's multiple different varieties of grass.
I have particular favoritesthat I use.
I like the Seville, bitter Blueand Palmetto.
All of those grasses are a boxblade grass and they are 100%
sun and 100% shade and I findthem very successful.
I'm not a fan of the StAugustine, which grows upright
(01:40):
and has more problems than thethree prior that I had said.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Is the St Augustine the one with the runners?
Yes, and you have to verticallycut it or something.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Okay, all right.
So now back when I first movedhere in the 80s.
That's what you had, stAugustine, but now we have many
more choices.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
There are many more choices.
There's also golf course typegrass, which is a flat.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Flat like soft and fuzzier.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, soft and easier to walk on.
Okay, harder to take care of itis it takes a fly mower.
Okay, there's not a lot ofpeople that use it, but there
are some that like it.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Okay Interesting, use it, but there are some that
like it, okay, interesting.
So now you have the choice andyou've told a client of yours
that you know we're not inKansas anymore, we're in Florida
, and so you give them choicesand you bring samples to their
home or tell them to go where tolook, so there we could
(02:43):
actually take them to jobs sothey could see how it lays on
the yard.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
But there's websites that tell exactly what the
grasses are and they would givethem more knowledge of that.
First they would need to assesstheir needs for turf.
I've gotten to the point whereI'm a turf eliminator.
I like to use less grassbecause it takes so much water
and so much care.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I understand that.
Okay, so that's the first thingwe have to do is the landscape.
Then and the cover of theground, but some people now are
doing like stone and pavers inbetween, so there's less grass.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Hardscapes have become extremely popular
Walkways and stepping stones andthey're using crushed shell and
different types of pebbles.
Instead of having such biggrassy areas, the beds are
bigger.
People are using garden art,which has become really very,
very trendy, along withcontainer gardening.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Okay, interesting, I like container gardening.
Okay, interesting, I likecontainer gardening.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
And so do I yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
It eliminates a lot of watering on the lawn.
Okay, so now let's talk aboutpalm trees.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
We love palm trees.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
So I remember coming here in the 70s on a vacation
and coming across the CourtneyCampbell and there it was, all
those beautiful palms and I knewI was going to be here forever,
right.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
So too.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
So talk about Florida palms and are there some palms
that are just here in this area.
Can we bring them in from otherareas?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
So there are palm trees that are brought in from
different states.
California has the medjool palm, known as the dactylifera.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
And we can have that here.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
We can have that here .
They are shipped from thevalley and there are also palm
trees that come from SouthAmerica and we also have our own
palm trees.
I like self-cleaning palm trees, Okay what is that?
They're smooth, they're slick,they have nice fancy green tops
and they're self-cleaning youdon't have to trim them.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Okay, so the ones that fall on their own and then
the green top comes up on itsown Okay.
But they also who has thoselittle pods coming out and
you've got to cut them down.
They have like little, I don'tknow, fruit or what are those
things.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
There's a sylvester palm, okay, and you have to trim
those berries because theybecome rancid.
There is palm trees that takemuch more maintenance than
others, and there are nativepalm trees, like the sable palm,
which is a state palm here,which you are not allowed to cut
it down, but it is windtolerant, it is salt tolerant,
it is cold tolerant and itreally takes next to no care.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Wow, okay, but there are palm trees that look
beautiful.
What are the ones that looklike their little umbrellas?
Speaker 2 (05:40):
There's foxtail palms .
They look like a foxtail andthey come in singles and doubles
and triples and they showbeautifully in the garden along
with Christmas palms as well.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Okay, so you suggest people go online and look at
these.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Unless you have a nurseryman or your landscape
designer is personal with youand can take you to the nursery
and show you exactly what'savailable.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Okay, let's talk about bamboo I love bamboo.
Okay, I love the noise that itmakes the sound when the wind is
blowing.
Are there different types ofbamboo?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
There are runners and there are clumping bamboo.
It gives you a tremendousamount of privacy.
So slender weaver, also knownas gray soil bamboo, is the most
popular bamboo for residentsand it grows very rapidly and it
(06:35):
doesn't run on your property.
Running meaning Running,meaning spreading Over to your
neighbors, or through the fenceor on the other side of the
property.
Okay, easy to take care of,extremely easy to take care of.
You either like it trimmed andneat and manicured, or you like
it fluent.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Fluent meaning.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Meaning blowing in the wind and very wild looking.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Okay, I've seen a lot more bamboo out there than you.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Very popular now.
Okay, so that's a lot morebamboo out there than Very
popular now.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Okay, so that's what we have for trees let's talk
about.
You know, I moved down here.
I just can't cut everythingdown right.
I have to get permits.
Yes, no.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
So removing trees in the county or the city where you
live, there are certain treesthat require permits, trees that
you're not allowed to take down.
Mainly would be an oak tree ora magnolia tree or a holly tree.
You would have to be permittedthrough the city.
They come out and approve it.
(07:39):
If not, you could incur a largefine.
Large Meaning Meaning you couldbe fined up to $10,000 for
taking down a grandfather oakand they would make you replace
the tree by inches in caliper ofthat tree.
(08:00):
Explain that Meaning.
However big the caliper is onthe tree, they would divide it
with their method as to what youneeded to put back.
Okay so, and they would giveyou a list of code trees that
you would be responsible tofollow.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Okay, and the expense would be.
The homeowner's expense.
Yes, Okay, so it's better tomake sure you're doing the right
thing than just going.
Absolutely yes, not only is ita fine, but remember who turns
you in are your neighbors.
Exactly Because they're theones that see you, and we all
want to be friends with ourneighbors, exactly neighbor
(08:36):
friendly.
Neighbor friendly, absolutely solet's talk about succulents.
I love them, I know you do aswell.
We've talked about that and allof a sudden you see more lawns
with succulents in the front, inthe back Are there certain ones
that you say definitely, thisis a Florida succulent the sun,
(08:58):
the water.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
So agaves have become very popular, and cactus in the
state of Florida, and peopleare using them more and more
just being water-wise.
So one of my favorites is theBlue Wave, which is blue agave,
which actually is the agave theymake tequila out of.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Okay, Hear that everyone.
We love that Okay, and you canput it in a container and in the
ground.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Well, they grow better in the ground.
There's many varieties of theagaves, so that's one type that
you can use, and the other onesare the small succulents that
you can use for containergardening or planters.
They don't like to beoverwatered, so that's just
something that you need toconsider, okay.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
So now let's talk about some bloomers, because we
all like color.
You know, in the lawn, what areyour favorites that bring in
color?
Speaker 2 (09:58):
I like back-to-back bloomers, meaning that you
always have something bloomingin your yard.
Okay, norgr's, they are fromMaui and they're a large pink
flower and they bloom throughlate spring all the way into
early fall.
They different varieties, comein red and they come in yellow
(10:21):
and they come mixed.
I love the trumpet, alamandasand thrialis, snowbush and
jatropha.
All of these are back-to-backbloomers and if they're treated
properly, watered well andfertilized, you'll have a wealth
of color all the time.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
So a lot of people here have Bird of Paradise, and
is that a plant that bloomsconsistently through the year?
Speaker 2 (10:50):
The bird of paradise is very temperamental.
It'll be forever green, but itis a little difficult to produce
the blooms.
They do come on their own, butthey are feeders.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Feeders meaning.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
They need to be fed.
Okay, whether it's a naturalfood like a bone meal and a
blood meal, or it's a chemicalproduced, slow release natural
fertilizer like triple 14, whichis an osmocote and available to
everybody, that is a slowerrelease and it's environmentally
safe and that pushes your bloomout as well, okay.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
So that's something that if people, if that's their
hobby, if gardening is yourhobby, you can take care of your
own bird of paradise.
You just have to learn about it.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Yes, just like roses.
We've talked about that beforeRoses and camellias and
gardenias.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Okay, Unless they have someone like you come once
a month or once a week you wantto have.
It's got to be a hobby to haveroses.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Roses always need to be clipped, and the only kind of
roses that I would suggest herewould be the knockout roses,
which come from Texas, and theybloom all year long.
They're cold resistant, they'redisease resistant and they just
give you a wealth of color allyear long.
They're cold resistant, they'redisease resistant and they just
give you a wealth of color allthe time.
But you do need to clip them.
Every time they deadhead, youhave to take the deadhead off
(12:13):
and your blooms will double.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Well, that's interesting because you know I
have a gardenia plant right andthey've become huge.
And I have noticed when I clipoff the right way because you
taught me how to take off abloom, a new bud Is there less
than a week?
Speaker 2 (12:35):
right.
Deadheading the proper way,will increase your blooms.
Okay.
And the same thing with crepemyrtle trees.
Crepe myrtles only bloom once ayear and they are deciduous.
But if you cut off the deadheads you will get a second
bloom, and not a lot of peopleknow that.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
No, I didn't.
I thought that was it no?
No, but okay, that's a hobby.
Yes, if gardening is your hobby, then bloomers are your thing.
I like that, okay.
So I had a friend who hadhydrangeas in her garden.
She was the only person I knewthat could do it.
That's very rare, here it israre, because what do you have
(13:17):
to do?
I mean, that was gardening, wassherry's hobby, as you know
you've been to her home.
Um, what did I mean?
She was always in the gardenevery day for summer, unless she
was, and if she wasn't there,you were there, right?
What do you have to do to havea plant like that?
Speaker 2 (13:34):
hydrangeas are extremely finicky.
You have to have a plant likethat.
Hydrangeas are extremelyfinicky.
You have to have the properpreparation in your soil.
You have to have the properfertilizers and especially 100%
shade.
So 100%, 100% shade forhydrangeas and the blue
hydrangeas actually bloom bluewith a copper penny.
(13:57):
Okay, explain how you do thatthough you just put copper
pennies in the hole with thehydrangea In the soil.
In the soil you amend the soiland you just add copper pennies
in there and the copper turnsthe hydrangea blue.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Does it require a lot of water, like you have to go
in with your own hose, would yousay?
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Hydrangeas are best with a drip system.
A drip system, so they'realways moist.
Okay, and that would be aspecific irrigation system, okay
.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
So that's not the watering system, where the fan's
back and forth on the lawn andit hits.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
And in your landscape you always want to have your
irrigation separated fromlandscape and grass.
Okay, separate zones.
So it waters all the plants atone time and it waters the grass
separately.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Okay, so there are companies who do that.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Obviously, irrigation companies set that up Okay, and
because we live in Florida,that's necessary in a lot of
ways, absolutely, unless youhave a Xeriscape, that you don't
need that much water for yourlandscaping.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
You know, and I see that now with young people, you
know people wanting to careabout the environment and less
fertilizer that goes into thebay, goes into these lakes and
has the algae grow, and all thatbecause it's damaging, right,
and our poor little fish.
They have three eyes.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
So are there new things out there for fertilizing
instead of, you know, orroundup or anything like that
there are natural companies nowthat they do everything
environmentally safe, okay, andthere's two different companies
in pinellas County that I knowof.
(15:55):
One would be Earth's Best, thatI would recommend.
And they don't use chemicals,they use alternatives.
What does alternative?
Speaker 1 (16:04):
mean.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Like salt.
Oh okay, they use salt fordifferent insects.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Okay.
So when you talk aboutgardening in Florida I have
friends that, oh, I'm going togrow tomatoes and cucumbers, and
then it lasts like a month andall of a sudden, nothing's there
between the squirrels, thebirds, the bugs or whatever.
Do you suggest more of acontainer gardening with herbs?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
So I like organic container gardening for herbs
and also for vegetables oranything else that you're going
to grow.
A lot of people screen thembecause everything eats them,
even Peter Rabbit, right, peterRabbit?
Birds, squirrels, rodents, andthat's the last thing you want
to do is attract that.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
And deer, oh and deer especially.
And where you are?
You live in Tarpon.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
In North County there's, like East Lake,
Woodlands and Cypress Run, etcetera, the deers.
They pretty much they'll comeand ring your doorbell.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Okay, and have lunch.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
They'll eat everything that you have, even
things they don't likeInteresting about deer.
I know they're so cute, right,they're cute but they're eating
things that they never atebefore, like Chinese spiny holly
.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Oh, I thought that was what you planted, so that
they wouldn't eat.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
They eat it now.
They eat it now.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
Okay, it's like Mother Nature gets used to what
they can't have, because there'sless to eat, so they eat what's
available.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
They're eating everything.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Okay, so I do see rosemary bushes out once in a
while.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Rosemary is good in the ground.
Okay, a lot of animals.
They don't like the smell ofrosemary, along with society
garlic, so it keeps them out andalso it keeps mosquitoes out
Rosemary.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Rosemary and society garlic.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Yes, mosquitoes don't like them.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Right, interesting.
Okay, I did not know that.
For those of you Learningsomething new, I'm learning
something new today and I'llhave to look up what society
garlic looks like.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
It's a grassy plant.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Does it look like chives or something?
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Yes, kind of like chives, and it has a purple
flower on it, but it smells sobad it does.
That's why the deer stay away.
It smells.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Okay, that's interesting, that's interesting.
So I see, now more than ever,the turf, artificial turf.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Artificial turf has become very trendy and people
are using it more and more.
It's a long-term investment,meaning it's expensive.
It's expensive First time andthere's different grades so you
can choose what grade you wouldlike to use, but I would say
that the higher end would bemore beneficial, especially if
(19:06):
you have children, because itcan be hot on your feet.
Oh, really, yes, but it'slong-lasting.
It's very, very long-lasting.
We have properties where it'sbeen in for 10 years and it
looks brand new.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
So if you get a flood from a hurricane and it's in
the front yard and you justclean it off and you power brush
it and that lifts the pile.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Oh, so you come in with a power brush?
Yes, you can use a power.
After you hose it down, you cancome in with a power brush and
it raises a pile on the turf.
So, do you do that often, evenwhen you don't have down?
No, there's a brush mower thatyou can get and that lifts the
turf as well.
But the brush, the power brush,does it a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Okay, and that's something that that a
professional company would comein and do Okay.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
A homeowner could have a brush mower and that
keeps it nice and like you'revacuuming your carpet.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
I get it because that's what it is, and it's easy
yeah.
And always get there.
In that case you need the best,because if you have the lower
end, you can't even walk on it.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
It's almost like plastic, is that?
What you're saying.
It's kind of like plastic andit looks fake, okay, and it's
very hot on your feet, okay.
Interesting but always havesomebody bring a sample.
Oh, because they'll bringsamples for you to look at and I
suggest you know walking on itwith bare feet.
(20:33):
Okay, what about color?
There's different colors.
There's about color.
There's different colors,there's different shades.
There's different heights.
There's like there's a two inch, there's a one inch and there's
a very, very flat like a golfcourse grass.
They do putting greens.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
You can have that in your yard.
Yeah, putting greens.
Hmm, I did not know that.
Okay, Byron, our technician,here he's laughing because he
would love to do that.
Right now he's thinking,Byron's thinking I'm going to
put a putting green in mybackyard.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
It comes with a golf cart and a drink.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
There you go.
Okay, now let's.
I've always been interested inplants, that you know.
They're beautiful, they'rewonderful, but you know, if you
have a dog or a cat or children,it could be dangerous.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
There's a lot of poisonous plants for animals and
also for elderly people withrespiratory, like the oleander.
The oleander bush is, in myopinion, something that should
be looked upon, say in a medianor not.
I wouldn't suggest planting itat your home.
(21:50):
They have caterpillarspoisonous to your dog,
respiratory problems for olderpeople and they're very
aggressive growers.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
The caterpillar.
Do they bite those caterpillars?
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Caterpillars can sting, and they also nest on the
eaves of your home and yoursoffit.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
If the oleander grows that high, is that what I see
in downtown St Pete on thattrellis?
Is that what they use, thatoleander?
I don't know if they useBougainvillea.
Oh, bougainvillea, ohbougainvillea.
Yeah, that's also.
That's got spiny.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Bougainvillea is gorgeous, but it has to be
properly placed because of thethorns and the caterpillars also
like bougainvillea.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Okay, so you don't want your dog or your child to
fall into those plants?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Right.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Because it would be okay, the thorns are terrible,
yeah okay and they're beautifulyeah they're poisonous as well,
if you get stung by them I hadsomeone who I knew, someone who
got a thorn in there, and it wasit causes an infection.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Once you get that thorn in your skin it's really
hard to get out.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
They actually had to spend a couple days in the
hospital.
I believe it.
Yeah, and interesting, mysister had a sago palm in her
yard and she had a new puppy andthe puppy chewed on the sago
palm and almost died.
(23:20):
I haven't seen them around asmuch because I remember was it
years ago?
There was a disease that almostwiped them all out.
Are they coming back?
So there has been somenurseries that are carrying them
again.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Do they have a warning tag?
No, but 99% of the the sagoshave been eliminated and slowly
they're creeping back in.
But they had the Asian cycad,which is a disease which will
host on to other plants and it'svery, extremely expensive and
(24:00):
hard to get rid of.
So people just startedeliminating them.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Okay.
Hosting meaning they jump fromplant to plant Okay.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
All right.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
What is like?
I've had mealybugs on you knowyou get indoor plants and you
get a mealybug.
Do you get those outside, thosespidery things or mealybugs?
Can that be on outdoor plantsas well?
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Yes, mealy bugs can be airborne.
You can get them from aneighbor that doesn't take care
of their yard.
Oh, so you can get.
You can get insects, fungus.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Interesting Okay From other people's landscape.
Yes, Okay, so you hope thateverybody on either side of you
does the right thing.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Yeah, taking care of your yard.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Yeah, okay, interesting.
I want to go back to palm treesbecause I see now coconuts,
coconut palms.
I personally think they're alittle dangerous.
I told you about my neighborwho had a party and this clump
of coconuts fell on his friend'sshoulder and it ended up he had
(25:13):
to have surgery.
They're pretty heavy right, andif they fall the coconuts, and
you let them stay there in thebackyard, they kind of are a
nest for little critters.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Exactly If coconut trees aren't maintained, they
eventually do fall and they'reheavy and they're heavy, so they
need to be trimmed on a regularbasis.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
You have to hire someone who can climb up there.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Yes, yes, some people will come in and trim them for
nothing because they like thecoconut milk.
Oh, but using them up near yourhouse or an area where you
entertain, I wouldn't suggestthat.
Okay, they're for far away inthe back.
Something that you look upon inthe back of the yard or the
side of the yard.
Okay and nothing.
(26:03):
I would just say nothing in thedriveway.
Oh, that makes sense.
Just like Royals.
Those big boots come down andthey're heavy, they're very
heavy, okay, and they just fall.
Could?
fall on your car, yeah on yourcar and they're self-trimming,
so you know they just fall atwill.
Okay.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Let's talk about watering.
If you use city water and I'llgive an example here I when I
first bought this building thatCharles Romburg Realty is we
used we always watering thegrass or the trees or whatever
was out there at the time.
And then my bill came from thecity and I almost it was over a
(26:42):
thousand dollars.
I almost passed out.
City water is extremelyexpensive.
Okay, we also have well waternow, which I did for landscaping
.
We also have, and where I live,reclaimed water right, so the
difference is well water.
Is that what I see?
The stain.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Well, water does stain.
It gives you that orange stain.
So you don't want to put yoursprinklers up against your house
or your fence or your sidewalk,because you won't get it off.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Okay, and then reclaimed water is that's water
that is allowed from the city.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
It's reclaimed.
Sometimes it's dirty.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
And the lines get clogged.
So that's something that youhave to have maintained, okay,
but the thing with the reclaimedwater is that that is turned
off when the city wants topreserve water.
Okay, so if we're in a drought,they're going to turn your
water off.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Interesting.
So are there certain plantsthat don't like reclaimed water?
Speaker 2 (27:45):
There are.
Gardenias do not like reclaimedwater, roses do not like
reclaimed water, herbs do notlike reclaimed water.
Any fruit tree you need to putit on potable water.
Non-potable water wouldn't begood for those witches reclaim.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Okay.
Well, this has been a reallyinteresting 30 minutes.
Diana, Thank you.
I've known you a long time andI've learned a bunch, and so has
Byron, and we're all going toplay golf, have putt-putt in.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Byron's backyard.
I'm good for putt-putt.
That's about it.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
So thank you for coming today.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
Thank you for having me so much.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
And so it's Interlante Landscape and Design,
and you've been around since1985.
And she knows it all.
Just ask her Well thank you.
Yeah, and I remember buildingmy home and doing the landscape
with you and I'd say I want tohave this.
And you go no, I go okay, well,can I have this?
And you gave me a list of whatI could have and you told me
(28:47):
what I couldn't.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Well, in landscaping, knowledge is power, because you
only want to do it really onetime and do it right, and
there's so many different thingsthat will work for you that you
desire and it'll give you awealth of beauty.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Okay, Well, and that's what we want a wealth of
beauty for your lawn, because itmakes a difference when someone
drives up and sees yourbeautiful home and the
landscaping.
Thank you for coming today.
So how can our listeners reachyou if they want your
professional assistance inlandscaping?
Professional assistants inlandscaping.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
My name is Diana Interlante and my phone number
is 727-858-2226.
No-transcript.
Good morning agents.
This is Joanne Nestor here.
I want to say hello to all ourCharles Rottenberg agents here
in the house and listening to me, and we're podcasting.
We're back again and I have aspecial guest.
Her name is Diana, Interlantewith Interlante Landscape Design
.
Good morning Diana.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Good morning, Joanne.
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Of course.
So how long have you been inlandscaping?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I've been in landscaping since 1985.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
I think that's great.
So you know that Diana startedwhen she was 12.
But she has a wealth ofknowledge and one of the reasons
I asked you to come here todayand we could talk about
landscaping is because agentsand their customers, their
clients we sell and buy a lot ofhomes and one of the things
(00:49):
that's very, very important isknowing Florida landscape.
People who come from up northChicago, the Midwest, they're
coming down here.
First thing they have to lookat is what grows here, right?
So let's first talk aboutcoverage, the grass.
What type of grass can we havehere in Florida?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
There's multiple different varieties of grass.
I have particular favoritesthat I use.
I like the Seville, bitter Blueand Palmetto.
All of those grasses are a boxblade grass and they are 100%
sun and 100% shade and I findthem very successful.
I'm not a fan of the StAugustine, which grows upright
(01:40):
and has more problems than thethree prior that I had said.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Is the St Augustine the one with the runners?
Yes, and you have to verticallycut it or something.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Okay, all right.
So now back when I first movedhere in the 80s.
That's what you had, stAugustine, but now we have many
more choices.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
There are many more choices.
There's also golf course typegrass, which is a flat.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Flat like soft and fuzzier.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, soft and easier to walk on.
Okay, harder to take care of itis it takes a fly mower.
Okay, there's not a lot ofpeople that use it, but there
are some that like it.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Okay Interesting, use it, but there are some that
like it, okay, interesting.
So now you have the choice andyou've told a client of yours
that you know we're not inKansas anymore, we're in Florida
, and so you give them choicesand you bring samples to their
home or tell them to go where tolook, so there we could
(02:43):
actually take them to jobs sothey could see how it lays on
the yard.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
But there's websites that tell exactly what the
grasses are and they would givethem more knowledge of that.
First they would need to assesstheir needs for turf.
I've gotten to the point whereI'm a turf eliminator.
I like to use less grassbecause it takes so much water
and so much care.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I understand that.
Okay, so that's the first thingwe have to do is the landscape.
Then and the cover of theground, but some people now are
doing like stone and pavers inbetween, so there's less grass.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Hardscapes have become extremely popular
Walkways and stepping stones andthey're using crushed shell and
different types of pebbles.
Instead of having such biggrassy areas, the beds are
bigger.
People are using garden art,which has become really very,
very trendy, along withcontainer gardening.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Okay, interesting, I like container gardening.
Okay, interesting, I likecontainer gardening.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
And so do I yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
It eliminates a lot of watering on the lawn.
Okay, so now let's talk aboutpalm trees.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
We love palm trees.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
So I remember coming here in the 70s on a vacation
and coming across the CourtneyCampbell and there it was, all
those beautiful palms and I knewI was going to be here forever,
right.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
So too.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
So talk about Florida palms and are there some palms
that are just here in this area.
Can we bring them in from otherareas?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
So there are palm trees that are brought in from
different states.
California has the medjool palm, known as the dactylifera.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
And we can have that here.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
We can have that here .
They are shipped from thevalley and there are also palm
trees that come from SouthAmerica and we also have our own
palm trees.
I like self-cleaning palm trees, Okay what is that?
They're smooth, they're slick,they have nice fancy green tops
and they're self-cleaning youdon't have to trim them.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Okay, so the ones that fall on their own and then
the green top comes up on itsown Okay.
But they also who has thoselittle pods coming out and
you've got to cut them down.
They have like little, I don'tknow, fruit or what are those
things.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
There's a sylvester palm, okay, and you have to trim
those berries because theybecome rancid.
There is palm trees that takemuch more maintenance than
others, and there are nativepalm trees, like the sable palm,
which is a state palm here,which you are not allowed to cut
it down, but it is windtolerant, it is salt tolerant,
it is cold tolerant and itreally takes next to no care.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Wow, okay, but there are palm trees that look
beautiful.
What are the ones that looklike their little umbrellas?
Speaker 2 (05:40):
There's foxtail palms .
They look like a foxtail andthey come in singles and doubles
and triples and they showbeautifully in the garden along
with Christmas palms as well.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Okay, so you suggest people go online and look at
these.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Unless you have a nurseryman or your landscape
designer is personal with youand can take you to the nursery
and show you exactly what'savailable.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Okay, let's talk about bamboo I love bamboo.
Okay, I love the noise that itmakes the sound when the wind is
blowing.
Are there different types ofbamboo?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
There are runners and there are clumping bamboo.
It gives you a tremendousamount of privacy.
So slender weaver, also knownas gray soil bamboo, is the most
popular bamboo for residentsand it grows very rapidly and it
(06:35):
doesn't run on your property.
Running meaning Running,meaning spreading Over to your
neighbors, or through the fenceor on the other side of the
property.
Okay, easy to take care of,extremely easy to take care of.
You either like it trimmed andneat and manicured, or you like
it fluent.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Fluent meaning.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Meaning blowing in the wind and very wild looking.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Okay, I've seen a lot more bamboo out there than you.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Very popular now.
Okay, so that's a lot morebamboo out there than Very
popular now.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Okay, so that's what we have for trees let's talk
about.
You know, I moved down here.
I just can't cut everythingdown right.
I have to get permits.
Yes, no.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
So removing trees in the county or the city where you
live, there are certain treesthat require permits, trees that
you're not allowed to take down.
Mainly would be an oak tree ora magnolia tree or a holly tree.
You would have to be permittedthrough the city.
They come out and approve it.
(07:39):
If not, you could incur a largefine.
Large Meaning Meaning you couldbe fined up to $10,000 for
taking down a grandfather oakand they would make you replace
the tree by inches in caliper ofthat tree.
(08:00):
Explain that Meaning.
However big the caliper is onthe tree, they would divide it
with their method as to what youneeded to put back.
Okay so, and they would giveyou a list of code trees that
you would be responsible tofollow.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Okay, and the expense would be.
The homeowner's expense.
Yes, Okay, so it's better tomake sure you're doing the right
thing than just going.
Absolutely yes, not only is ita fine, but remember who turns
you in are your neighbors.
Exactly Because they're theones that see you, and we all
want to be friends with ourneighbors, exactly neighbor
(08:36):
friendly.
Neighbor friendly, absolutely solet's talk about succulents.
I love them, I know you do aswell.
We've talked about that and allof a sudden you see more lawns
with succulents in the front, inthe back Are there certain ones
that you say definitely, thisis a Florida succulent the sun,
(08:58):
the water.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
So agaves have become very popular, and cactus in the
state of Florida, and peopleare using them more and more
just being water-wise.
So one of my favorites is theBlue Wave, which is blue agave,
which actually is the agave theymake tequila out of.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Okay, Hear that everyone.
We love that Okay, and you canput it in a container and in the
ground.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Well, they grow better in the ground.
There's many varieties of theagaves, so that's one type that
you can use, and the other onesare the small succulents that
you can use for containergardening or planters.
They don't like to beoverwatered, so that's just
something that you need toconsider, okay.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
So now let's talk about some bloomers, because we
all like color.
You know, in the lawn, what areyour favorites that bring in
color?
Speaker 2 (09:58):
I like back-to-back bloomers, meaning that you
always have something bloomingin your yard.
Okay, norgr's, they are fromMaui and they're a large pink
flower and they bloom throughlate spring all the way into
early fall.
They different varieties, comein red and they come in yellow
(10:21):
and they come mixed.
I love the trumpet, alamandasand thrialis, snowbush and
jatropha.
All of these are back-to-backbloomers and if they're treated
properly, watered well andfertilized, you'll have a wealth
of color all the time.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
So a lot of people here have Bird of Paradise, and
is that a plant that bloomsconsistently through the year?
Speaker 2 (10:50):
The bird of paradise is very temperamental.
It'll be forever green, but itis a little difficult to produce
the blooms.
They do come on their own, butthey are feeders.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Feeders meaning.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
They need to be fed.
Okay, whether it's a naturalfood like a bone meal and a
blood meal, or it's a chemicalproduced, slow release natural
fertilizer like triple 14, whichis an osmocote and available to
everybody, that is a slowerrelease and it's environmentally
safe and that pushes your bloomout as well, okay.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
So that's something that if people, if that's their
hobby, if gardening is yourhobby, you can take care of your
own bird of paradise.
You just have to learn about it.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Yes, just like roses.
We've talked about that beforeRoses and camellias and
gardenias.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Okay, Unless they have someone like you come once
a month or once a week you wantto have.
It's got to be a hobby to haveroses.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Roses always need to be clipped, and the only kind of
roses that I would suggest herewould be the knockout roses,
which come from Texas, and theybloom all year long.
They're cold resistant, they'redisease resistant and they just
give you a wealth of color allyear long.
They're cold resistant, they'redisease resistant and they just
give you a wealth of color allthe time.
But you do need to clip them.
Every time they deadhead, youhave to take the deadhead off
(12:13):
and your blooms will double.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Well, that's interesting because you know I
have a gardenia plant right andthey've become huge.
And I have noticed when I clipoff the right way because you
taught me how to take off abloom, a new bud Is there less
than a week?
Speaker 2 (12:35):
right.
Deadheading the proper way,will increase your blooms.
Okay.
And the same thing with crepemyrtle trees.
Crepe myrtles only bloom once ayear and they are deciduous.
But if you cut off the deadheads you will get a second
bloom, and not a lot of peopleknow that.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
No, I didn't.
I thought that was it no?
No, but okay, that's a hobby.
Yes, if gardening is your hobby, then bloomers are your thing.
I like that, okay.
So I had a friend who hadhydrangeas in her garden.
She was the only person I knewthat could do it.
That's very rare, here it israre, because what do you have
(13:17):
to do?
I mean, that was gardening, wassherry's hobby, as you know
you've been to her home.
Um, what did I mean?
She was always in the gardenevery day for summer, unless she
was, and if she wasn't there,you were there, right?
What do you have to do to havea plant like that?
Speaker 2 (13:34):
hydrangeas are extremely finicky.
You have to have a plant likethat.
Hydrangeas are extremelyfinicky.
You have to have the properpreparation in your soil.
You have to have the properfertilizers and especially 100%
shade.
So 100%, 100% shade forhydrangeas and the blue
hydrangeas actually bloom bluewith a copper penny.
(13:57):
Okay, explain how you do thatthough you just put copper
pennies in the hole with thehydrangea In the soil.
In the soil you amend the soiland you just add copper pennies
in there and the copper turnsthe hydrangea blue.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Does it require a lot of water, like you have to go
in with your own hose, would yousay?
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Hydrangeas are best with a drip system.
A drip system, so they'realways moist.
Okay, and that would be aspecific irrigation system, okay
.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
So that's not the watering system, where the fan's
back and forth on the lawn andit hits.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
And in your landscape you always want to have your
irrigation separated fromlandscape and grass.
Okay, separate zones.
So it waters all the plants atone time and it waters the grass
separately.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Okay, so there are companies who do that.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Obviously, irrigation companies set that up Okay, and
because we live in Florida,that's necessary in a lot of
ways, absolutely, unless youhave a Xeriscape, that you don't
need that much water for yourlandscaping.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
You know, and I see that now with young people, you
know people wanting to careabout the environment and less
fertilizer that goes into thebay, goes into these lakes and
has the algae grow, and all thatbecause it's damaging, right,
and our poor little fish.
They have three eyes.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
So are there new things out there for fertilizing
instead of, you know, orroundup or anything like that
there are natural companies nowthat they do everything
environmentally safe, okay, andthere's two different companies
in pinellas County that I knowof.
(15:55):
One would be Earth's Best, thatI would recommend.
And they don't use chemicals,they use alternatives.
What does alternative?
Speaker 1 (16:04):
mean.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Like salt.
Oh okay, they use salt fordifferent insects.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Okay.
So when you talk aboutgardening in Florida I have
friends that, oh, I'm going togrow tomatoes and cucumbers, and
then it lasts like a month andall of a sudden, nothing's there
between the squirrels, thebirds, the bugs or whatever.
Do you suggest more of acontainer gardening with herbs?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
So I like organic container gardening for herbs
and also for vegetables oranything else that you're going
to grow.
A lot of people screen thembecause everything eats them,
even Peter Rabbit, right, peterRabbit?
Birds, squirrels, rodents, andthat's the last thing you want
to do is attract that.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
And deer, oh and deer especially.
And where you are?
You live in Tarpon.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
In North County there's, like East Lake,
Woodlands and Cypress Run, etcetera, the deers.
They pretty much they'll comeand ring your doorbell.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Okay, and have lunch.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
They'll eat everything that you have, even
things they don't likeInteresting about deer.
I know they're so cute, right,they're cute but they're eating
things that they never atebefore, like Chinese spiny holly
.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Oh, I thought that was what you planted, so that
they wouldn't eat.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
They eat it now.
They eat it now.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
Okay, it's like Mother Nature gets used to what
they can't have, because there'sless to eat, so they eat what's
available.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
They're eating everything.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Okay, so I do see rosemary bushes out once in a
while.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Rosemary is good in the ground.
Okay, a lot of animals.
They don't like the smell ofrosemary, along with society
garlic, so it keeps them out andalso it keeps mosquitoes out
Rosemary.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Rosemary and society garlic.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Yes, mosquitoes don't like them.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Right, interesting.
Okay, I did not know that.
For those of you Learningsomething new, I'm learning
something new today and I'llhave to look up what society
garlic looks like.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
It's a grassy plant.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Does it look like chives or something?
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Yes, kind of like chives, and it has a purple
flower on it, but it smells sobad it does.
That's why the deer stay away.
It smells.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Okay, that's interesting, that's interesting.
So I see, now more than ever,the turf, artificial turf.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Artificial turf has become very trendy and people
are using it more and more.
It's a long-term investment,meaning it's expensive.
It's expensive First time andthere's different grades so you
can choose what grade you wouldlike to use, but I would say
that the higher end would bemore beneficial, especially if
(19:06):
you have children, because itcan be hot on your feet.
Oh, really, yes, but it'slong-lasting.
It's very, very long-lasting.
We have properties where it'sbeen in for 10 years and it
looks brand new.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
So if you get a flood from a hurricane and it's in
the front yard and you justclean it off and you power brush
it and that lifts the pile.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Oh, so you come in with a power brush?
Yes, you can use a power.
After you hose it down, you cancome in with a power brush and
it raises a pile on the turf.
So, do you do that often, evenwhen you don't have down?
No, there's a brush mower thatyou can get and that lifts the
turf as well.
But the brush, the power brush,does it a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Okay, and that's something that that a
professional company would comein and do Okay.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
A homeowner could have a brush mower and that
keeps it nice and like you'revacuuming your carpet.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
I get it because that's what it is, and it's easy
yeah.
And always get there.
In that case you need the best,because if you have the lower
end, you can't even walk on it.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
It's almost like plastic, is that?
What you're saying.
It's kind of like plastic andit looks fake, okay, and it's
very hot on your feet, okay.
Interesting but always havesomebody bring a sample.
Oh, because they'll bringsamples for you to look at and I
suggest you know walking on itwith bare feet.
(20:33):
Okay, what about color?
There's different colors.
There's about color.
There's different colors,there's different shades.
There's different heights.
There's like there's a two inch, there's a one inch and there's
a very, very flat like a golfcourse grass.
They do putting greens.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
You can have that in your yard.
Yeah, putting greens.
Hmm, I did not know that.
Okay, Byron, our technician,here he's laughing because he
would love to do that.
Right now he's thinking,Byron's thinking I'm going to
put a putting green in mybackyard.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
It comes with a golf cart and a drink.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
There you go.
Okay, now let's.
I've always been interested inplants, that you know.
They're beautiful, they'rewonderful, but you know, if you
have a dog or a cat or children,it could be dangerous.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
There's a lot of poisonous plants for animals and
also for elderly people withrespiratory, like the oleander.
The oleander bush is, in myopinion, something that should
be looked upon, say in a medianor not.
I wouldn't suggest planting itat your home.
(21:50):
They have caterpillarspoisonous to your dog,
respiratory problems for olderpeople and they're very
aggressive growers.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
The caterpillar.
Do they bite those caterpillars?
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Caterpillars can sting, and they also nest on the
eaves of your home and yoursoffit.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
If the oleander grows that high, is that what I see
in downtown St Pete on thattrellis?
Is that what they use, thatoleander?
I don't know if they useBougainvillea.
Oh, bougainvillea, ohbougainvillea.
Yeah, that's also.
That's got spiny.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Bougainvillea is gorgeous, but it has to be
properly placed because of thethorns and the caterpillars also
like bougainvillea.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Okay, so you don't want your dog or your child to
fall into those plants?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Right.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Because it would be okay, the thorns are terrible,
yeah okay and they're beautifulyeah they're poisonous as well,
if you get stung by them I hadsomeone who I knew, someone who
got a thorn in there, and it wasit causes an infection.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Once you get that thorn in your skin it's really
hard to get out.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
They actually had to spend a couple days in the
hospital.
I believe it.
Yeah, and interesting, mysister had a sago palm in her
yard and she had a new puppy andthe puppy chewed on the sago
palm and almost died.
(23:20):
I haven't seen them around asmuch because I remember was it
years ago?
There was a disease that almostwiped them all out.
Are they coming back?
So there has been somenurseries that are carrying them
again.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Do they have a warning tag?
No, but 99% of the the sagoshave been eliminated and slowly
they're creeping back in.
But they had the Asian cycad,which is a disease which will
host on to other plants and it'svery, extremely expensive and
(24:00):
hard to get rid of.
So people just startedeliminating them.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Okay.
Hosting meaning they jump fromplant to plant Okay.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
All right.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
What is like?
I've had mealybugs on you knowyou get indoor plants and you
get a mealybug.
Do you get those outside, thosespidery things or mealybugs?
Can that be on outdoor plantsas well?
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Yes, mealy bugs can be airborne.
You can get them from aneighbor that doesn't take care
of their yard.
Oh, so you can get.
You can get insects, fungus.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Interesting Okay From other people's landscape.
Yes, Okay, so you hope thateverybody on either side of you
does the right thing.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Yeah, taking care of your yard.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Yeah, okay, interesting.
I want to go back to palm treesbecause I see now coconuts,
coconut palms.
I personally think they're alittle dangerous.
I told you about my neighborwho had a party and this clump
of coconuts fell on his friend'sshoulder and it ended up he had
(25:13):
to have surgery.
They're pretty heavy right, andif they fall the coconuts, and
you let them stay there in thebackyard, they kind of are a
nest for little critters.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Exactly If coconut trees aren't maintained, they
eventually do fall and they'reheavy and they're heavy, so they
need to be trimmed on a regularbasis.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
You have to hire someone who can climb up there.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Yes, yes, some people will come in and trim them for
nothing because they like thecoconut milk.
Oh, but using them up near yourhouse or an area where you
entertain, I wouldn't suggestthat.
Okay, they're for far away inthe back.
Something that you look upon inthe back of the yard or the
side of the yard.
Okay and nothing.
(26:03):
I would just say nothing in thedriveway.
Oh, that makes sense.
Just like Royals.
Those big boots come down andthey're heavy, they're very
heavy, okay, and they just fall.
Could?
fall on your car, yeah on yourcar and they're self-trimming,
so you know they just fall atwill.
Okay.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Let's talk about watering.
If you use city water and I'llgive an example here I when I
first bought this building thatCharles Romburg Realty is we
used we always watering thegrass or the trees or whatever
was out there at the time.
And then my bill came from thecity and I almost it was over a
(26:42):
thousand dollars.
I almost passed out.
City water is extremelyexpensive.
Okay, we also have well waternow, which I did for landscaping
.
We also have, and where I live,reclaimed water right, so the
difference is well water.
Is that what I see?
The stain.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Well, water does stain.
It gives you that orange stain.
So you don't want to put yoursprinklers up against your house
or your fence or your sidewalk,because you won't get it off.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Okay, and then reclaimed water is that's water
that is allowed from the city.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
It's reclaimed.
Sometimes it's dirty.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
And the lines get clogged.
So that's something that youhave to have maintained, okay,
but the thing with the reclaimedwater is that that is turned
off when the city wants topreserve water.
Okay, so if we're in a drought,they're going to turn your
water off.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Interesting.
So are there certain plantsthat don't like reclaimed water?
Speaker 2 (27:45):
There are.
Gardenias do not like reclaimedwater, roses do not like
reclaimed water, herbs do notlike reclaimed water.
Any fruit tree you need to putit on potable water.
Non-potable water wouldn't begood for those witches reclaim.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Okay.
Well, this has been a reallyinteresting 30 minutes.
Diana, Thank you.
I've known you a long time andI've learned a bunch, and so has
Byron, and we're all going toplay golf, have putt-putt in.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Byron's backyard.
I'm good for putt-putt.
That's about it.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
So thank you for coming today.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
Thank you for having me so much.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
And so it's Interlante Landscape and Design,
and you've been around since1985.
And she knows it all.
Just ask her Well thank you.
Yeah, and I remember buildingmy home and doing the landscape
with you and I'd say I want tohave this.
And you go no, I go okay, well,can I have this?
And you gave me a list of whatI could have and you told me
(28:47):
what I couldn't.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Well, in landscaping, knowledge is power, because you
only want to do it really onetime and do it right, and
there's so many different thingsthat will work for you that you
desire and it'll give you awealth of beauty.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Okay, Well, and that's what we want a wealth of
beauty for your lawn, because itmakes a difference when someone
drives up and sees yourbeautiful home and the
landscaping.
Thank you for coming today.
So how can our listeners reachyou if they want your
professional assistance inlandscaping?
Professional assistants inlandscaping.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
My name is Diana Interlante and my phone number
is 727-858-2226.
No-transcript.
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