Council Growers – Four Generations of Farming

Feature plants that look great even in brutal August heat.

Heat-Tolerant Plants That Thrive in Ruskin

Florida’s August heat can be unforgiving, but that doesn’t mean your landscape has to struggle. Choosing plants that are naturally suited to our climate can help create a beautiful, resilient landscape while also supporting pollinators, wildlife, and the local environment.

Here are a few heat-tolerant favorites that continue to look great even during some of the hottest months of the year.

Clusia

Clusia is a popular Florida landscape choice because of its dense foliage, durability, and ability to handle our heat. It prefers full sun but can also tolerate partial shade.

Regular watering is important while the plant becomes established. Once mature, Clusia becomes much more drought tolerant. It performs best in fertile, well-draining soil and is also salt tolerant, making it a good option for many Florida landscapes.

Compact Firebush

If you would like to bring more life into your landscape, Compact Firebush is an excellent choice. Its colorful blooms attract hummingbirds and other pollinators while standing up remarkably well to Florida heat.

Firebush performs best in full sun, ideally receiving at least six hours of sunlight each day. It can tolerate partial shade, although flowering may be reduced.

It adapts well to sandy, loamy, and even rocky soils as long as drainage is good. Water regularly during the first growing season while the root system becomes established. Once mature, Firebush is drought tolerant.

Tropical Sage

Available in beautiful shades including red and white, Tropical Sage adds long-lasting color while also supporting Florida pollinators such as hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees.

Full sun is ideal, with approximately six to eight hours of sunlight each day. It will tolerate partial shade, although too little sunlight can result in thinner growth and fewer flowers.

Tropical Sage prefers loose, well-draining loamy or sandy soil. Once established, it is drought tolerant, although moderate watering can encourage stronger growth and flowering. Avoid overly wet soil, which may contribute to root problems.

Desert Rose

For something a little more dramatic, Desert Rose offers beautiful blooms and a distinctive sculptural appearance while thriving in hot, sunny conditions.

Desert Roses prefer approximately six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day. Plenty of sunlight helps maintain compact growth and encourages abundant flowering.

When watering, use a “soak and dry” approach. Water thoroughly and allow excess water to drain, then wait until the soil has dried before watering again. During spring and summer, the plant may require more frequent watering. During fall and winter dormancy, watering should be reduced significantly to help prevent root rot.

Beautiful Plants With Benefits Beyond the Landscape

The right plants can do more than survive a Florida summer. They can reduce maintenance needs, provide food and habitat for pollinators, add privacy, and bring year-round color and texture to your property.

Choosing plants that are well suited to Ruskin’s heat and growing conditions is one of the easiest ways to create a landscape that works with Florida’s environment instead of constantly fighting against it.

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Meet Tyler Richie

Tyler joined the Council Growers team earlier this year after working at Red’s Farm and in various sales roles. He enjoys getting to know customers. He is focused on learning more about the sod industry every day, and helping people find the right grass for their projects. Tyler has an abundance of knowledge in addition to his continuing education. Please feel free to email us any questions or call Tyler.

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813-629-8866

A Day In The Life

In July we’ve been planting new fields of Cobalt St. Augustine and CitraZoy. Rather than seeding, these grasses are established by planting small plugs across the field. Over the coming months, those plugs spread together through runners until they form a solid stand of turf that’s ready for harvest. It’s a slower process, but it’s how a new sod field gets its start.

Notes from Jess and Becky
Simple Garden Habits That Make a Big Difference
A healthy garden doesn’t always require more work. Sometimes, a few simple habits can make it easier to spot problems early, encourage stronger plants, and keep your landscape looking its best throughout the season.

🌿 Take a Daily Garden Walk
Take a few minutes each day to simply walk through your garden and observe. Resist the urge to immediately weed, prune, or rearrange anything.
Instead, look for disturbed soil, chewed leaves, unwanted insects, unusual spots, or discoloration. A short daily walk can help you catch pests, disease, or other problems before they have a chance to spread and become much harder to manage.

💧 Water Deeply, Not Just Frequently
Rather than frequently watering from above with a sprinkler, give your plants a thorough watering directly at the base.

Deep watering encourages roots to grow farther into the soil instead of remaining close to the surface in search of moisture. Deeper root systems create stronger plants that are better equipped to handle Florida’s hot, dry stretches.

🍂 Make Mulch Work for You
Mulching your garden beds provides several benefits. It can help suppress weeds, regulate soil temperature, and retain valuable moisture.
When mulching around flowers, shrubs, and trees, avoid piling mulch directly against the stem or trunk. Keep the layer relatively even and leave some breathing room around the base of the plant.

Also remember that not every tree benefits from additional mulch. If roots are naturally visible above the soil, avoid burying them simply to create a more uniform appearance.

📓 Keep a Garden Journal
A simple garden journal can become one of your most useful gardening tools.
Keeping notes allows you to recognize patterns from year to year, including recurring pests, plant performance, weather-related issues, and changing growing conditions.
Gardens evolve over time. Plants mature, environmental conditions change, new products become available, and others disappear. Writing down what worked, what didn’t, and what you tried can save you from having to reinvent the garden wheel every season.

✂️ Don’t Be Afraid to Trim
Trimming a healthy plant can feel a little intimidating, but sometimes a good haircut is exactly what it needs.Removing dead, damaged, weak, or overgrown branches allows the plant to direct more of its energy toward healthy new growth, leaves, and blooms. Proper trimming can also help create a fuller, more attractive shape.

🪴 Loosen the Roots Before Planting
When removing a plant from its container, take a moment to gently loosen roots that have become tightly wrapped around the root ball.
This simple step encourages the roots to spread outward into the surrounding soil rather than continuing to grow in circles. Giving the roots room to expand can help the plant become established more quickly and successfully in its new home.

🌸 Deadhead Spent Blooms
Removing faded flowers keeps plants looking fresh and can encourage many varieties to continue producing new blooms.
Pinch or trim the spent flower just above a healthy set of leaves. Instead of putting energy into an old bloom or seed production, the plant can redirect that energy toward fresh growth and additional flowers.
A little attention throughout the season can go a long way. Healthy gardens are often built through small, consistent habits rather than one big weekend of work.