Fertilizers, pesticides, debris, and eroded soil carried in stormwater can wreak havoc on our water quality. Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ seeks to retain and use as much of the rainfall and irrigation water that lands on our home landscapes as possible.

Stormwater control features can be a beautiful addition to your landscape. Creating shallow rain gardens or shaping the earth on slopes with berms (rises) and swales (dips), can help slow runoff from heavy rains and allow the water time to soak into the ground. Wherever possible, maintain permeable walkways, driveways and patios to allow rain to soak into the ground.

Benefits of Rain Barrels

https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/irrigation/rain-barrels/

Tips for Rain Gardens

https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/design/types-of-gardens/rain-gardens/

Resources:

UF/IFAS Extension, Pinellas County

12520 Ulmerton Rd. Largo, FL 33774

Phone (727) 582-2109

gardenhelp@pinellas.gov

NOTE: Extension Help Desk may be periodically closed for renovation during November and December 2025

SWFWMD Watering Restrictions https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/business/epermitting/district-water-restrictions

Pinellas County Water Conservation and Watering Schedule Rules https://pinellas.gov/department/water-conservation/ https://pinellas.gov/watering-schedule-and-rules/

Pinellas County Fertilizer Ordinance https://pinellas.gov/pinellas-county-fertilizer-ordinance/

Soil Solarization https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topics/soil_solarization

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/pests-and-diseases/pests/integrated-pest-management/

Florida Invasive Species Partnership https://www.floridainvasives.org

Land measurement tools are built into the Pinellas County Property Appraiser's website https://www.pcpao.gov/gis.html

Edible Landscaping Using the Nine Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Principles https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP594

Monthly Gardening Calendars https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn-and-garden/florida-gardening-calendar/

South Florida Regional Gardening Calendars https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP452#SECTION_4

----

Pinellas County Help Desk & Plant Clinics https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellas/lawn-and-garden/contact-us-for-help/

Social Media https://www.facebook.com/PinellasExtension/ https://www.youtube.com/user/PinellasExtensionTV

Ask IFAS https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program https://floridafriendlylandscaping.com/

Florida Friendly Landscaping™ Gardening Solutions https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/

9 Principles of Florida Friendly Landscaping™ https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/about-ffl/9-principles/

Florida Friendly Landscaping™ Apps https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/resources/apps/

Planting Pinellas Post Newsletter https://subscribe.ifas.ufl.edu/extweb/pinellas_planting.html

Tampa Bay Water Rebate Program https://tampabaywaterwise.org/en/rebates/

Barbara Strickland Endowment https://www.uff.ufl.edu/giving-opportunities/026203-barbara-strickland-pinellas-county-master-gardener-volunteer-endowment/

----

This podcast is brought to you by the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, an equal opportunity institution.