Monica’s Florida Garden

My name is Monica Babwah. I live in New Port Richey, Florida, with my husband and four children. I’ve been busy with landscape design for about four years, and I just love the benefits it adds to your life and the people around you. I started planting when my dad would visit from Long Island, New York. It gave him something to look at, and he said it made him feel good. He would sit in the shade and admire the trees and flowers while sipping from a cup of herb tea. I saw how good it made him feel, which made me want to continue my journey of a captivating landscape. My father passed away on May 30, 2023. In remembrance of my beloved father, I keep planting!

I admire a landscape that shapes itself naturally with a little trimming to keep it under control. A variety of plants add such a nice touch to your yard. An accent of color gives off that whimsical feel. I stopped using mulch due to its washing into the street and down my walkway. I added a ground cover and slate to my design, and it looks wonderful. The ground cover keeps the weeds from growing in my flowerbeds, and the slate is too heavy to wash away.

Before

And after. I used Veronica prostrata (Zones 4–9) down the cement walkway. It’s a ground cover that produces beautiful blue flowers that love full sun. I added black slate to give it that finishing touch.

Beautiful summer Florida blooms

This was just a plain brick circle until I added some purple Mexican heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia, Zones 9–11 or as an annual). At maturity it reaches about 1 to 2 feet tall. It is perfect to use as a border or ground cover. I trim it a little to keep the circular shape.

Evolvulus (Zones 9–11 or as an annual), known as Blue Daze, lines my walkway with bricks from the 1800s