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Make your Community Florida-Friendly

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The FFL program would like to help your community be Florida-friendly. Contact the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ State Office, or your Local UF/IFAS Extension Agent for guidance.

Design and Maintenance

When using in-house staff or contractors, it is important that the design and maintenance teams are trained in how to properly implement the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) principles. By law, it is required that anyone who applies fertilizer commercially have certification through FFL’s Green Industries Best Management Practices program. Although only legally required for fertilizer applicators, this training is highly recommended for any landscaping professionals, particularly staff involved in landscape installation and maintenance.

Another beneficial training to look for when hiring a landscape contractor is a Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Certified Professional. These individuals have completed the required training in FFL principles and are familiar with the latest UF/IFAS recommendations. They have demonstrated the ability to recognize and address common landscape issues by using environmentally sustainable landscape management practices.

In addition, there are numerous other resources to help make your community more Florida-friendly.

  • Training for Policy Makers - Request a workshop designed specifically for HOA board and committee members on the benefits of implementing FFL and how to start in your community.
  • Landscape Consultations - Create and maintain a healthy and attractive landscape by meeting with UF/IFAS Extension Agents on site. We are available to provide educational materials and advice on implementing the concepts of the FFL program in your community.
  • Training for Residents - UF/IFAS Extension and the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program can provide workshops for residents on how to create healthy and aesthetically pleasing landscapes. Training is available on a wide range of horticultural topics including: FFL design and plant selection, proper planting techniques, pest management, pruning and maintenance techniques, and Green Industries Best Management Practices (GI-BMP) training.
  • FFL model language documents - FFL model documents incorporate the latest UF/IFAS recommendations and can be modified to suit your community vision and site conditions. These model documents include example language for community covenants, conditions, and restrictions; landscape maintenance contracts; and Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ considerations for architectural review boards. See Guidelines for HOA Code Documents below.

Community Involvement

Community buy-in can have a big impact on how the community perceives Florida-Friendly Landscaping practices. Many communities partner with their UF/IFAS Extension agents to develop public education and partnerships.

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Legislation

The State of Florida recognized the importance of the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ principles and FFL is included in the following State Statutes:

Guidelines for HOA Code Documents

The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program has developed model language to help communities incorporate the latest UF/IFAS recommendations into their landscape code documents.  

Contracting a Landscape Maintenance Company

The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program has developed model language to help communities incorporate the latest UF/IFAS recommendations into their landscape maintenance contracts.

Community Design Resources

 

More for Community and Property Managers