I’m guessing the homeowners are big fans of Dr. Seuss or their landscaper tried really hard to get the shrub tiers straight, but it didn’t end well. This reminds me of my Momma trying to cut my bangs straight and I would hear “oops” and she would go back to the side of my head and try again, and again, only to stop when my bangs were only 2 inches long. It did grow back. If this is your landscaper, stop them. There are correct ways to get an exact cut.

• Take string and a ruler and measure the string for each level’s height of the topiary. Tie the string to the top and hang down to the ground. Take your pruners and clip very lightly where the string (don’t clip the string) is marked. Then take your level and balanced in into the shrub and cut the foliage along the balanced level. Eyeballing isn’t a good idea.

• You can also take a ruler and just measure between the tiered foliage to get exactly the height you would like.

• Clip very lightly. This is not a job that needs a pole saw trimmer, but small hand pruners. And it should take you more than 3 minutes to prune 3 shrubs.

If you like the Dr. Seuss theme, go for it. But think about adding garden art to your beds, or large colorful orb or whimsy, so it looks like it’s a deliberate magical garden theme. If your landscaper is having “oops” moments, it’s time to find a new landscaper.

Tom MacCubbin to Retire as Host of Better Lawns and Gardens After 33 Years!

After 33 years of hosting Florida’s most popular radio gardening program Better Lawns & Gardens, Tom MacCubbin has announced his retirement from the show effective at the end of July. Tom and his wife Joan have been the radio companions for gardeners throughout the sunshine state every Saturday morning since May of 1988.

Better Lawns & Gardens is heard on more than 20 radio affiliates including WFLA-AM/FM, Orlando, WSKYFM, Gainesville, WNDB-AM/FM, Daytona Beach, WHNZ-AM, Tampa, among others.

MacCubbin officially retired as Extension Agent with the University of Florida and Orange County in 2007 but continued with the radio show syndicated by iHeartMedia’s Florida News Network in Maitland.

Stepping into the hosting slot post-MacCubbin will be Teresa Watkins. Teresa herself is a veteran gardening show radio broadcaster, horticulturist, and UF/IFAS Master Gardener for more than two decades. Teresa hosted In Your Backyard on Leesburg station WLBE from 1996 through 2019 and continues with a podcast of that show today.

“Better Lawns & Gardens is a heritage name in Florida gardening and the show will continue with Teresa at the helm,” says Jim Poling, Director of Operations at the Florida News Network. “The show name will continue and the basic premise of serving Florida gardeners will continue but that’s where the similarity will end. It will be Teresa’s show,” says Poling. “We hate to lose a legend like Tom MacCubbin, but with Teresa, the program won’t miss a beat.”

According to Teresa, “Over twenty years of working with Tom MacCubbin at the University of Florida Extension and in various media events, such as Florida-friendly workshops and Better Lawns and Gardens, has been the best experience of my life. His knowledge and leadership have trained me, inspired me, encouraged me, and challenged me. While I can never fill Tom’s shoes, I have dreamed of following in his footsteps and being a host of the Better Lawns and Gardens radio show since I first met him. I’m excited and honored to continue Tom’s extraordinary legacy of educating Florida residents on how to have a better lawn and garden.”

Tom’s last Better Lawns & Gardens show will be on July 31st

Tom MacCubbin Teresa Watkins

SHE Wins Fifth Straight Year For HOUZZ Customer Service Award in 2020.

SUSTAINABLE HORTICULTURE ENVIRONMENTS of ORLANDO

Awarded Best Of Houzz
2020

The Annual People’s
Choice Award from the Houzz Community Highlights Home Remodeling and Design
Professionals with Most Popular Designs and Top Ratings

Orlando, Florida, February 17, 2020 – Sustainable Horticultural Environments of Orlando, Florida has won a “Best Of Houzz” award for “Customer Service” on Houzz®, the leading platform for home renovation and design. The 13-year old landscape design company was chosen by the millions of homeowners that comprise the Houzz community from among more than 2.5 million active home building, remodeling and design
industry professionals.

The Best Of Houzz badge is awarded annually, in three categories: Design, Customer Service and Photography. Design awards honor professionals whose work was the most popular among the Houzz community. Customer Service honors are based on several factors, including a pro's overall rating on Houzz and client reviews submitted in 2019. Architecture and interior design photographers whose images were most popular are recognized with the Photography award.

A “Best Of Houzz 2020” badge will appear on winners’ profiles as a sign of their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz.

“Teresa is a joy to work with. She listens and creates a design that reflects the customers’ desires. She is responsive, attentive, very knowledgeable and resourceful.”  ~ Joanne M. Sustainable Horticultural Environments client

“This year’s Best Of Houzz awards go to an incredibly talented and service-oriented group of home remodeling and design professionals, and we’re proud to highlight the winners on the Houzz website
and app,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of Industry Marketing for Houzz. “This award is particularly meaningful as it reflects the sentiment of the millions of homeowners in the Houzz community who are hiring home professionals for their projects across the U.S. and around the world.”

Follow Sustainable Horticultural Environments on Houzz.

About SustainableHorticultural Environments.

Teresa Watkins is a Florida-friendly landscape design expert and consultant. Watkins created the landscape for the first Florida Green Build Coalition certified "green home" in Florida in 2001. Her landscape designs range from native pollinators, low maintenance habitats to classic, modern, and fantasy-themed landscapes. Watkins hosts her own podcast gardening show and newsletter; "In Your Backyard” on her website and I-Heart radio. 

“Who designed your landscape?” “SHE did!” Sustainable Horticultural Environments

About Houzz

Houzz is the leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish – online or from a mobile device. From decorating a small room to building a custom home and everything in between, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community empowered by technology, Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, buy products and hire the professionals they need to
help turn their ideas into reality. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., Houzz also has international offices in London, Berlin, Sydney, Moscow, Tel Aviv and Tokyo. Houzz is a registered trademark of Houzz Inc. worldwide. For more information, visit houzz.com.