New Flip My Florida Yard episode features FANN and native plants

Flip My Florida Yard film crew with native landscape owner Steve Turnipseed, in The Villages

The Native Plant Horticulture Foundation is taking on TV to reach the masses and stimulate greater demand for native plants for sustainable landscapes. The foundation Board of Directors recently voted to sponsor a special “Where are they now?” episode of the NEW reality TV series, Flip My Florida Yard, returning to the landscape makeover performed by FANN members in Bradenton in May 2016.

FANN sponsored the original makeover as a special episode of the established program, howtodoFlorida. The popularity of the episode led to syndication of a whole new show series (Flip My Florida Yard). FNGLA has sponsored four Florida-friendly landscaping episodes in the new series.

This fifth “Where are they now?” episode will interview property owners Bernie and Brad Volkmann, and project coordinator Tom Heitzman, Sweetbay Nursery owner, about their experience with their new native landscape in the front yard. Bernie has been posting on Facebook about the creatures that have come to the new landscape, including more butterflies and a screech owl. While almost no maintenance was done in the past nine months, the landscape has continued to look good. Tom will be talking about the need for native landscape professionals to maintain these yards and educate homeowners on the maintenance.

In addition, the Native Plant Horticulture Foundation took the TV production crew up to The Villages to film the amazing manicured native landscape belonging to Steve and Susan Turnipseed, founders of The Villages Chapter of FNPS, perhaps the fastest growing chapter in recent history, and one that is quite strategic in its outreach. The chapter commits to transforming 10 landscapes a year, and does so in the context of homeowner association rules and high aesthetic expectations.

Flip My Florida Yard will be airing statewide on select TV stations including Fox Sports Sun network this spring, April-May 2017. The foundation is promoting FANN members and resources as parts of its goal to sustain and expand the native plant industry.

HELP THIS EFFORT & PROMOTE YOUR ORGANIZATION— all Flip My Florida Yard donations of $150 or more received by Feb. 1, 2017, will be listed in the show credits.