# One Earth > Florida Friendly Landscaping Consultants and Advocates Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### Our Services URL: https://www.one-earth.life/services/ Last updated: 2026-06-16T19:28:32.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ae/64/ae64d18d-2555-4537-892e-f38f67f1173e/content/images/2026/06/hoa-food-forest-2.jpg) Design Services Creating a vibrant ecosystem adds curb appeal, value, and sustainability to your home and community. We will work with you to design, install, and maintain your own natural sanctuary. Our designs focus on Florida Friendly Landscaping principles with an emphasis on revitalizing soil, improving water quality, and creating a healthy ecosystem for your family to enjoy. We believe all life matters and do not use any pesticides, herbicides, or other harmful toxins. Policy Audits We review your current Architectural Review Board (ARB) guidelines to ensure they meet 2026 Florida standards. We help you update by-laws and covenants to allow Florida Friendly Landscaping in a well-defined and communicable way. Florida Friendly Landscaping is here to stay, it's time to update your by-laws and guidelines to policies that respect homeowners' rights without giving up all aesthetic control. By getting ahead of this issue you can still have a cohesive community while respecting homeowners' rights. Mediation Help Conflict over landscaping is a major issue between Boards and Homeowners. Many legal teams are not knowledgeable on Florida Friendly Landscaping to be able to determine if a homeowner is acting within their rights under 720.3075(4) and what common ground might be agreeable to the Board and the Homeowner that protects everyone. We are available to homeowners, lawyers, mediators, or communities needing unbiased experts to help address these potentially costly legal matters. ### index test URL: https://www.one-earth.life/index-test/ Last updated: 2026-06-20T21:40:36.000Z ![x](https://www.one-earth.life/images/rotating-earth.gif) # One Earth ## Florida Friendly Landscaping Consultants and Advocates [Home](https://www.one-earth.life/) [About Us](https://www.one-earth.life/about-us/) [Field Journal](https://www.one-earth.life/field-journal/) [Contact](https://www.one-earth.life/contact/) “There is no 'yours' and 'mine' when it comes to the one thing that we all have in common: We all (including all animals and plants) share the same planet in space together.” \-- Astronaut and Floridian Nicole Stott from Back to Earth ![x](https://www.one-earth.life/images/floral.gif) Design Service Creating a vibrant ecosystem adds curb appeal, value, and sustainability to your home and community. We will work with you to design, install, and maintain your own natural sanctuary. Our designs focus on Florida Friendly Landscaping principles with an emphasis on revitalizing soil, improving water quality, and creating a healthy ecosystem for your family to enjoy. We believe all life matters and do not use any pesticides, herbicides, or other harmful toxins. ![x](https://www.one-earth.life/images/floral.gif) Policy Audits We review your current Architectural Review Board (ARB) guidelines to ensure they meet 2026 Florida standards. We help you update by-laws and covenants to allow Florida Friendly Landscaping in a well-defined and communicable way. Florida Friendly Landscaping is here to stay, it's time to update your by-laws and guidelines to policies that respect homeowners' rights without giving up all aesthetic control. By getting ahead of this issue you can still have a cohesive community while respecting homeowners' rights. ![x](https://itinerae.neocities.org/free/34/floral.gif) Mediation Conflict over landscaping is a major issue between Boards and Homeowners. Many legal teams are not knowledgeable on Florida Friendly Landscaping to be able to determine if a homeowner is acting within their rights under 720.3075(4) and what common ground might be agreeable to the Board and the Homeowner that protects everyone. We are available to homeowners, lawyers, mediators, or communities needing unbiased experts to help address these potentially costly legal matters. ![Showcase Placeholder](https://www.one-earth.life/images/hoa-food-forest-2.jpg) ![x](https://www.one-earth.life/images/floral.gif) recent updates - **June 14, 2026** [Contact Us](https://www.one-earth.life/contact/) - **June 13, 2026** [How we define weeds](https://www.one-earth.life/posts/what-is-a-weed/) - **June 13, 2026** [Pigeon Peas, a Full Sun Powerhouse](https://www.one-earth.life/posts/pigeon-pea/) - **June 08, 2026** [About Us](https://www.one-earth.life/about-us/) - **January 11, 2026** [HOA Friendly Edible Katuk](https://www.one-earth.life/posts/katuk/) **© The Human Compassion Project, 2026** ![](https://www.one-earth.life/images/recycle.gif) ![](https://www.one-earth.life/images/earth.gif) ### About Us URL: https://www.one-earth.life/about-us/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T14:57:40.000Z # About One Earth The modern Florida landscape is changing. As people become more aware of the devastation traditional manicured lawns causes on our health, and the health of our homes we help clients implement forward-thinking landscaping solutions. ## Why We Started As lifelong residents of the Orlando metro area, we have witnessed the explosive growth of our community firsthand. We see our Florida aquifers diminishing, seasonal droughts intensifying, and native pollinators in steep decline—all while local governments and HOAs are left without sustainable solutions. We know this is the time to protect our home using beauty, curb appeal, and low-maintenance resilience. By pairing **Florida-Friendly Landscaping™** principles, we curate living spaces that work with our natural environment, ensuring you never have to spend your time and resources fighting against it. ## Where We Work We operate from our studio in Longwood, Florida, providing comprehensive design and consulting services throughout Seminole and Orange Counties. Because regulatory navigation is a universal challenge, our specialized HOA Policy & Advocacy work is available for clients throughout the entire state of Florida. ## The Human Compassion Project One Earth is part of [The Human Compassion Project](humancompassionproject.org), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization registered in Florida. All profit from our design, consultation, grants and donations goes back into the local Central Florida community. ### (Untitled) URL: https://www.one-earth.life/landing/ Last updated: 2026-06-21T12:05:51.000Z “There is no 'yours' and 'mine' when it comes to the one thing that we all have in common: We all (including all animals and plants) share the same planet in space together.” \-- Astronaut and Floridian Nicole Stott from Back to Earth ![x](https://www.one-earth.life/images/floral.gif) Design Service Creating a vibrant ecosystem adds curb appeal, value, and sustainability to your home and community. We will work with you to design, install, and maintain your own natural sanctuary. Our designs focus on Florida Friendly Landscaping principles with an emphasis on revitalizing soil, improving water quality, and creating a healthy ecosystem for your family to enjoy. We believe all life matters and do not use any pesticides, herbicides, or other harmful toxins. ![x](https://www.one-earth.life/images/floral.gif) Policy Audits We review your current Architectural Review Board (ARB) guidelines to ensure they meet 2026 Florida standards. We help you update by-laws and covenants to allow Florida Friendly Landscaping in a well-defined and communicable way. Florida Friendly Landscaping is here to stay, it's time to update your by-laws and guidelines to policies that respect homeowners' rights without giving up all aesthetic control. By getting ahead of this issue you can still have a cohesive community while respecting homeowners' rights. ![x](https://itinerae.neocities.org/free/34/floral.gif) Mediation Conflict over landscaping is a major issue between Boards and Homeowners. Many legal teams are not knowledgeable on Florida Friendly Landscaping to be able to determine if a homeowner is acting within their rights under 720.3075(4) and what common ground might be agreeable to the Board and the Homeowner that protects everyone. We are available to homeowners, lawyers, mediators, or communities needing unbiased experts to help address these potentially costly legal matters. ![Showcase Placeholder](https://www.one-earth.life/images/hoa-food-forest-2.jpg) ![x]({{asset ) recent updates {{!-- Fetch the 5 most recent posts --}} {{#get "posts" limit="5" order="published\_at desc"}} {{#foreach posts}} - **{{date published\_at format="MMMM DD, YYYY"}}** [{{title}}]({{url}}) {{/foreach}} {{else}} - **Notice:** No updates found. {{/get}} ### Contact One Earth URL: https://www.one-earth.life/contact/ Last updated: 2026-07-05T16:37:18.000Z We're located in Longwood, FL and provide in person consultations to Seminole and Orange County HOAs. We can provide virtual consultations to HOAs anywhere in Florida. We're also happy to connect with other individuals or groups interested in what we do. And of course, any plants you see us post about are generally available as seeds or starters for no charge. All email to us can be sent to humans \[at\] one-earth.life You can also contact us and follow us through Mastodon [mindly.social/@oneearth](https://mindly.social/@oneearth?ref=one-earth.life) ## Posts ### Protecting lawns from chinch bugs URL: https://www.one-earth.life/protecting-lawns-from-chinch-bugs/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T13:50:10.000Z A chinch bug is any member of the genus Blissus. The most common in Florida is the species Blissus insularis, Southern Chinch Bug The South Chinch Bug can ruin turf lawns and is particularly drawn to St. Augustine Grass. Most for profit organizations will try to sell you on chemical based solutions such as full spectrum fungicides or pesticides. The true solution is much more cost effective and environmentally friendly – less, not more, is the solution. For a Florida Friendly landscape dealing with Chinch Bugs here are fundamental things to solve the issue entirely: **Reduce Fertilizer** High-nitrogen fertilizer creates lush, succulent leaf blades that act as an all-you-can-eat buffet for southern chinch bugs. Excess nitrogen also promotes heavy thatch accumulation—the spongy layer of dead plant material between green grass and the soil—where chinch bugs hide, breed, and lay eggs. We prefer using no commercial fertilizers and make our own Weed Tea fertilizer. We know not everyone has the time for that, if you must fertilize, do so sparingly and use a slow-release low nitrogen fertilizer. **Let Your Yard Grow Taller – Raise Your Mower Height** While we are big supporters of zero grass that takes time, and may also not be practical for everyone. Any reduction of grass is certainly the best for the environment, but if you do have a lawn dealing with Chinch Bugs consider raising your mower height to \~4 inches. Taller grass blades are healthier, conserve moisture, and protect the roots. This directly leads to... **Water Deeper and Less Frequently** Chinch Bugs primarily thrive and nest in the thatch layer. This layer of tight matter builds up primarily from poor soil and shallow daily watering. When you run an irrigation / sprinkler system for short periods multiple days a week you end up wasting valuable natural resources and money, while developing a breeding ground for weak grass and strong Chinch Bug. **Plant Pollinators** Making room for and allowing pollinators into your landscape is the single most beneficial thing you can do for your property and community. Remember your lawn should be a thriving part of our ecosystem and by inviting pollinators in, you're inviting in natural predators to the Chinch Bug including the always popular Lady Bug (a beetle everyone loves!). Some easy to grow plants, that invite Lady Bugs here in Florida are: - **Coreopsis** (Florida's state wildflower) - **Milkweed** - **Nasturtiums** - **Parsley** - **Lima Beans** (We grow Lima Beans and found out native Lady Bugs LOVE them but these do require more space than the other options) --- ****WANT HELP ELIMINATING CHINCH BUGS?** We can assess your grass area and make high impact recommendations to control the Chinch Bug population using holistic, sustainable, and economical solutions. [Get a Consult ](https://www.one-earth.life/contact/) ### Florida Pattypan Squash Soup URL: https://www.one-earth.life/florida-pattypan-squash-soup/ Last updated: 2026-07-05T16:37:42.000Z Pattypan squash is a summer squash native to North America and dating back 8,000-10,000 years. If you've ever read Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer you may be familiar with **Three Sisters**, the native American grouping of squash, maize/corn, and beans. Often it was traditionally done with Pattypan Squash. The easy to grow summer crop is considered comparable to other squash and zucchini in Vitamin C but Pattypan Squash out performs other cultivars in Vitamin A, Magnesium, and Antioxidants. Its a great summer vegetable to grow throughout Florida. The leaves, flowers, stems, seeds, and fruit are all edible! We shared some of our pattypan harvest, along with some other Florida friendly plants from around our urban food forest, with our friends at [Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund](https://www.hcpcacao.org/?ref=one-earth.life). Chef Paul Joachim, [The Chocolate Genius](https://chocolategenius.com/?ref=one-earth.life), made this wonderful soup from it. Florida white squash soup with cranberry hibiscus, thyme, roasted Jamaican cherries and cajun bell pepper. Topped with sautéed (invasive) sword fern tubers, cowpeas, lima bean, katuk leaves, sea salt, and fresh cracked pepper. The primary ingredients were roasted and then pulsed together with non-dairy oat drink. The rest were very quickly sauteed to bring out the flavors. --- ## Patty Pan Squash Seeds ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ae/64/ae64d18d-2555-4537-892e-f38f67f1173e/content/images/2026/07/patty-pan-squash-seeds.webp) Seeds from a single Pattypan Squash set out to dry on a tea towel for storage. After utilizing your Pattypan Squash you'll also get a good amount of high quality seeds. While roasting them with a little salt is a delicious option, be sure to also save some. 1. First rinse off the seeds to get as much of the fleshy material as you can off of it. 2. Set them to dry on a countertop on a tea towel or paper towel. We recommend tea towel since its reusable. 3. After drying you can generally get even more of the flesh off of it. 4. Then you can store the seeds, share the seeds, and next season – plant the seeds. --- ****want pattypan squash?** We have Pattypan Squash seeds available, contact us to arrange pickup. There's no cost though donations are always appreciated. [Get Pattypan Squash Seeds ](https://www.one-earth.life/contact/) ### HOA Friendly Edible Katuk URL: https://www.one-earth.life/hoa-friendly-edible-katuk/ Last updated: 2026-06-23T21:46:33.000Z ### An edible, easy to grow and easy to propagate edible vegetable for your home or garden. When homeowners transition traditional turf lawns into sustainable ecological spaces, one of the primary concerns from HOA Boards is visual consistency. Will the new landscaping look intentional, or will it resemble an overgrown vacant lot? Enter **Katuk** *(Sauropopus androgynus)*, affectionately known as “Sweet Leaf.” #### A Botanical Powerhouse: Why We Grow It For homeowners looking to maximize their food security, Katuk is unmatched. It is a game-changer for plant-based diets, boasting a nutritional profile where nearly **50% of its dry weight is pure protein**. Packed with fiber, vitamins A, B, and C, and essential minerals like iron and calcium, it earns its “Sweet Leaf” moniker with a delicious, nutty flavor that tastes remarkably like fresh peas when eaten raw or cooked. #### Introducing Katuk to your home Katuk is an ideal community plant because it thrives where traditional turf grass fails: **in the shade.** - Canopy Integration: Katuk prefers a part-shade, part-sun location (ideally receiving morning sun). It tucks beautifully underneath the existing canopies of mature neighborhood shade trees or nestles cleanly into structured perimeter privacy hedges. - Low-Input Compliance: Under Florida Statute 720.3075(4), communities must allow resource-efficient designs. Katuk loves heavy mulching, which completely suppresses weed growth, locks in moisture, and eliminates the need for high-volume chemical fertilizers or excessive irrigation run times. It keeps the landscape looking dark green, lush, and pristine without wasting water. #### Maintenance & Harvesting: Keeping It Tidy An overgrown edible garden can quickly trigger compliance fines either from local municipalities or homeowners associations. Fortunately, Katuk is incredibly easy to keep manicured. To harvest, you simply pinch the base of a stem and pull backward against the direction of leaf growth, stripping a week’s worth of highly nutritious greens in less than sixty seconds. Regular harvesting naturally prunes the plant, keeping it at a tidy, compact hedge height of 4–6 feet, preventing it from looking leggy or spilling over sidewalks. #### Year round beauty and nutrients from a single cutting Perhaps the most powerful aspect of Katuk for homeowners and associations alike is how effortlessly it propagates. A simple 6-inch wood cutting, stripped of its leaves will grow roots in a glass of water or moist soil within just a few warm, humid days. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ae/64/ae64d18d-2555-4537-892e-f38f67f1173e/content/images/2026/06/katuk-rooted-cuttings.jpg) Rooted cuttings of Katuk From just **one parent plant**, a homeowner can easily propagate an entire compliant, low-water border hedge within a single growing season. Few local nurseries carry Katuk because of its low profit margins for commercial growers. As a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding Central Florida’s urban canopy and food security, **One Earth has Katuk starter plants available for local pickup at no charge** (though donations are greatly appreciated). ### How we define weeds URL: https://www.one-earth.life/how-we-define-weeds/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T22:41:34.000Z ## What the dictionary says According to Merriam Webster's American Dictionary a weed is defined as, "a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth especially : one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants." ## What we value and what others value can be very subjective As you can immediately see from the definition of weeds; it is a highly subjective term. ## Noxious Weeds, less subjective but not entirely defined either The United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) defines Noxious Weeds as, "any plant designated by a Federal, State or county government as injurious to public health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife or property." [Source](https://www.blm.gov/programs/weeds-and-invasives/about?ref=one-earth.life) However, certain municipalities including our city of Longwood, FL has a code: > "The existence of excessive accumulation or untended growth of weeds, grasses, undergrowth or other dead or living plant life upon any lot, tract or parcel of land, improved or unimproved, within 100 feet of any improved property within the city, to the extent and in the manner that such lot, tract or parcel of land is or may reasonably become infested or inhabited by rodents, vermin or wild animals, or may furnish a breeding place for mosquitoes, or threatens or endangers the public health, safety or welfare, or may reasonably cause disease, or adversely affects and impairs the economic welfare of adjacent property, is hereby prohibited and declared to be a public nuisance." [Source](https://library.municode.com/fl/longwood/codes/code%5Fof%5Fordinances?nodeId=PTIICICO%5FCH38EN%5FARTIVACGATRWEWIGR%5FDIV3ACWEGR%5FS38-141DENU&ref=one-earth.life) Meanwhile, Florida Department of Agriculture has its own definition of Noxious Weeds as follows: > "Florida defines a noxious weed as any plant that is a serious agricultural threat in Florida; has a negative impact on endangered, threatened or commercially exploited plant species; or is a naturalized plant that disrupts naturally occurring native plant communities. Nursery sales of these weeds are prohibited and their movement is regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Division of Plant Industry." [Source](hhttps://www.fdacs.gov/Agriculture-Industry/Pests-and-Diseases/Plant-Pests-and-Diseases/Noxious-Weedsttps://www.fdacs.gov/Agriculture-Industry/Pests-and-Diseases/Plant-Pests-and-Diseases/Noxious-Weeds) ## Weeds to many American homeowners Weeds to many casual homeowners is a growth happening "out of place." For example if you plant a bunch of daisies in a pot and an oak sapling sprouts up; you might think of it as a weed. This is especially true when the new growth is young and harder to identify. Surely though, a beautiful Live Oak is hardly a weed! ## Our recommendations Define specific plants as Weeds in your community using up to date knowledge. Science does not stop when your HOA is developed and what is defined as a Noxious Weed years ago may be now and vice versa. We are available for consultations on this very subject. [Contact Us](https://www.one-earth.life/contact) We are not opposed to getting rid of actual noxious weeds; Air Potato Vine, Kudzu, and Bamboo are a few excellent examples of plants we would recommend listing as banned for the safety of your community and our home. Biden's Alba aka Spanish Needles or Oxalis on the other hand are both native, healthy, and attract pollinators! ### Pigeon Peas, A Full Sun Powerhouse URL: https://www.one-earth.life/pigeon-peas-a-full-sun-powerhouse/ Last updated: 2026-06-23T12:07:25.000Z Built in fertilizer: Nitrogen fixing plants are great to get a food forest up and running because they require less inputs (like fertilizer) and help to restore the soil’s nitrogen as opposed to depleting it. Food: The amount of food one pigeon pea produces is extraordinary! While they’re traditionally cooked with rice, they’re also commonly cooked in stews, soups or even sprouted for salads or dried and ground for a high protein flour. Windbreak Pigeon peas can also be grown in a hedge to provide fast growing windbreaks, that can help to protect other plants during Central and South Florida storms. Permaculture design often changes as the landscape grows up. Pigeon peas being short lived fit great with the ever changing permaculture landscape. ## Easy to Grow and Care For Pigeon peas grow best in well drained soil with lots of sun. They LOVE the heat! Once they get a few feet tall, they’re also incredibly drought tolerant. They like consistent moisture when seedling. One thing to note- that which makes it drought tolerant (long tap root) means it will not appreciate being transplanted. Plant it where you want it for \~3 years. ## Harvest the Peas and Leaves Pigeon Peas are a staple food in much of Latin America and can be found canned or dry in most grocery stores in Florida. Growing them yourself though is even better! The peas are edible raw or cooked, as are the leaves. Plump and green pods can be harvested for immediate consumption or wait until the pods are brown and dry (you can hear the peas shaking around inside the pod) for dry storage. ## Propagating to Grow More Pigeon Peas Pigeon pea is best grown from your own harvest! Save a few of the dried pods for planting in spring. Propagating from cuttings is not recommended for this plant.