By Jesse Durko
It’s the time of year when everything begins to pop in the garden as it responds to the warmer weather. Now is a good time to fertilize plants in the garden, as well as the time to prune anything that was damaged by the Winter’s cold. We will also need to replace the beds of annuals planted for cool season with warm, loving varieties.
I personally avoid this project by planting perennial plants that don’t require replacing year after year.
Our nursery features plants that are user friendly, and sustainable with minimum attention. We promote wise water management with an outstanding collection of unusual plants from around the world, as well as an extensive collection of native trees, shrubs, and flowers.
One plant that takes center stage now is the rose, but not just any rose will grow in Florida. We feature Antique roses, and the name alone tells you that they have been around a while. Our nursery is an organic garden – we don’t use pesticides or fungicides. As a result, we keep Antique roses as they are happy and thrive in our climate, requiring the least amount of fuss and no chemicals.
Jesse Durko was formerly the director of Flamingo Gardens Botanical Garden. Jesse Durko’s Nursery opened in 1990. The ten-acre property features unusual plants collected during Jesse’s numerous travels across the world. The extensive collection features flowers, shrubs, aroids, heliconias, gingers, bromeliads, palms, bamboo, orchids, and flowering trees. The collection is aesthetically arranged and displayed throughout the grounds, and most plants are for sale in the nursery. The nursery is open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Jesse Durko’s Nursery – 5151 SW 70th Ave, Davie, FL. Directions: From I-95 or the Florida Turnpike, go west on Griffin Road to Viele Road (SW 70 Ave). Make a left and travel south one-half mile. From University Drive or I-75 travel east to Viele Road (on the right), and go south. The entrance is clearly marked on the right with a sign.