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"Possibility and promise greet me each day as I walk out into my garden. My vigor is renewed when I breathe in the earthiness and feel the dirt between my fingers. My garden is a peaceful spot to refresh my soul." Meems






Welcome to my Central Florida Garden Blog where we garden combining Florida natives, Florida-Friendly plants, and tropicals.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Lawn Gone! Book Party and Giveaway

Don't you love a fun garden party? If you've ever wondered where/how/when to start eliminating parts (or all) of your lawn to replace it with smart, time-saving alternatives, this party is for you.We're celebrating the release of Pam Penick's new book today. Six other garden blogging friends are joining the fun and hosting the chance to win some super-duper party giveaways.

Lawn Gone! Low Maintenance, Sustainable, Attractive Alternatives for Your Yard, by Pam Penick, is a  practical how-to handbook for beginning and veteran gardeners alike. It is chocked full of stimulating ideas, accompanied by beautiful photographs, with abundant and pleasing options for every situation no matter where you garden.

If visions of mis-managed, helter-skelter, overgrown mish-mash yards come to mind when you hear words like lawn removal, less-turf and goundcover alternatives then this is the book that will forever set your mind at ease. It covers everything from selection and placement of low-maintenance plants to features that enhance your garden like firepits, pavilions, ponds, and patios. Pam Penick, who is also the author of her Texas garden blog, Digging has written Lawn Gone in her well-known user-friendly, organized style. It will encourage, enlighten and equip you to turn your lawn into a time-saving, beautiful garden.
Hoe and Shovel Front Garden September 2012
I was excited when Pam asked me to contribute to the section of the book that recommends highly dependable plant choices for the Coastal South (p. 150). In this section of the book (p.142) you'll find options from experts for functional groundcovers appropriate to each region of North America.
Hoe and Shovel Back Garden July 2012
Many of you are aware that I've been removing the lawn in my garden a little bit at a time over the past 12 years. Taking advantage of Florida's yearround gardening conditions, I've built my garden as an ongoing labor of love and DIY endeavor.  My lawn is gone! ... with the exception of a green swath in the back garden that remains for outdoor family activities. With a mix of native and regionally adapted plants (we call them Florida-Friendly choices) in sweeping,curving beds, I find my garden is easier to maintain than lawn. It has evolved into a peaceful refuge for my family and the wildlife it nurtures.

Be sure to go to Pam's book page to find more information about how to purchase Lawn Gone! Then, let the giveaway party begin. Everyone is invited.You can enter all 7 giveaways.

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win this beautiful Moss Rock by Moss and Stone Gardens.



Please follow these simple guidelines to leave a valid entry:

  •  One entry per person.
  • When you leave your comment, you MUST have a link back to a website that includes an email address, or you must leave your email address within the comment.
  • Anonymous comments are welcome, however you must leave your (first) name and an email address within your comment in order to be entered into the contest.
  • If there isn't a clear way to contact you, your comment will not be a valid entry.
  • Each entry must have a street address (no P.O. Boxes) within the continuous 48 states.
Contest is over Sunday, March 10 at 11:59 pm. 
The winner will be randomly drawn (computer generated) and announced Monday, March 11. Email notification will be sent to the winner in addition to announcement. 

Now, to enter the other 6 giveaways, follow the links below, leave a comment on each blog's giveaway post and check back Monday, March 11 to see if you won.

To enter the other giveaways, follow these links:

Danger Garden: $50 gift card provided by Plant Delights
Gossip in the Garden: 5-lb. bag of Eco-Lawn seed, provided by Wildflower Farm
RedDirt Ramblings: Tool package provided by CobraHead
North Coast Gardening: $50 gift certificate provided by Annie’s Annuals
The Deep Middle: 5-lb. bag of No Mow Lawn seed mix, provided by Prairie Nursery
Digging: 13×13-inch “grass” pillow, provided by Potted



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If you are new here: Come see us on Facebook... more great photos/discussions there...here's the link:
*** Hoe and Shovel on Facebook   ***
Happy gardening,
Meems

79 comments:

  1. The book looks fabulous and what a darling Toadstool. Love your blog.
    jopomeroy@gmail.com

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  2. Love the opportunity to visit new blogs and the chance to win!

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  3. I'm so happy I found your site. I'm working on transforming my lawn as you did. It's slow go, so it's exciting to see what it will be like in a few years! stacylwarrington@gmail.com

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  4. Congratulations on eliminating your lawn. Sounds like lots of hard work. Your garden looks fabulous.

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  5. This books sounds so useful. I just got rid of my lawn and am about to plant. Ita ( apeanut@gmail.com)

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  6. Loved reading Lawn Gone! Love the moss rock too.

    stffox1atgmail.com

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  7. We have a certified Texas Wildscape that's also a demonstration site. Little by little, we replacing our "lawn" with walking paths and beds planted with native plants. Yay for Pam's new book!

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  8. You have done one of the best jobs out there, of changing over from lawns to gardens.
    I love looking at your photos of your lovely garden.
    Pam's book really is full of good advice. Many of your recommendations will work even here, in our parched Texas Hill Country.
    Good job...

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  9. I am loving Pam's book and in the midst of taking out my front lawn to make way for perennials and shrubs, mostly native. weeder@rcip.com

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  10. Love the pictures. Peaks my interest in mosses.
    Wanda http://weedinwaterinwatchin.com

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  11. I would love to grow a carpet of moss but in my Texas garden the moss would only survive indoors, away from my cats. corne@rtmoody.com

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  12. Amazing blog. And useful too!

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  13. Love reading Pam's blog, looking forward to reading the book!
    ~Laura
    Llmcg@Verizon.net

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  14. what an adorable give away! Thanks for the chance!

    ssorca19 @ gmail.com

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  15. Great topic! Adorable give-away. lcsn@aol.com

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  16. Love the pics of your front yard. Gave me some good ideas! Also can't wait to get a copy of Pam's book.
    ChrisG - cgiaraffa@austin.rr.com

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  17. My husband and I started eliminating lawn over 30 years ago and never regretted it. Well, it's a lot less work if that's all you have, so there might be a little regret in that area, but not much. I love color, shapes, forms, scents and enjoy my different garden areas, patios, rooms, hallways, nooks and crannies. It's all a work in progress.

    I just noticed a leaf of Miss Muffit has popped up in its pot. Hurray!

    Happy Gardening ~ FlowerLady

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  18. Hi, have to get this awesome book! And would love the Toadstool! Very cool!

    Candice Suter
    sweetstuff1957@gmail.com

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  19. Found your blog through Pam Penick. I have signed up for email to make sure I keep getting your entries. Thanks so much for the giveaway -- please put my name in the hat for the moss rock. It looks SO cool!

    patty Soriano
    soriano471@sbcglobal.net

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  20. I love the moss rock! Such simple beauty-so zen like!

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  21. I commented about loving the moss rock but forgot to leave my info!

    Malea Cooper
    maleacpr@aol.com

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  22. My favorite kind of garden, lawn free.

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  23. Thank you for sharing. The book looks great and I can't wait to read it.

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  24. Hi Meems: Have been following your Blog for some time now, working towards gardening in Florida soon. We do garden there no but only a few weeks per year. Soon it will be around 6 and 6 between Florida and NH.

    Have a great day,
    John

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  25. I'm not entering, just wondering if she covers anything about HOA's requiring lawns in her book and how to deal with that issue.

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  26. the book and moss rock look wonderful. very interested in minimizing my lawn...especially since it was torched by the sun and lack of rain last summer.
    meghan
    rossmeghan10atgmaildotcom

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  27. I love moss!!! It is a 'must' in an enchanted garden! Thanks for the opportunity to win the Toadstool!

    Linda Haczynski
    linda.m.haczynski@gmail.com

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  28. This is delightful. I'm slowly ending the tyranny of the lawn in my yard and hail your efforts.

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  29. These are beautiful! So is your garden. Thanks for the chance.

    lovelydomesticdiva (at) gmail (dot) com

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  30. Love your blog! This book looks amazing!

    mikekate (at) q (dot) com

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  31. Love Pam's book!
    Michael(mlt4848@gmail.com)

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  32. Love love Pam's book and love the Moss Rock!!!! Pick me!!! :) Thanks for the opportunity! Pamie G.

    pgraham@gvtc.com

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  33. Such a beautiful garden! I think I might be able to deep that moss rock alive on my desk. At least the rock part, anyway! :)

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  34. I love this sight! Wonderful gardens. I also love the moss toadstool and would have just the right spot for it on my coffee table. I will keep reading this blog even tho I am in zone 5.
    Karen kt6413@yahoo.com

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  35. In Seattle, we joke that even rolling stones gather moss here.

    Deirdre- sillakim at aol.com

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  36. Beautiful book,in the process of eliminating grass (okay weeds), could use the help this book might supply.

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  37. I already have Pam's wonderful book. We Austinites are so proud of her accomplishment. You have also done a wonderful job in redoing your garden your garden. Thanks for the opportunity to try growing this pretty green moss.

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  38. Love the moss toad, I just re-did a bed yesterday and carefully repotted an area of moss into a pot that hopefully will keep growing! Kathy @ dixieblues@att.net

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  39. i'm working on transforming my yard a little at a time; i've put in a little moss garden area and have been wintersowing some groundcovers like creeping thyme. would love to enter the giveaway.
    shirleytulips at yahoo.com

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  40. I love Pam's blog and can't wait to read her book.

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  41. Thank you for supporting Austin's Pam Penick!
    Yolanda
    bazdreschcox@gmail.com

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  42. LOVE that moss rock! We're hoping to buy a house of our own soon & I'd love nothing more than to go lawn-free. longhornkjm @ yahoo.com

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  43. Love the moss rock! I've been stealing lawn from the back yard inch by inch each year, but haven't yet braved the front yard. My marriage would be in peril.

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  44. IT IS hard work, we've been eliminating our front lawn for a year and are near the finish line, though that means it's the backyard's turn next! I'm excited for this new book, I want the back yard to be a bird and butterfly haven and am looking for ideas.

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  45. Love all the blog parties and giveaways. Lets me try something new.

    Ann
    http://thejardinencantado.blogspot.com

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  46. Please enter me in the contest Donna@repcosalesofga.com

    Thank you

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  47. Would love to win this book. akg333@gmail.com

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  48. What a great way to find new garden blogs! dlelmenhorst@att.net

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  49. Amazon will allow you to view a sample of Pam's book for free. Looks great. I ordered a Kindle copy after checking out the sample. :-)

    elihart@tampabay.rr.com

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  50. I dream of getting rid of all my grass! knittingjenny at gmail dot com

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  51. You have a lovely garden. Your garden plants are my houseplants!

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  52. We moved in ten years ago and removed all the side and backyard grass the first month and i have been gardening for wildlife ever since and bonus i never have weeds. Then enlarged the front gardens leaving only 800 square feet of grass. It takes longer to get the lawn mower out then to actually mow. won't have it any other way. Deco53@tampabay.rr.com

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  53. I'm in zone 6b, but I love looking @ the beauty of the labor all have made in all zones. I love the ideas people come up with to make their garden their own. With the heat and lack of water in Okla., I've added more plants that will tolerate the changes and add variety to my clay garden.

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  54. Love this, especially the moss!

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  55. I enjoy your photos on your blog and your fb page! Your gardens are beautiful.
    Little by little I am removing more lawn and adding more garden.
    Thanks again for sharing.

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  56. Gaynell pilgw@mac.comMarch 6, 2013 at 10:04 AM

    I've gardened in both TX & FL, a double challenge!

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  57. I love the Lawn Gone book. Have been inspired by all the beautiful photos.

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  58. Love Pam's work and so glad to have found your blog now too. Sarah

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  59. Love that moss toadstool.

    Interesting to see how gardeners across the country are replacing lawns with less thirsty alternatives.

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  60. Even if I never win anything, it was still fun visiting your blog. Love that toadstool!

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  61. Thank you for your good work - Glad to have found your site.

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  62. I wish my HOA would let me get rid of my lawn. Maybe someday they'll come around! In the meantime, they can't say anything about me growing a moss rock! Those are awesome!!!! czaranon@austin.rr.com

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  63. I have been a follower of Pam's Digging blog for several years now. I have her new book and love her ideas and the pictures of her gardens transformations. She is an inspiration!

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  64. Trying to rework my backyard. Great giveaway

    mandaoverturf (at) yahoo dot com

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  65. Love your site and love the chance to win the moss rock! Thank you for both!.

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  66. Already have the book! But I'd love some moss; it reminds me of growing up in the Northwest. There isn't a lot of moss in Texas. :(

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  67. Love your site!! I too am always reducing my lawn area!

    dfhendrix00@yahoo.com

    Donna Degen

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  68. I too am a fan of reducing lawn areas!

    dfhendrix00@yahoo.com

    Donna Degen

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  69. This book looks very useful (one of my favorite things in a garden book). We've just purchased a new home with a small yard and getting rid of the lawn would be do-able.

    Thanks.

    Elizabeth
    randall031@gmail.com

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  70. Great idea to welcome SPRING with this great giveaway!

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  71. What a cute way to show off your moss garden! annlees@prettytools.com

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  72. The book sounds great! I am loving your blog too.
    Thank you for a great giveaway!

    bvbabybv at gmail dot com

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  73. Love your garden!
    Arin (arin76@yahoo.com)

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  74. Lawn free in the front yard for 10 yrs and I don't miss it! Lorah bluestemK9@att.net

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  75. You have done one of the best jobs out there, of alternating over from yards to gardens. I love looking at your photos of your lovely garden. Such a beautiful collection of flowers you have.

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  76. This is perfect timing to redo my lawn. I live in California so there's been a drought for a couple of years now. I've been using up too much water and the bill is getting out of control.

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Have a blessed day,
Meems


September 2010

Back Garden: October 2010

Louise Philippe: Antique Rose

Tropical Pathway