Keep Brevard Beautiful pushes “lagoon friendly” yards

INDIALANTIC — Melbourne Avenue’s bright-green lawns look like “everywhere Florida,” where proud property owners keep their grass well fed, trimmed and proper — worthy of paradise.

But the DeLuccia family opted for a more native look, though one that is every bit, if not more, manicured than their neighbors.

Now, their yard spares the Indian River Lagoon fertilizers, pesticides and other ill effects of a traditional Florida turf-grass and exotic-plant yard, making theirs the first to meet the Gold Award Criteria from Keep Brevard Beautiful’s new Lagoon Friendly Lawn program.

“It’s just a never ending source of enjoyment for us,” Bill DeLuccia said from his driveway, where about a dozen people gathered for KBB’s lauch of its new lagoon program.

The nonprofit group’s program is a hybrid, more lagoon-centric version of existing environmental initiatives, borrowing from several other to best practices to limit fertilizer, pesticide and other impacts.

The DeLuccias tore out the turf, removed the invasive melaleuca trees and other undesirables, starting back in 1999.

Now more than 200 native plants grace their yard.

By following certain environmentally friendly practices in their yards, participants earn one of three levels of certification: member, silver or gold level.

Steps like avoiding fertilizer use June through September, only using 50 percent slow-release nitrogen fertilizer, and keeping lawn clippings out of storm drains earn a member level certification. Silver level includes keeping 30 percent or more of the yard non-turf and permeable, keeping drain spouts pointed at permeable surfaces and using rain barrels.

The DeLuccias earned gold status, which includes eliminating invasive plants, having half or more native plants, more than 10 native plant species, and planting flowering or fruiting plants for wildlife.

Another resident in their neighborhood, Sandy, Brown, also earned the same gold-level distinction this week.

“At the basic member level, pretty much anyone can participate, including those with traditional St. Augustine lawns, as long as they follow nutrient pollution reduction practices,” Allison Arteaga, KBB’s volunteer and events coordinator, said via email. “So there’s a pretty wide spectrum of involvement opportunities.”

Did the fertilizer ordinances change your backyard ways?

Contractors also can apply for certification. Criteria echo the residential criteria, with a few extras, such as not exceeding one pound per 1,000 square feet per fertilizer application and two applications per year.

Participants can apply online under the “Certify Your Yard” section of KBB’s web site.

The Lagoon Friendly Lawn program get specially made wooden signs to post their certifications.

Giovanni Allen, 16, of Viera, chipped in with other Troop 757 scouts to make more than 100 of the program’s wooden signs for his Eagle Scout project.

Duane De Freese, executive director of the Indian River National Estuary Program, said that every property that decreases fertilizer and herbicides ultimately makes a difference. Institutional changes will follow such individual changes as those in the DeLuccias’ yard.

“This is beautiful Florida landscape,” DeFreese said at Wednesday’s event.

Bill DeLuccia spoke with the pride of accomplishment in what his family’s yard has become and what yards like theirs could mean for the lagoon.

“It’s the low-hanging fruit,” he said. “It’s what us residents can do.”

Contact Waymer at 321-242-3663 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @JWayEnviro

Remember gardeners, Brevard fertilizer ban in effect

Partners in Keep Brevard Beautiful’s new Lagoon Friendly Lawn program include the Indian River Lagoon Program, the city of Satellite Beach, Surfrider Foundation, the Marine Resources Council, Boy Scouts of America Troop 757, the University of Florida and the Florida Native Plant Nursery

Want the certification?

Visit: http://keepbrevardbeautiful.org/our-programs/lagoon-friendly-lawns