He's certifiably ... green
 
Sherry Boas
Sentinel Correspondent

September 2, 2001

CLERMONT -- When something new excites Don Herold, he enjoys sharing it with others. When he lived in Pennsylvania, he shared his passion for scuba diving by teaching others how to dive.

Now that he lives in the Greater Groves development in south Lake County, he hopes to share his newfound knowledge of xeriscape gardening, creating backyard habitats for butterflies and birds and the use of native plants in the home landscape.

Herold was among the first people in Lake County to become certified as a "wildlife habitat steward," a program sponsored in part by the National Wildlife Federation. As part of the course, Herold agreed to volunteer 50 hours to the community teaching others how to create a more ecologically balanced outdoor environment around their home.

"I just loved the class," said Herold, 50, the food service director for Ocwen Federal Bank in Orlando. "I was almost disappointed when it ended. They gave us so much information. I left with a great deal of enthusiasm to go out into the community and show others what could be done with their yards."

Herold set to work on the lot he and his wife, Marian, bought two years ago.

"We chose this house mainly because of the private back yard," Herold said.

A large hedge at the rear of his property made up of viburnum bushes intermixed with wax myrtle trees and blue flowering plumbago shrubs creates a green buffer zone.

Herold was inspired not only by the class, but also by the advice of his next-door neighbor, Margaret Ann Gaines, a master gardener who has been practicing xeriscape landscaping for years. The two have merged their side-by-side yards into a contiguous wildlife habitat complete with blooming plants, climbing vines, shrubs, cactus and a few fruit-bearing trees.

"My roses and bananas are my only two water guzzlers," Herold said, "But I have to have a banana tree if I'm living in Florida, don't I?"

The transformation of his yard began with eliminating much of his lawn and replacing it with a variety of self-propagating native plants in mulched beds. His lawn size has been reduced by one-third.

"My wife still likes to have some lawn so I haven't gotten rid of all the grass yet, but I've slowly been cutting down on mowing while at the same time attracting birds and butterflies to all the new plants I've added to the yard," said Herold, who once counted 20 butterflies hovering around his back yard.

Herold said he only spends about two hours each week weeding and about 45 minutes maintaining his lawn.

"I'm not a fanatic about weeds," he said, "I don't go crazy trying to get rid of each one. I don't need to edge anymore and do no watering except for about a half-dozen potted plants, my banana trees and rose bush."

By using native, disease-resistant hardy plants such as bluebells, jasmine, Mexican flame vine and coral honeysuckle, Herold has also managed to eliminate a need for pesticides or fertilizers. He handpicks the few caterpillars that attack his oleander and philodendrons and doesn't mind the bugs on his passionflower vines because they turn into beautiful Gulf Fritillary butterflies.

Although he has focused much attention on his own yard, he has also branched out to his community. He helped organize a garden club at Greater Groves and is treasurer of the neighborhood's homeowner's association. His goal is to turn Greater Groves into a certified "Community Wildlife Habitat," within the next five years.

He must first persuade 80 of his 440 neighbors to create their own certified "Backyard Habitats," as he and Gaines have done.

"I don't think it will be hard to do. When I take my dogs for a walk each evening, my neighbors always stop us to ask questions about their gardens. People seem very interested in what we are doing with our yards."

Cathy Brown of B.B. Brown's Gardens has seen many of Herold's neighbors at her garden center.

"People form Greater Groves come in all the time looking for native plants to add to their yards that are colorful, but also drought-resistant, hardy and low maintenance. I can tell that the work Don has done in his own yard has already has made quite an impression on his community."

Because of Herold's efforts, plans are in the works to add 300 tree seedlings from the National Tree Conservation to common areas in the development. The landscaping around the pool and recreation area is soon to be converted, in part, to native plants, as is the median strip along the entry area to the community.

Bob Stebner, president of the Greater Groves Homeowner Association, supports Herold's project and goals and gives it his full support.

"Don is very easy to work with," said Stebner. "I really think he has an uphill battle to accomplish his goals but I think his work will greatly benefit the community by making it more beautiful and thereby increasing the property values."

Despite all his ambitious projects, Herold never tires of the simple joys that first brought him to gardening.

"I just love sitting on my porch on Sunday mornings," said Herold. "I make a pot of coffee, read the paper and watch the butterflies and birds go from plant to plant in my back yard. Sometimes it takes me all day to finish the paper because I keep putting it down so often to watch the wildlife outside."

Copyright © 2001, Orlando Sentinel