Question
I'm an avid perennial gardener in zone 5 (WV).  My husband and I purchased a house in SW FL where I was born and raised.  Unfortunately, I am unfamiliar with zone 10 perennials.  Could you please provide me w/ some good suggestions of perennials that do not need too much babying, that might be readily available at a local nursery, and that might bloom in the winter when we're there?

Answer
Hi Jorene, there are numerous choices, but I would recommend a newcomer to Florida (gardening wise..) to go with Pentas, they come in several colors and are not as difficult as some of the others as far as care goes; keep them adequately watered (not wet) and once a Month give them a dose of soluble fertilizer (Miracle-grow bloom booster..) at half strength. Planting them in a large container gives you the choice of moving them around to change the color in the landscape, but in the ground is fine too.My second choice would be Dwarf Bougainvillea, they are very colorful (the bract is the actual color, the flower itself is inconspicuous..) and drought resistant, requiring very little care on your part. The final one that would be very easy to care for, and you should be familiar with is the Geranium, again, treat it like the Pentas. There are plenty of others Jorene, but these are the 3 I would run with for now. Later if you want to kick it up a notch, (care wise..) we can try some others. Nick