11/08/2026
November 2026 Garden of the Month
Paul and Kathryn Wilgus
Sometimes the best gardens begin with a problem.
For Paul and Kathryn Wilgus, that problem was about 13,000 plants.
For years, Asiatic jasmine covered their landscape like a green carpet. Then, about three years ago, South Florida's heat took its toll, and the entire planting died. Rather than replace it, Kathryn and Paul decided it was time for something completely different.
The result is their colorful and creative xeriscape, and it is why their home has been selected as our November 2026 Garden of the Month at 2880 Southland Dr, Mount Dora, Florida.
Kathryn moved into the home in 2001, and she and Paul have done all of their landscaping themselves. Their new garden blends drought-tolerant plants, Florida natives, pollinator favorites, and perennials, all chosen for their beauty and ability to thrive in Florida's climate.
After removing the jasmine, they covered the planting areas with black landscape fabric and began creating their new landscape. Three large rocks from a North Carolina quarry became focal points. About a year ago, a veteran friend used his backhoe to position the rocks, and Paul and Kathryn built a loose stone wall around them. Then came bag after bag of red mulch.
Kathryn even used spray paint on the landscape fabric to mark where she wanted the low-growing Prince Albert evergreens.
Many of the garden's plants have a story. The purple and lime-green Mexican sage came from cuttings taken from a friend. That same friend shared Blue Porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis), a Florida native with spikes of tiny purple-blue flowers that attract butterflies and other pollinators.
The Florida red sugarcane is a sweet, dark reddish-purple heirloom variety of perennial grass. Its tall stalks and tender fibers make it easy to peel and enjoy by chewing the cane.
Visitors will also find firecracker plants, Angelica Blue junipers, desert rose, sage, lavender, and Yellow Brick Road sedum. A piece of driftwood found by a friend has been given new life with succulents planted around it.
One of the biggest surprises is the mulch. The bright red ground cover is actually rubber. Kathryn says it becomes even brighter after a rain, lasts for decades, and keeps discarded tires out of our landfills.
For Kathryn, gardening is more than landscaping. She calls it “therapy.” A former combat nurse and veteran, she has spent much of her life caring for others. Today, she finds joy in creating something beautiful and sharing it with her neighbors and community.
The transformation from thousands of dead jasmine plants to this colorful xeriscape took hard work, imagination, friends, and plenty of gardening.
Congratulations to Paul and Kathryn Wilgus on being named our November 2026 Garden of the Month. And Kathryn and Paul, thank you for your service to our country. To both of you, thank you for sharing your creativity and beautiful garden with our community.
