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Brandon homeowner wins Florida-friendly Landscaping award

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Published  April 18, 2025 6:02pm EDT
Hillsborough County
FOX 13 News

Growing a Florida-friendly yard

FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports.

BRANDON, Fla. - A Brandon homeowner won the 2025 Florida-Friendly Landscaping award for Hillsborough County, thanks to his environmentally-friendly yard and water conservation efforts.  

Officials with Tampa Bay Water Wise and Florida-Friendly Landscaping presented Jose and Rosemary Cosme with the award on Thursday. The couple beat out some 40 other Hillsborough County applicants. 

"It makes me feel good. It makes me feel great, because they know how many times I have tried," Jose Cosme said, laughing. 

For the last few years, Jose Cosme entered his yard but never won. However, instead of getting discouraged, he told FOX 13 he attended classes put on by the Hillsborough County Extension Service and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). 

"He gets advice from the county -- which plants are favorable for bees and for butterflies -- and so he tries to concentrate on that and the Florida-friendly," Rosemary Cosme said of her husband. 

Officials with UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County happened to be holding a virtual workshop on the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program and water efficiency Thursday.  

"The main one is putting the right plants in the right place. That's the overriding principle, because if plants are adapted to your site conditions, they're going to require less irrigation, less fertilizer, and are less prone to pests, which can result in real cost savings and, of course, is better for our environment," Heather Crowley with UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County said during Thursday’s class. 

Experts also recommend choosing the right plants for Florida’s climate. 

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"He has a great plant palate, native and non-native adaptive. He does not use much water, if at all," Lynn Barber with UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County said of Jose Cosme’s yard. 

Cosme has three rain barrels, which he relies on to strategically water his plants. 

"I save it for times like this. I don't water my big stuff on the ground," Jose Cosme added. "I worry about all the pots. They dry faster, and they need constant, more attention."

"One of the great benefits of a Florida-friendly yard is, it can be really beautiful, like this yard, but they also use less water," Tampa Bay Water’s Amelia Brown said. 

Cosme said the work isn’t done: He’ll never stop trying to improve his award-winning yard to make it even more Florida-friendly.  

"Go native," Jose Cosme said, when choosing plants for his yard. "It’s the best way for everybody: For the environment, for you saving. For you saving not only money on water, but on work."

Next week, UF/IFAS is hosting more workshops that focus on soil building, gardening, and cow nutrition. For more information on the schedule, click here. 

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