The Ground Source Blog

Posted by Joe Mouad on Sep 14, 2023 11:00:00 AM

Dog-Safe Plants for Your Central Florida Landscape

When you start looking for outdoor plants safe for dogs here in Central Florida, it’s doggone disappointing at first.

Asiatic jasmine? Nope — toxic. Podocarpus? Toxic. Croton? Ti plant? Bougainvillea?

Nope, nope, nope.

Aw, man, so many Florida favorites! We’re clearly barking up the wrong tree. This might be ruff.

Posted by Joe Mouad on Jul 13, 2023 10:00:00 AM

What Size Patio Do I Need? How to Choose Your Patio Dimensions

If you’re standing in the backyard with a ruler and your Pinterest patio printouts trying to decide how big your new patio should be, you might be overwhelmed. 

You don’t want your cool new outdoor space to be way too big and cost more than it has to, but you don’t want things to feel too cramped, either, and have your party spill over into your pretty petunia beds. 

What size patio do I need?

Ground Source landscape designer Eric Frisch says there’s no average patio size — the beauty of patio design is creating a space that perfectly suits your lifestyle. But he offers some helpful tips:

Posted by Joe Mouad on Oct 20, 2022 9:27:00 AM

10 Ideas for Landscaping Your Small Backyard in Central Florida

There are plenty of benefits to a small backyard:

1. Nobody asks you to host the family reunion. (Did you really want to grill 80 hot dogs?)

2. Tourists don’t mistake your place for a state park.

3. You don’t have to send a search party out to find the mail carrier who took a wrong turn and got lost.
Sure, big backyards get all the attention in the home and garden magazines, but your small yard deserves some landscaping luxury, too.

Posted by Joe Mouad on Oct 6, 2022 10:00:00 AM

6 Benefits of Installing a Fire Pit in Your Central Florida Backyard

There are signs that prove you need a fire pit:

1. You’ve been making s’mores in the microwave. (We all know that’s a crime against marshmallows.)

2. You’ve been frequently sneaking over to enjoy your neighbor’s fire pit, sometimes wearing disguises so he doesn’t know how often you’re coming over.

3. You daydream about being a caveman.