You never see palm tree maintenance in the movies.
Nobody’s ever pruning off dead fronds or kneeling in the dirt fertilizing. But somehow, those majestic palms always look great, lining swanky boulevards and shading exotic beach resorts.
In real life, palm trees need some work.
Heavy rain is part of life in Orlando, with an average of 51 inches a year easily topping the national average of 37 inches.
Your landscaping needs to be ready for it, from plants that don’t mind a steady soaking to pavers that won’t make your feet slide right out from under you.
Parts of your landscape, from heavily shaded areas to areas at the bottom of a slope, might hold moisture even when it isn't raining.
Is it hard to find pavers that are safe for wet areas? Are there slip-resistant pavers?
Kids don’t care about prize-winning roses, a four-tier fountain, or an intricate paver patio, so artistically designed Michelangelo would swoon.
You need to focus on different elements to make your landscaping appealing to kids.
Have a big Central Florida backyard? Lucky. Not everybody does.
“Big outdoor spaces offer a lot of options, but not many people have that luxury with the current lots being sold in Orlando,” says Ground Source Landscape Designer Eric Frisch.
Larger lots are typically outside of town, he says, and often much of the property is weeds and some scruffy Bahia grass. Sounds like it’s time for some large-area landscaping ideas.
Landscaping doesn’t last forever. Just like that western shirt with the snaps and your aunt’s beehive hairdo, some stuff goes out of style.
Ready to boot your outdated landscaping and hop on some modern landscape design ideas?
Eric Frisch, landscape designer at Ground Source, shares some outdated landscaping features — and suggestions for a contemporary refresh.
If you haven’t spent much time studying the USDA plant hardiness map, nobody blames you.
But when the U.S. Department of Agriculture made significant changes to this tool that helps determine what plants can thrive and survive in what regions of the country, plant experts everywhere paid close attention. Some were even alarmed.
About half of the United States, including Central Florida, shifted into a new zone with the plant hardiness map update. Most places are warmer than they used to be.
What does that mean? Does it affect what you can plant in your Florida front yard? Should you care?
There’s kind of a dilemma when you’re planning to sell your house, and we’re not talking about how to hide that spot where your dog ate half the windowsill.
You know landscaping and home value are connected, but you don’t want to invest a ton of money in a house you’re leaving. At the same time, you know your home will sell faster and for a better price if it has impressive curb appeal.
When you’re landscaping for curb appeal, what projects are your best bets?
When you head out to get groceries, do you hit one store for bread, another for fruit, a third one for chicken and another one for those frosted cookies you love?
Landscape maintenance is a year-round thing here in Central Florida, thanks to that mild weather the northerners envy.
Palm fronds drop year round. Crape Myrtles get trimmed in winter. Hedges might need snipping any time of year.
But spring is a great time for a fresh start, landscape-wise.
Some things just go great together.
Peanut butter and jelly. Jeans and T-shirts. Saturday morning and sleeping in.
One more classic pairing: lawn aeration and top dressing.
