When you look out over a great landscape design, it should all flow together seamlessly. But that doesn’t just happen — it takes skillful planning.
Hardscaping and softscaping are common parts of any thorough landscape design, and a creative landscape designer knows how to use them together and soften the edges between them so they blend.
That's where the right selection of plants is key.
Don’t let your small yard get you down.
When you don’t have as much space as big yard boasters, you just need to be smarter about making every inch count.
Maybe you just moved into your great new house, but the landscape is bare.
A couple ideas to fill it with new life:
Amid all the excitement of your big landscaping project, you might have some worries.
How big of a mess will it be? Will the landscaping crew clean up before they leave? Will they leave tools or equipment at your house? Is your antique bird bath safe? What should you expect from the final project walkthrough?
Palms are majestic and colorful cannas are cool, but sometimes you just need a great groundcover.
Groundcover plants are short, quick-spreading perennials that don’t need much care.
What are the best tropical groundcovers in Florida?
It's pretty exciting when your new landscape designer shows up to discuss re-doing your backyard. You pour some coffee, get all your Pinterest photos out, and prepare to make some amazing plans.
There’s talk of landscaping, hardscaping, softscaping and you suddenly realize you’re not completely sure you know the difference.
What’s the difference between hardscaping and landscaping? What is softscaping?
It’s hot out there, and you don’t have time to move to Michigan to get out of the Florida sun.
So, how to shade your backyard?
If you have a typical yard, it probably takes some abuse.
Maybe you have a kid practicing for the Olympics soccer team, or your dog is obsessed with chasing squirrels.
Maybe there’s that one area where your neighbor always cuts through to borrow your hammer, or where the mail carrier takes a shortcut. (Note to self: get the neighbor a hammer for Christmas.)
Those aren’t places for prissy plants. What to plant when things might get walked on?
Planning your big new Florida landscaping project? Man, there’s a lot to think about, right?
How much will it cost? What do you really need? Your head must be spinning.
Maybe head outside and relax on the paver patio, or chill beneath your poolside pergola while you sort it all out.
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?
