Have you recently purchased a new home? Or are you in the midst of building one now? In either case, you will want to landscape it nicely so that you can enjoy it this summer. With this in mind, here are some tips to help you out.
Start With Trees
The first thing you should buy is trees. It’s worth the extra money not to buy those that send up suckers, leave behind a huge mess, need a lot of pruning, or die quickly. You’ll also want to avoid tress that aren’t native to the area. Instead, opt for trees like native palms, cedar, buttonwood or oak. A good landscaping company will be able to explain all options to you, how fast they will grow and how much space you will need for the tree not to become a problem later on.
Think Big
Plant in groups. No, not groups of three, but big groups of twenty or more. Not only will this make maintenance easier, but it also looks more natural. In this way, you can choose two or three different plants that look really good together and fill up an entire flowerbed with them.
Use Perennials
While you’re tempted by beautiful annuals, it’s always good to think ahead. Remember, you’ll have to replace them every year because they’ll die and this will quickly burn through your landscaping budget. Annuals tend to cost three times more than perennials. If you’re stuck on them, consider starting them from seed.
Now, it’s a matter of choosing which perennials to go with. If you don’t have a green thumb, opt for native species that won’t mind when you forget to water them during drier winters, and will survive heavy summer rains . Wildflowers native to the area include Beach Sunflower, Blanket Flower, Milkweed, Purple Coneflower, Tropical Red Sage and Wild Petunia.
Use Large Pots
Although big pots can be expensive, small pots (those under 12”) are very hard to maintain and don’t look good in the huge, outdoor world. So, leave them for the windowsill and invest in just a couple of large pots with a variety of two or three plants in them. Your best option here are terra-cotta (either the real ones or plastic look alike ones) pots because they’re very colorful and offer many stylish choices.
Ground Cover
It’s important to protect exposed areas of ground in the areas in between plants. That’s where mulch and pebbles come into play. Choose from various colors of mulch, or for a lighter more permanent look, try white or other light-colored pebbles. It look’s great and is a fairly inexpensive way to go. Especially compared to planting out every inch of the garden. Make sure you don’t overdo it though.
Find Inspiration
If you do a quick search online you’ll find local parks and farmers markets that sell native plants, either year round or on special occasions. They will also be able to provide you with plenty of first hand knowledge about what to plant and when. Likewise, local nurseries are fun to visit and can inspire many ideas for your dream Florida garden. Still stuck on ideas? A visit to the botanical gardens in Naples or even a drive around town is another great way to see real-life examples of what different landscapes will look like once established. Of course, if you want to share your ideas or have someone plan the whole project for you, a landscaping company that has been serving the area for many years can put their experience to work for you.
R & R Sprinkler & Landscape
931 SE 11th Avenue
Cape Coral, FL 33990
(239) 772-2607
