Here in Southwest Florida we are living in one of the most unique areas of the United States in terms of climate. We have weather that’s unmatched anywhere else in the nation and the second longest coastline in the U.S. Tropical and subtropical trees are only found in south Florida, with climate that’s hot and humid with an abundant rainfall, and soil that ranges from fine-textured silts to coarse-textured sands, and some areas have low-lying swampy wetlands. In fact, even our soils are quite unique in terms of drainage and PH balance. We are one of only three states in Zone 10 in terms of climate, and that means the average lowest temperatures here can range from 30 degrees to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re a native of Florida, you are probably used to all of this, but if you are a transplant from the North, the climate and plants here in Florida will be a very different experience for you.
So why are we telling you all of this? Mainly because your landscaping needs will be very different here in Florida than what you are typically used to up North. In fact, landscaping in Florida is different from anywhere else. For newcomers to Florida, that “newness” can be mind-boggling when it comes to landscape design. The sheer number of exotic, beautiful plants to choose from here is seemingly endless. There’s a wide difference even from those plants that grow in North Florida. And no matter what region you’re in, the coastal areas have their own landscaping challenges due to salt spray and wind pressure. So you will need to have plants that are salt-proof, and wind-proof, and even hurricane-proof. Water conservation is important as is plant selection, fertilization and keeping control over the never-ending pressure from invasive plant species and weeds, as well as the plethora of bugs and animals we have here (We really do live in the jungle here!). The good news is here in SWFL we have the opportunity to grow magnificent gardens of gorgeous tropical plants, some of which can only be house plants in the north. We have the opportunity to create wonderful outdoor living spaces in a resort style, that are a balm to our senses and provide abundant plant life that attracts butterflies and birds.
Landscaping your home will increase your property value and your quality of life. Most of us would love to design our own landscaping, but without knowledge of what will work best in our SWFL climate, you would be wasting a lot of your time and money. How will you know what plant combinations work well together? What will thrive and what will die off quickly? What plants are native and which are invasive? The sun we get here in SWFL is a major factor in what grows well and what doesn’t because it’s easy for plants to burn up in a couple of days if they are in constant sunlight and are not the type of plant that can tolerate that. So much of your landscape success will rely on the principle of “right plant, right place.”
As the owner of Peer Landscaping, I’m a native to Fort Myers and grew up loving our native plants, so I know what works well with our unique climate and weather patterns. For me, designing a landscape is a melding together of art and nature. We strive to provide you with a design that matches the architectural style of your house, as well finding the right combination of plants no matter whether you want a classical formal looking landscape, or a more tropical informal look. At Peer Landscaping, we will choose plants that work well together in terms of plant textures, growth direction and colors that complement each other.
Here are some things we will take into consideration when planning the landscaping of your property. Our first consideration will be about identifying the ways you use your property.
- Are there view lines you want to maintain, or perhaps you want to buffer and block some views? For example, if you live on a busy street, perhaps you want to create a buffer to the street traffic by having us plant high hedges along the border of the property.
- Are you wanting to leave an area for a vegetable garden or kitchen garden full of herbs?
- Do you want some fruit-bearing trees planted?
- Are you looking to attract pollinators and as such want an abundance of nectar producing flowers that attract butterflies?
- Do you want an area of the garden that attracts wildlife or birds?
- Do you have a lanai or patio where you want potted plants?
- In what ways does the sunlight and shade affect your property at different times of the day?
- What is the natural flow of foot traffic throughout the property?
- How much of your yard do you want to leave as lawn area and how much do you want to be “landscaped?”
These are just some of the important pieces of information we will work with to create a landscape design that you will love. We will, of course, discuss types of plants that will work well with your architecture and what plants you love. We will go over different types of design from a native Florida design to a Costa Rican design, from a formal arrangement to an informal wild-looking design. Together we will look at what plants do well during the summer here, when it rains every day, and which ones will thrive during our drier winter months. We will discuss salt-resistant plants and which plants will do well in which areas of your yard according to the soil drainage.
Landscape design is not just a job for us at Peer Landscaping, we truly have a passion for creating gorgeous landscapes, magnificent gardens and wonderful outdoor living spaces that provide our customers with year round color and beauty, as well as a relaxing place to enjoy our abundant butterflies and wildlife here in Southwest Florida. Imagine being able to spend time with family and friends in your own backyard resort retreat! Call us today to get started 239-645-6455 #SWFLlandscaping #Floridalandscapedesign.
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