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Old 02-21-2015, 08:12 PM
Ozzello Ozzello is offline
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Originally Posted by Rons Landscaping View Post
Also well said, I remember those hard freezes in the 80's, I was living in New Port Richey Florida at the time and it got down to 17-degrees Christmas Eve. When it get's that cold, it doesn't make any differents what you do the plant is dead any way. You didn't see a Queen Palm tree alive until you got about 50-miles south of Tampa. One of the major problems here in The Villages is that so many residents have sub-tropical plants in their yards. Make sure your landscaper knows what he is talking about. Check their back round, see if they have any kind of horticultural back round. See if they have workers comp on their employees, or any liability insurance. Remember if they don't, you are liable if someone gets hurt on your property. Remember, any one can grab a shovel and a wheelbarrow and call themselves a landscaper. Protect yourself, a lot of these people will say anything you want to here, and move on to their next victim.
Agreed Ron. Many of these 'new' Landscape companies that showed up during the economic crunch with large advertising budgets, 'designers' from south of Orlando or lawn guys who have learned the names of a couple palms and shrubs are doing the residents here a great dis-service planting the sub tropical and fast growing shrubs under short windows, etc.

In the several hundred landscapes over the last 2 years I designed, 70%..yes SEVENTY PERCENT.. were originally installed 3-7 years ago. So much for the good landscapers being out of work when the building stops.

I agree with what you say about the guys grabbing a shovel and calling themselves a landscaper, but even some of the bigger fancier companies that have shown up in the last 10 years are sending out 'designers' that are more salesmen than designer. Find out if your big company fancy designer's experience is all south Florida, or maybe they are dog groomers with a new found profession.

I can remember ol' J.W. Jr (God rest his soul) sitting in his garden center in Fruitland Park giggling about folks planting weeping bottlebrush here. I bet no one heard those trees are cold sensitive here in over a decade.

Folks, find out the SPECIFIC temperature the plants your designer is using will damage at, and die at. If your designer tells you a plant "goes down in winter", ask about root hardiness.. or better yet, find a landscape designer with 20 years or more in THIS AREA, and maybe, one that cracked some college books on horticulture, construction and landscape architecture.
If you show up at your landscape designer's office and they have a couple thin DIY books,and doesn't say "ya'll" ... be careful.