Coming from New England, you can dig a hole here with a trowel, without building a wall with the rocks. If you have a for real landscaper it should be a cake walk.

The reason why I didn't pay to have the nursery install the plants is because they charge 80% of the purchase price of the plants to plant them in the ground for you.

I have used Sixtos Innovations, LLC for several things. Lauriano Sixtos is the owner and he is on the site to insure it is done well. Good guys.
(352) 504-5541

Joe

Obviously you have never dug a hole in the ground here. The “sand “ is like white clay in my yard and past the first few inches is extremely difficult to dig up. This is my third house in TV and all have been the same

Re: higher prices for villagers
I would have argued till recently. I got the name of some guy to kick out our carpet-stretch it. WAYNE THE CARPET GUY. Good news he showed up on time he did a good job. NO MATERIALS, ONE HOUR WORK CHARGED $235. You own opinion. I expected
half that as REASONABLE.

Aldis they have raised eggs to roughly 1.50. HUH the other stores are still .89.

DO IT YOURSELF? I work for ME for FREE and to my surprise, my wife helps. TOOLS, for planting I often use my post hole digger, rather than a normal shovel. I also have one of those claw things. I have the original there are many knock offs some good some cheap junk. Both easier on my hurting back.

The Villages is huge the soil you have may be different from what others have. Whatever you/we have it can be improved. A soil test is a good idea. The full test is like $18 at the cooperative extension. You can with enough work and chemicals grow sod on top of cement, While it is work to improve your soil, your plants, your lawn will be better with far fewer problems and far less water use.

White clay? I expect it is high in limestone. Your lawn and most plants need, do best at a ph of 6.5. Most of the villages is 8 and even higher. Get a soil test to know what you are dealing with. They will advise you on what to do. Organic material will improve the soil structure. It takes far more than most people think and it needs to be stirred in. That hard pack layer you got stuck with. You likely have poor drainage. It may be limestone?

Most nurseries charge 50%. If they overcharge for installation, they likely overcharged you for the palm as well.

More importantly:
Don't forget to plant the palm the right depth.
Don't forget to dig the hole a lot bigger than the root ball.
When you put the palm in the hole, if the tree sits crooked, don't straighten the tree by holding it straight and putting the soil in the hole and tamping it, this almost guarantees a sickly or dying tree. Take the tree out and make the bottom of the hole match the bottom of the root ball.
I have planted 10s of thousands of trees and plants in the Villages and surrounding area, yes there is no telling if you have sandy or clayey soil. Your actual proper planting method (and how you water it) for sand is completely different for clay.

Just because there are a bunch of so-called landscapers running around, pretending they know all about landscaping, don't forget horticulture is a SCIENCE. It's biology and planting that tree is plant surgery.

Gimme a call in a year or 2 and I will replace that dying palm with a healthy one.

Most of the Villages is 7.2 pH. Anything 8.0 has concrete dust, a lot of limestone ( typically from building the stack walls) , paint, or something besides the natural sand or clay.