[wendyquat]

Time for us to think about landscaping a very small cyv yard. What plants, trees, etc seem to do well and which ones should we avoid? I like the tropical look but I'll admit I do not have a green thumb!

[Uptown Girl]

Hi Wendy!
I received very good plant tips from other TOTV members.
Two of the best were:

Take a cue from what you will see planted around our area. You know these varieties will work here.
Travel through some of the more established villages. Take your camera and record design elements that appeal to you. Pictures of plants (in relation to the house) will also give you an idea of how big some of the plants will be at full maturity.

Be patient and take notes on where you get sun and shade around YOUR house, how long it lasts and how much space you have, before you fall in love with any special plant. Not every plant you see here is hardy in every location.

We do have gardening lectures regularly on many topics (free to villagers) that may appeal to you. The speakers are accredited horticulturists.

I did a lot of my research online and found that we're not as "tropical" here as I had hoped. That changed my selections a lot.
I'm from the Midwest, so many of the plants used here were unfamiliar to me. I started out by Googling "Plants for Central Florida" and went from there. (I get into stuff like this... for me it was fun.)
There are also numerous landscaping companies (with good histories here) who offer design along with their installation, if you'd like it professionally done.
Run your ideas/selections past the forum if you see a plant that appeals, you'll find lots of good feedback here!

[CMANN]

Whatever the Villages put in will not fail. Follow their lead.

[borjo]

A few years ago they had handouts down at the tax office at the sheriffs annex on 466. These were just what you're looking for. Papers on palms, shrubs, flowers etc. were free. Personally, anything "native" would be a good choice. We've had wonderful luck with our Pindo palm, coontie palms are native and only grow about 2 feet high. It been stressed to get the right plant for the right place in your yard. Good luck, it's lots of fun. Beware of beautiful bouganvilla's. Ours grew about 12 feet in one year and they have thorns. Consider the maintenance.

[mgjim]

And here's a helpful link that may help: http://www.floridayards.org/