Landscape Question
 

Are you folks who are having landscaping done new residents or existing homeowners who want to spruce up your properties? I'm asking because I'm confused. We will be building new next spring and I was under the impression that TV puts in sod and some basic landscaping. Are new residents choosing to do their own instead or are they adding to what TV gives? This topic is of interest to me because we built our present house new and had to add our own landscaping. We were real suckers when the landscape contractors unraveled their color coded plans, and ended up spending a fortune for which we also paid by transplanting for years afterwords because of overcrowding. So, to sum it up, I admire the landscaping I've seen in the villages, but wondered how it came about. All responses appreciated.

The landscaping that TV puts in is fine. Some folks want to add to it or rip it all out and start new, or get rid of grass and use mulch for less care. You can be creative or not. You can spend a ton, or do it youself.

The sky's the limit!
 

Hi and welcome. If you do a search on the subject of landscaping on this site, you will find a lot of info. Choosing to upgrade your landscaping from the basics that TV puts in a personal choice. You have to have the basic landscaping installed upon purchasing, however you can upgrade with the landscaper of your choice (another highly talked about subject on this forum) as much or as little as you would like. People usually add new items and are also able to transplant some of the shrubs TV provides you with to save a little money. I've seen people just switch out the pine straw for rock or mulch, I've seen extensive landscaping where people add trees, shrubs and flowers and I've seen people put in rock features. Your budget and your imagination are the limit!! I would suggest driving around to different villages, preferably ones more established, to see what they have done with landscaping. If you really like a particular feature or landscape, I think most wouldn't mind you knocking on their door to ask who put the landscaping in. It's all personal taste. Best of luck!

Thanks for your prompt reply. I suspected it was a personal thing.

Landscape Question
 

Thanks. You answered my question re: do you have to take TV's landscaping or can you get a credit. Guess we'll start from there and stick to a budget, something we got away from the last time we hired a landscaper.

No credit, even if they did they give you 18 tiny plants and two trees, total value may be $200.

I plan to move them to side yard, and redo front & rear.

Be careful interviewing landscapers if you don't do it yourself.

Also contact the Fl university folks they had a LOT of info and disagree with what some landscapers choose to plant.

If you hire no money up front and get a detailed plan in hand.

We LOVED the landscaping in our first house, a Camellia in Hadley and REALLY LOVE the landscaping in this our second house. Many veteran Florida residents choose not to change their landscaping to palms for many reasons.

We like what they gave us and I disagree with Jimbo that it was cheap. It was VERY nice both times and I so agree about putting in too much and having it grow way too big FAST here.

But...if everyone agreed on everything, they would only sell vanilla ice cream.

Gracie, who will soon be in rehab for overdoing it with Rum Raisin ice cream.

Ok, just my opinion.

this is a fair example for a $230,000 (model) home if that's not cheap...........

Our home in Hadley. 18 months after the plants were planted, these came WITH the brand new house from the builder.. I am telling you...they grow and expand and look very nice. When we moved in they were just as small as the home you showed us.

Things grow really fast here...and overgrow too.

That's nice Gracie, but my point was it's not standard plantings from the builder my example was a new model just built on Defoe in unit #211.

That's what you get.

I have to agree with this poster! In my neighborhood and traveling in others I've seen where the shrubs and trees were planted far too close together. This is also un-healthy for them....as well as looking a bit junky or un-tended after a couple of years. Plantings in FL will grow rather quickly. For an example we planted a hibiscus in the late Spring and now it's grown from about 12" to about 4 ft. If you keep your plantings watered and fertilized they'll grow pretty nicely. We have some palm "bushes" which needed trimming around the bottom (you'll see these all over T.V.). We were told it's important to keep your items trimmed otherwise it'll promote bugs.

Ours were teeny tiny too for the first few months and that is MY point. That is what we got from the builder.

That's exactly the mistake we made the last time we landscaped. We ended up with overgrown beds and the need to constantly move plants. Needless to say, we spent more than we had to on larger plants. The way I figure it, living in Florida provides ample growth season; before you know it the design looks lush rather than sparse. If I felt otherwise, I wouldn't have elected to build rather than buy an existing property. I do love the landscaping I've seen all around TV-one of the many characteristics that sold me on moving there!!!

Landscape Question
 

All excellent suggestions, Jimbo. I was planning on utilizing what TV provides since I'm not a throwaway kind of person. I just didn't realize the value of what TV puts in is worth so little. I also thought about using the givens to side yard where fewer people see it, except your next door neighbor. Thanks

Hi, graciegirl. Appreciate your feedback as it appears from the # of posts that you are the real veteran around the bb. Personally, coming from the north, I can't wait to get a palm or two. Right now, we are innudated with leaves, something I won't have to worry about when I live in the south. Yipee!