[mrsyarbie]

I just saw the latest pictures of our new home and yard that we will be movng into on APril 18. The house looks wonderful!!! I have to say I am disappointed in the landscaping. I requested more tropical plants and my new yard looks like a northern states new yard. The plants all look either tall and spindy or teeny tiny. The couple trees they put in are very thin and look like it will be a long, long time for they get any height. I will be in Sanibel, am I the only one disappointed with their landscaping??? If you complain at closing will they change anything out for you or do you just grin and take what you get?? Love TV hate to complain but...

[jane032657]

We just bought a new place in TV too and ripped out teh complete front yard and landscaped. It is what it is and that is it. They do not change anything, everyone seems to landscape after the initial landscaping is done, unless maybe you build, I do not know about that. But the pre boughts come complete. We just put in stones, palm trees, rose trees and scented plants.

[mrsyarbie]

Originally Posted by jane032657

We just bought a new place in TV too and ripped out teh complete front yard and landscaped. It is what it is and that is it. They do not change anything, everyone seems to landscape after the initial landscaping is done, unless maybe you build, I do not know about that. But the pre boughts come complete. We just put in stones, palm trees, rose trees and scented plants.

Mine is a new build that is why I thought when I asked that they put in more tropical plants they would

[teachnmo]

It is a shame to see the carts or trucks full of the landscaping items that are hauled away after a person buys a house. It keeps the many landscaping businesses busy here putting in what people would like. I didn't build a house so am not sure about what they get to put in. But would have liked to have just started from scratch on mine.

[cricket1]

We closed on our new home in Buttonwood in Aug 2011. We had it built for us. TV provides plantings that are whatever they happen to have at the time the home is done. We just had our landscaping fine-tuned professionally 2 weeks ago. Jamie's Landscaping did a fine job...too bad TV doesn't get it. Folks want something their own that looks like FL. Our job did not bust the budget. Just one more thing to pay for with a new home!

[JohnN]

TV cuts is low-cost on landscaping, which is supposed to be drought tolerant, hardy and inexpensive. It's designed to look pretty and attract buyers, not be a long term nor costly solution.

Best bet is to just bite the bullet and customize it to your liking. McGowan just did our landscaping and it's FABULOUS at a very reasonable price.

[mrsyarbie]

Originally Posted by cricket1

We closed on our new home in Buttonwood in Aug 2011. We had it built for us. TV provides plantings that are whatever they happen to have at the time the home is done. We just had our landscaping fine-tuned professionally 2 weeks ago. Jamie's Landscaping did a fine job...too bad TV doesn't get it. Folks want something their own that looks like FL. Our job did not bust the budget. Just one more thing to pay for with a new home!

Thanks for all the replies. I will pass on the info when we close. I will do the same and add the Florida plants to my yard. Anyone know who the Landscaper is for The Villages?? I think he/she needs to know most people are looking foward to some tropical people or is it because it is less expensive for The Villages to do it this way?? Regardless cant wait to be there ...

[Uptown Girl]

Hi mrsyarbie,
I too was a little disappointed when I first saw the landscape plants that we 'inherited'. I too was hoping for "tropical' flavor.

After some research I realized that here in central florida our growing zone is a bit cooler than I expected. We are on the north edge of zone 9. Tampa Bay is zone 10.
Many tropicals are borderline here, because of our winters.

That's not to say you can't try them, just that some varieties aren't reliable.
I was shocked to see holly.... and then I found out that many holly varieties are native to Florida!

So what you see here are the easiest and most reliable to get established for the climate. Young (small) plants grow and fill in faster with much less stress and needed attention than bigger ones will.

We have changed out a few plants and added a few that I have done research on. I really had to change my vision. Consider that at least for now you have something in place until you have the luxury of time to choose the perfect plants for the perfect spots.
They could have left us with bare pine straw, or given us all the exact same 5 or 6 bushes. I do see some variety from house to house as they are sold, so although it's not perfection to my artist's eye, it's a good beginning.
Welcome and much happiness in your new home!

[CarGuys]

My wife was not very impressed with the standard landscape package.

I guess all should figure on living with it or planning 2k-++++ to have it ripped out and re-designed.

When we arrived for closing most of our plants were frost damaged. The pre-pics looked great. Then at closing we were looking at a burnt mess?

I am still waiting to see if they will come back. We are Empty Nesters till July so they do not get tender loving care.

Is what it is-

Herv

[applesoffh]

We were definitely over-planted when we closed. We hired a wonderful landscaper (husband and wife team) who reused many of the plants and simply moved them to better locations around the entire property. New plants were added as needed. One tree was pulled out and a small palm was planted. We didn't go crazy with palms (we were advised against it) and, after reading about palm trees in another section of TOTV, I'm glad we listened. Also, we replaced the miserable-smelling (to me)pine mulch with something that won't trigger an asthma attack.

[CarGuys]

Wow!

When I visit the home I have had a couple of attacks. Do you think all that pine mulch could be the problem?

I was going to get rid of it and replace with rocks when we get settled in.

H

[shcisamax]

I wonder if you can get a credit for the landscaping when building instead of having them put in and then rip out. Also, any comments on the type of rock to put in instead of the pine mulch. Where do you get it and is one kind better than another?

[LvmyPug2]

We moved into a new area and everyone in the neighborhood planted new landscaping. We got rid of the spindly tree and added a nice palm. Got rid of the pine straw and put down mulch rather than stones because it helps retain moisture. We also had heard stones could get hot and "fry" the plants in summer. One thing we did spend a tad of extra $ on was rerounting our sprinklers and added sprinkler heads to the area where we added new plantings. It was well worth it. Neighbors did not do this and they had two palms die because they didn't get enough water

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Uptown Girl

Hi mrsyarbie,
I too was a little disappointed when I first saw the landscape plants that we 'inherited'. I too was hoping for "tropical' flavor.

After some research I realized that here in central florida our growing zone is a bit cooler than I expected. We are on the north edge of zone 9. Tampa Bay is zone 10.
Many tropicals are borderline here, because of our winters.

That's not to say you can't try them, just that some varieties aren't reliable.
I was shocked to see holly.... and then I found out that many holly varieties are native to Florida!

So what you see here are the easiest and most reliable to get established for the climate. Young (small) plants grow and fill in faster with much less stress and needed attention than bigger ones will.

We have changed out a few plants and added a few that I have done research on. I really had to change my vision. Consider that at least for now you have something in place until you have the luxury of time to choose the perfect plants for the perfect spots.
They could have left us with bare pine straw, or given us all the exact same 5 or 6 bushes. I do see some variety from house to house as they are sold, so although it's not perfection to my artist's eye, it's a good beginning.
Welcome and much happiness in your new home!

I agree. You run the risk of planting things that won't tolerate the cold and the landscaping at our home in Hadley QUICKLY grew and looks lovely to this day.

I think one of the biggest mistakes new buyers make is over landscaping. We were just talking last night to a neighbor that moved into our new neighborhood from another one in TV and they said that when they put their house on the market they had to pay to remove landscaping that had overgrown in five or six years.

Example. If you plant a two foot tall bottle brush, it can grow to six feet in eighteen months. You need to trim shrubbery here all of the time. It grows SO fast.

I too welcome you and hope you will love your new home and the outdoor area too.

I just planted four Knockout Roses...they are on sale right now at Lowes for seven dollars each. That is another thing...there is a space to plant flowers of your choice in the not too thick landscaping.

We like Pine mulch, it breaks down and enriches the sandy soil that feeds the plants and flowers. Almost every yard person will tell you to remove the pine mulch because there are bugs in it. I haven't found any. I think they are trying to sell you something else. It does BURN quickly, so if you smoke don't throw a cigarette in the pine mulch.

Rocks don't deter weeds entirely and they absorb heat and are too hot for some flowers. But everyone's taste is different and every yard is beautiful and if we all liked the same thing they would only sell vanilla ice cream.

Gracie with dirty paws.

[shcisamax]

Knock out roses for $7? Up north they are going for $40. I sure hope they have them in a month or two when we will be ready to do some planting. How does Bouganvillea grow in TV? BTW: What is the best time to plant in Florida? In early spring? late fall? Surely it isn't in the midst of summer.