[Lynn L.]

We too have just closed on our new home on Mayflower Loop and have already contacted a landscaper to do some up-grades. The move in landscaping is designed for colder weather in the winter, and if you want palm trees they have to be mature trees in order to take the cold. Our landscaper is using all the shrubs we currently have, and then building from there. You either pay for it up-front, and have no say in the shrubs, or go with the flow and pick what you want, and use what you have, and together you wind up with a pretty nice package. We moved from Sarasota, FL where many more flowering plants can be used, but some winters in this area can be damaging to those types of plants, costing you lots of $$ each time you have to replant. No plant will be wasted, I am excited to see the finished product. Good time of year to do the landscaping to let the new plants take root. Things grow so fast in FL that you have to be careful not to over plant or you will have a jungle before long.

[Oren L Miller]

I suggested to the wife that even though we didn't really care for the landscaping that came with our new house that we should sort of let the dust settle and see what if looks like in two years. It didn't go over very well but I had thought it might grow up and look better. Well our neighbor had Mansfield Landscaping do his yard and then it was all over. The wife and I were talking to Steve before he left to get on his list of clients to get the work started soon. They started the next day and we are ecstatic with his work. The lanscaping done by TV is okay. The landscaping done by a professional like Steve Mansfiled is OUTSTANDING!!

[shcisamax]

So are you saying that planting in the midst of summer is ok? We take delivery in mid June and was thinking we would wait until October or November. In the north, you try not to plant in mid summer and wait til early fall. Apparently, this is not the case in Florida?
From what I am reading, I may wait til next spring so that we can see what everything TV puts in becomes. or not.

[shcisamax]

Do people grow Bouganvillea here? Is it a problem?

[Golfer in Sanibel]

I just closed on my new home. I was told by a seasoned Villages sales rep. that they used to offer different landscaping packages at different price points. What eventually happened is that some of the packages were very popular and some were not. New streets ended up with nearly identical or identical landscaping package throughout the street. TV's idea is that each property be unique, down each street. So, now what they do, is pay the landscaper a set amount. The landscaper is to make each property different on each street. You have no choice in the matter. What you get is by chance. Actually, I was pretty satisfied with what I got but I will probably tweak it a little.

[shcisamax]

I had heard that they had different packages before. Too bad. Well hopefully they will put in something absolutely spectacular. Or at least something that makes it through the summer. I assume they do better landscaping for higher price points . Btw. Does anyone know who the company is? Or is it a tv division?

[Uptown Girl]

It's my understanding that the landscape work is spread out amongst different companies.
The day of our (new house) closing we had an in home visit from our builder. (various builders are assigned as well) He gave us lots of info on all things pertinent.

We were told which company installed our sod and plants. They came out later that day to show us how to operate/regulate our sprinkler system. We elected to use them (at least in the beginning) for mowing, edging, etc. to keep them close should anything fail.

Nothing has. We still use them (coming up on i year) and have been very satisfied with the service they provide.

I should add that others on our block had different builders and also different landscapers assigned to do their install.
I'm told they do follow a chosen design that is given them. They do not design it themselves.

[cquick]

we requested NO palm trees. We lived in Orlando for 12 years. We had 10 palm trees to trim, fertilize, clean up after, remove fronds and seed pods.....they grew up so tall that my husband couldn't reach them with the long handled trimmer....we had to have a tree service come over 2X a year to clean them up.

I like plumbago for the front low landscaping and Indian Hawthorne. as for trees, I like live oak, sweet gum (natives to Florida) and Magnolia

I plan to put in a butterfly garden out behind the screen. I do miss my butterflies!

[mrsyarbie]

Sounds like you got exactly what I wanted for my nice corner lot and I got the more mellow version yard with plenty of room for a buterfly garden on the side yard.
Enjoy.

[cquick]

oh, good, another butterfly gardener! We'll have to get together to compare notes!

[cquick]

Originally Posted by shcisamax

I had heard that they had different packages before. Too bad. Well hopefully they will put in something absolutely spectacular. Or at least something that makes it through the summer. I assume they do better landscaping for higher price points . Btw. Does anyone know who the company is? Or is it a tv division?

have you looked at the landscaping thread on TOTV? I haven't recently. But it might help. Also, I am going to go to some of the Sumter County Extension service talks, too. We are in a little different ecosystem here than down in south Orange County.

[shcisamax]

Are service talks about landscaping issues?

[CarGuys]

Originally Posted by cquick

we requested NO palm trees. We lived in Orlando for 12 years. We had 10 palm trees to trim, fertilize, clean up after, remove fronds and seed pods.....they grew up so tall that my husband couldn't reach them with the long handled trimmer....we had to have a tree service come over 2X a year to clean them up.

I like plumbago for the front low landscaping and Indian Hawthorne. as for trees, I like live oak, sweet gum (natives to Florida) and Magnolia

I plan to put in a butterfly garden out behind the screen. I do miss my butterflies!

Butterfly bushes from up North, Do they survive in FLA or is there a different plant. Those plants were so hardy. You could trim in back in the Fall and they always re grew!

Has anyone planted Cat Nip?