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Topic Title: Landscape Planning
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Created On: 09/18/2020 06:59 PM
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 09/18/2020 06:59 PM
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larenyon

Posts: 313
Joined Forum: 10/19/2009

Anyone have any ideas of what tools are available to help me plan out landscaping for my yard? I'm trying to switch it from grass to almost completely trees, plants, flowers bushes, etc. I'm afraid of starting to plant things and then realizing I didn't arrange it well and have to move things around a year or two down the road. I've downloaded a bunch of the free landscape apps, but non were much of a help. I just need something that can take the types of plants that I am thinking of, and tell me where to put them. I want to set it up like an organized but natural look, and not a highly landscaped design. If that even makes sense. Any help is appreciated on resources that might help me out.
 09/18/2020 07:25 PM
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ww

Posts: 16087
Joined Forum: 08/17/2007

    There's lots of more general guides, but Florida can be a bit tricky thanks to some of the things that grow here. I've made some pretty bad mistakes.
    One approach is to include some short-term plants that will look good for a few years while the long-term ones fill in.
 09/19/2020 07:45 AM
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larenyon

Posts: 313
Joined Forum: 10/19/2009

Thx, I'll have to check that book out. My biggest problem is some of the general decisions. Ex. I have a circle driveway. Is it better to keep trees/plants in center area larger or smaller? Where do I put my trees? Those sort of things. I'm pretty good at filling out areas with smaller stuff once the large and medium stuff are set up. It's the initial big/medium stuff placement/choices that's my problem.
 09/19/2020 09:54 AM
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Central Floridave

Posts: 52249
Joined Forum: 07/22/2003

Good way to do it is look at your neighbors landscape and borrow ideas from that. You can see what plants do good in your area and what doesn't.

Visit a botanical garden and see some mature exotics. I remember when I started my landscape I was visiting Costa Rica frequently and came back and said I want a tropical rain forest. 20 years later I pretty much live in a tropical rain forest! There is a lot of yard maintenance that goes along with more plants in your yard so think about that as well. Find out where the wetspots are in your yard and plant water lovers there. Any dry areas, drought tolerant plants. If you want to grow fruit trees, most need full sun to produce fruit and also they drop a lot of trash.

Good luck!
 09/19/2020 02:49 PM
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garcia

Posts: 1470
Joined Forum: 03/12/2007

If you look to your neighbors for inspiration you will more than likely end up with another Walmart landscape. Do your kids and grandkids (and neighbors) a favor and go with natives. The problems most people have with natives are 1) they don't place them properly (shade/no shade/partial shade, wet/dry/occasionally wet, etc) and 2) they use that for an excuse to not do any maintenance. Natives need pruning, weeding, etc, too. Having natives is not an excuse to let it go. After all, sandspurs are natives, too.
 09/20/2020 09:55 PM
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ww

Posts: 16087
Joined Forum: 08/17/2007

There are some very common, very bad mistakes. One is stuffing shrubbery against the house. BTW, I haven't been to CF Dave's yard in years, but it started out with good structure. Live oaks.
 09/21/2020 06:58 AM
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garcia

Posts: 1470
Joined Forum: 03/12/2007

Plant trees first!
 10/02/2020 07:14 AM
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Plan B

Posts: 3302
Joined Forum: 03/08/2004

Originally posted by: garcia Plant trees first!
Yep like most design elements, start with largest items first, then work around those.
 10/05/2020 07:43 AM
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SurferMic

Posts: 1251
Joined Forum: 06/30/2012

I can tell you what to avoid...SeaGrapes, Bouganvilla; Pick a palm that is special (Triangle, Fishtale, etc.) as a center piece.

Edited: 10/05/2020 at 10:40 AM by SurferMic
 10/06/2020 07:21 PM
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larenyon

Posts: 313
Joined Forum: 10/19/2009

Thanks for all the suggestions. Doing a little research and listening to you all I'm definitely focusing on the trees first, then filling other stuff in. Fortunately one of the guys at work is really into/good at gardening and is gonna help guide me a bit. Still working on figuring out which plants complement each other well for that wild but organized look I'm shooting for.
 10/07/2020 07:13 AM
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dab

Posts: 1200
Joined Forum: 08/08/2003

I use Morpholio to sketch out ideas. It is iOS & iPad OS.
http://www.morpholioapps.com/trace/

You can take your lot survey in via scan, photo, even maps, or import from dfx, dwg. Then scale it. The app uses layers that are moveable sheets. The stencil function makes layout easy. Plenty of tutorials to get you up in running.

You will need to know the life cycle of the plants.

https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/betrock%27s-reference-guide-florida-landscape-plants/

https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/plants

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