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We updated this overcrowded landscape for Shannon Funeral Homes in Bradenton, FL this week. The manager reached out to our landscape designer, Jane Kuzma with North River Landscape for ideas on how to update this space. Jane found this landscape space sadly neglected and a lot of the plants weren’t doing well. Many had been choked out by weedy invaders and the bed didn't get enough sunlight for the Ixora's liking, so they shriveled up and did nothing (much like me on a cold morning).
Originally the landscape boasted two beautiful Royal Palm trees that were planted back in the 1940s. These palms were majestic and enormous. Unfortunately, one of the palms developed a disease and died, rotting the entire inner part of the trunk. Obviously this presented a danger as a strong wind would knock the enormous beast into the historic building or onto the street. Sadly, the only option was to remove the diseased tree and replace it with another.
A tree that would be of comparable size and height as the remaining palm tree would be anywhere between $6000-$8000 to replace and often trees that are transplanted at that size go through shock which kills the newly transplanted tree. We decided that it wasn't feasible to try to match the new palm tree to the remaining Royal Palm. Instead, we opted for a smaller palm to match the royal palm on the left of the structure behind the pylon sign. By balancing the smaller elements of the design, the large, stately palm in front of the building is highlighted.
We extended the same plant material in both beds and although the areas are separated by a driveway, keeping the plants consistent make the entire front of the building congruent. Our crew added an array of Mammey Crotons, Petra Crotons, Gold Mound Durantas, and Juniper to complete the look. What do you think? Did we nail it? We also added a 25 gallon Royal Palm to match the royal palm behind the business' pylon sign. That way the eye is drawn to the middle tree located right in between those two smaller trees. Overall our aim was to add balance and consistency to this landscape.
Pro tip: It’s important to note that if your goal is to add balance to the landscape you must carefully choose your landscape elements. If you have something tall on one side of the bed, it’s best to add something tall at the other end. Spacing smaller plant material evenly in rows also creates that balanced type of plan. We typically recommend using an entire row of the same plant or alternating two - two - two of complementing plants, like two crotons and two shrubs.
You don’t need to have perfectly balanced beds all the time. It helps to sit down and sketch out your beds and decide what you want to feature and then choose the other materials to complement that feature item. That is, if you have a large palm that you want to be the central feature of your garden, it’s good to choose smaller shrubs to accentuate that focal point.
Here in Florida, we’re fortunate to have many landscape materials available to us year-round (with the occasional day or two of freezing temps each year!). Visit a nursery, notice landscape at shopping centers and businesses, decide which items you like and which ones you don’t. Then base your home’s landscaping plan on all the things you love. In fact, that’s one of the first questions I ask a potential client to tell me about - what plants do you love?
Even if you don’t have the names of the plants, that’s ok. You can simply start snapping photos of what you like and create a note in your phone or even a pinterest board with pictures and ideas of things that make you swoon!
If you're local to the Manatee or Sarasota area, we’d love to help. When ready for your landscape update, just click the request a quote button above or use our chat feature. Our estimates are always free! Whether your yard needs a haircut, a facelift, or a gut job, we've got you covered. We can manage any project from new sod, adding curb appeal, refreshing your mulch beds or adding privacy around your pool cage. We also do weekly mowing, hedge trimming, and ornamental tree trimming.
Check out our video of our completed project here:
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