Florida front yard landscape help

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I am in the process of shaping up our front yard for spring in zone 9b, North Florida. On the right side, you can see i've added edging for the mulch beds and trimmed up those shrubs. It may look all green now, but there is Texas sage that flowers purple, pink roses and a yellow flowering shrub too. On the far left we have 4 round Azalea shrubs I have recently pruned back from overgrowth.

The area I need help with is in red, where I removed much overgrown juniper. Here I have about a 14x14ft box area I want to do something fun/unique but not overly stand out against the other plantings I have. I mocked up an idea of a circle planting of boxwoods with some specimen tree in the center maybe a max of 12ft tall or so to not overwhelm the house. Maybe a fountain, or an urn etc thats where I need your help!

Note - I will be adding the same lawn edging you see on the right on the left side when I figure out the planting since that'll determine the shape.

I would love suggestions and ideas, thanks! **Pictures in comments**

Featured Answer

PRO

Dig Doug's Designs

5 years ago

some ideas:

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Comments (16)

zthibault
Original Author
5 years ago
See pics below. Issue with attaching to the post.
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zthibault
Original Author
5 years ago
I like! Is that a Japanese Maple as the specimen in that area?
PRO
Dig Doug's Designs
5 years ago
Yes.
groveraxle
5 years ago
That Japanese maple won't stay that short.
PRO
Dig Doug's Designs
5 years ago
It will if you choose the correct cultivar.
Christopher CNC
5 years ago
I think North Florida is too hot in the summer for a Japanese Maple, though you can keep them that short, and too cold in the winter for a Selloum Philodendron.

As long as this bed is not facing south or west, a camellia might be just what you are looking for.
zthibault
Original Author
5 years ago
We do have a frustrating weather pattern here. It can be 100 in the summers and 15-20 degrees in the winter killing most tropical plants you’d think we could have in FL. I do not think a Japanese maple would survive the summers here.
K Laurence
5 years ago
Yes, the leaves would look like corn flakes in the.summer.
PRO
Dig Doug's Designs
5 years ago
Cultivars such as Lion Heart, Ever Red & Tamukeyama will work in your zone.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
Not if it was sited in some shade, especially afternoon shade. And Japanese maples do grow in N. FL. These are a much tougher tree than many think and can grow in some pretty harsh environments....like in Texas heat or in southern California (zone 10).

And it is quite possible to find JM's that will never exceed about 3' tall.
Christopher CNC
5 years ago
I will defer to your point that some JMs can take the heat. I have seen photos of a fine looking JM in Austin, Tx under the shade of oaks. I'm all for testing zone limits myself. You never know until you try.

The shape of the shrubberies in front of this house hint this is not a gardener who would do well with zone pushing. There are going to be plenty of other suitable choices.

My first choice for a nice small tree for N. Fl. was Gordonia lasianthus, but it needs consistent wet which is probably lacking here.
PRO
Yardvaark
5 years ago
A tree's height is not much a concern insofar as "overwhelming" a house. In fact, houses without trees overhead have a tendency to look unprotected, "naked" ... or somehow "pasted" on top of the ground. (Rather, it is the low hanging limbs & branches of trees that make a house seem "overwhelmed" by foliage.) The trees at the left side of the picture frame already do a lot to make your home look integrated into the surroundings. And we see you already have another (what will be a good size) tree at the right side of the picture. I can't see that your landscape is really calling for another tree in the location of the red circle. I think it would seem like too much once the existing tree becomes larger. (But if you were to put a small tree there, I think it would look much better at a diagonal off of the house corner, instead of being set so close to the window.) Consider that the red circle might be a better place for colorful annuals, as a cheerful greeting to whoever enters, and some groundcover since you already seem to have an adequate amount of shrubs. BTW, I'd trim the shrubs in front of the windows lower -- to the bottom of the window.
zthibault
Original Author
5 years ago
Yaardvark, You make a lot of great points. I recently trimmed back the overgrown azalea bush in front of that window to 3 individual plantings it used to be, I really like the idea of a annual or even perennial mounding floral look with tons of color. On the right side I have yellow and pink, I love your pink/yellow on the left to balance it out. And you are correct, there is a large maple family type tree on the right and right behind where the photo was taken is a elm tree so from the street you’d see Elm/Maple and then the other tree i am looking for in that red area...too much height and will overwhelm the house.
zthibault
Original Author
5 years ago
Here is the trimmed hedge into 3 separate plantings again.
zthibault
Original Author
5 years ago
Will update tomorrow when weather is better, but I added shutter hardware to my faux shutters to make them look more authentic. At least they are the correct size for the window! I also added gray slate stone dry stacked around the tree on the right which came out great.