Landscaping Do-s and Don't-s

There are many new homes in my area that have fantastic landscaping and some that are not so fantastic. I believe that landscaping is crucial and that without it, no matter how expensive or grand a home is, that it just looks bad. Keep in mind that in Florida there are limitations as to what can be planted because of frequent hurricanes and storms. Palms rule because of their flexibility and strength.



This is a new home that is currently on the market. I think they did a great job landscaping the property because the visual weight of the plant material balances the visual weight of the house. It may not appear so in the photo, but this is a large home.



A side view of the same home.


This home is about a year old. It is beautiful. I love the blue trimmed windows and the black shutters. I like the layers of landscaping. Even though there isn't much shade it still works with the scale and design of the house.


I like the four palms flanking the front walkway.


This home was recently renovated and is now for sale. I like the large urn near the front entrance and the bronze colored gutters and fixtures.
The brown shutters and garage door echo the color of the gutters and the lattice inserts. The landscaping is low-key, which works for this home.

This is also a renovated home. I love love love the creeping fig covering the walls of the home. Again, the urn fountain is a nice touch and the oak trees are gorgeous.

This is a side view of a new home that has very European styled landscaping. I love the vines growing over the portico and the way they sprinkled potted plants in and around the other plantings. Gorgeous.... layers, layers, layers. This is the front gate of a newly constructed property that is currently on the market for a mere $30 million. It is oceanfront to riverfront. There is a caretaker's cottage at the gate. When the creeping fig is mature, it will grow into a lattice design on the wall.

These are the gates leading to the riverfront side of the property. There is also a tennis court and a heli-pad on this portion of the estate. Even though the plant material is smallish - it fits the style of the house. Nice...
Now for the not so good...This is a new home that has rinky-dink landscaping. It is a large home on a small lot with cheap landscaping. Did they run out of money? The bushes in front are especially pitiful. Since taking this shot, a few of the trees have died and have yet to be replaced. Ugh...

What do you think?