ServicesLandscape Design
Landscape Design in Ocoee
We design yards that look good from the street and work hard for your home. Shade lands where the afternoon sun hits, plants suit the sandy soil, and beds are sized so watering and upkeep stay manageable. It starts with a free walk around your property.
Why a drawn layout pays off later
Plenty of yards get planted without any real layout. Someone picks up shrubs they like at the garden center, tucks them in wherever there is space, and a couple of summers later those shrubs are crowding the windows while the lawn shows bare patches the sprinklers never reach. Working from a drawing catches those problems while they are still lines on paper, before money goes into plants, sod or pavers.
Our designs start with how your yard actually behaves: where the sun sits at four in the afternoon, where water stands after a summer storm, and which rooms in your home run hot. A shade tree on the west side can take real heat off a wall and the windows behind it. Florida-friendly plants grouped by water need let the irrigation run less. Choices like these can make your home more comfortable and trim what you spend on cooling and water, and we will tell you plainly when a choice is mostly about looks.
You get a drawn layout, a plant list and a clear idea of what each part costs, so you can install it all at once or in stages.
What your landscape design includes
Site walk and measurements
We measure the beds, lawn and hardscape, note sun and shade through the day, check low spots that hold water and look at your existing sprinkler zones. Photos go with the notes so nothing is guessed later.
Shade and heat planning
Trees and tall shrubs go where their mature shade falls on west- and south-facing walls, windows and patios. Planting distances account for full-grown size, so roots stay clear of the foundation and branches stay off the roof.
Plants grouped by water need
Drought-tolerant choices go in the hot, dry spots, and thirstier plants share a zone. That way one area is not overwatered just to keep another alive.
Lawn and bed layout
We look at how much turf you really use and where beds, mulch or groundcover make more sense. Less grass in hard-to-water corners usually means less mowing and a smaller water bill.
Walkways, patios and borders
Paths and patio edges are drawn into the plan, with notes on materials that drain well and stay cooler underfoot. Our hardscape installation crew can build straight from the same drawing.
Written plan and line-item estimate
You receive the layout, the plant list and an estimate broken out by area. You can see what each piece costs and choose what to do first.
Signs your yard could use a real design
- Rooms that bake every afternoon
- If one side of your home heats up and the AC runs hard all evening, planned shade can help. A tree takes a few years to matter, which is a good reason to plant the right one in the right spot now.
- Water bills that climb every summer
- Lawn stretched into every corner and mixed plant zones often mean the sprinklers run long to keep the weakest spot green. A redesign can shrink the area that needs regular watering.
- Plants outgrowing their spot
- Shrubs over the windows, hedges choking the AC unit, trees too close to the house. These point to an original planting that ignored mature size.
- Bare patches and soggy corners
- Grass that dies in the same place every year usually comes down to shade, drainage or sprinkler coverage. Swapping the grass alone rarely fixes it.
- A new home with a blank yard
- Builder landscaping tends to be a strip of sod and a row of small shrubs. Starting with a plan costs less than ripping out the wrong plants later.
How a design project runs
- 1
Free walkthrough
You call, we set a time, and we walk the property with you. Tell us what bothers you and how you want to use the yard while we look at sun, soil, drainage and the sprinklers.
- 2
Draft layout and estimate
We draw the plan with plant placements, bed lines and any hardscape, along with a plant list showing mature sizes. The line-item estimate comes with it.
- 3
Review and adjust
We go over the draft together and change whatever does not fit, from a plant you dislike to a patio you would rather add next year. Nothing is installed until you approve it.
- 4
Install and settle in
Our crew prepares the beds, adjusts or adds irrigation zones, sets the plants and finishes with mulch. We clean up the site and walk you through watering for the first weeks while roots establish.
What shapes the cost of a landscape design
The drawing itself is a small part of most projects; installation is where the budget goes. We price each area separately so you can see exactly where the money lands. For homeowners who want the whole plan done in one go, we offer financing up to $100,000, with terms anywhere from 2 to 12 years and no penalty for paying it off early.
- Size of the area
- A front bed refresh and a full-property plan are very different jobs. More square footage means more plants, soil and labor.
- Plant size at planting
- A 3-gallon shrub costs far less than a 15-gallon one and often catches up within a few seasons. Larger shade trees give shade sooner but cost more to buy and set.
- Removal and soil prep
- Old sod, overgrown shrubs, roots and stumps have to come out before new beds go in. Thin sandy soil may also need amending so new plants can root.
- Irrigation changes
- Regrouping plants by water need often means moving heads or splitting zones. Sometimes the system only needs adjusting, and sometimes it needs new lines.
- Hardscape and access
- Pavers, edging and paths add material and labor. Tight side yards or gated access can also add time.
Landscape design questions
- Can the plan be installed in stages?
- Yes, and plenty of homeowners go that way. A common first step is the front yard or whichever side takes the harshest afternoon sun, with the rest added over the next season or two. We mark phases on the drawing so each stage looks finished by itself and later work fits in without pulling anything out.
- Will shade trees really lower my cooling costs?
- They can, when they sit on the west or south side close enough to shade walls and windows. The effect grows as the tree matures, so expect a few years. We will not promise a number on your power bill, but we will put trees where their shade does the most work and keep them a safe distance from the roof and foundation.
- Can you work with the plants I already have?
- Yes. Healthy, well-placed plants stay in the plan. We point out the ones that are struggling or crowding the house, and you decide what goes.
- How do new plants survive the summer heat?
- We plant in groups by water need, set the irrigation to match and finish the beds with mulch to hold moisture. You also get a simple watering schedule for the first weeks, which is when most new plantings fail.
- What should I have ready for the walkthrough?
- Not much. Knowing where your sprinkler controller is and roughly where the property lines run helps. A short list of what you like and dislike about the yard now is the most useful thing you can bring.
Let's walk your yard together
We will look at the sun, the soil and the spots that frustrate you, then talk through what a plan could do for your home. The walkthrough and estimate are free, with no pressure to sign anything.