Local hardscaping ideas roundup

A Lake Mary landscaping feature is pitching spring hardscaping as a front-yard upgrade that should do two jobs at once: move people through the yard and frame plants in the same layout. (landtree.us) The company behind the feature, DeAngelos Land Services, says its Lake Mary work combines patios, pathways, retaining walls and plant beds in one plan rather than as separate add-ons. It says those layouts are built around each property’s drainage, slope and traffic patterns. (landtree.us) That approach tracks with University of Florida guidance for Florida yards. The Florida-Friendly Landscaping program says homeowners should use the “right plant, right place” and reduce stormwater runoff, two rules that push designers to think about paving and planting together. (ffl.ifas.ufl.edu) Florida’s statewide plant-and-design guide also treats hardscape as part of the yard plan, with design scenarios for front entries, sidewalks, walls, fences and standing-water trouble spots. The guide says landscape conversions can include new hardscape along with trees and other plant material. (swfwmd.state.fl.us) For homeowners in Lake Mary, the practical piece is permits and review. The city’s Building Division says it handles permits, plan review and inspections under the 2023 Florida Building Code, 8th Edition, and the city’s permit portal is the starting point for projects that need approval. (lakemaryfl.com) Lake Mary’s planning and zoning office also posts a site construction permit form, a zoning review application and an arbor permit application. That means a yard redo can touch more than one city process if it changes grading, layout or tree removal. (lakemaryfl.com) Plant choice is the other half of the equation in Central Florida’s heat and humidity. DeAngelos says it selects trees, shrubs and groundcover that can handle local conditions, and the University of Florida’s plant guide lets users filter more than 400 Florida-friendly plants by light, water needs and native status. (landtree.us) (ffl.ifas.ufl.edu) The result is less a decorating trend than a layout rule: put the permanent pieces in first, then build the planting around them. In Lake Mary this spring, the selling point is a yard that looks finished from the street and works better when people actually use it. (swfwmd.state.fl.us)