Landscape Designer Patti Sanders presents a showcase landscape design installation at a St. Augustine residence that involved curb appeal, transplantings, adjustments to the landscaping design during the install, and clarification of the terms of the landscape plant warranty. “It is a huge house down here close to the beach,” said Sanders. “So a lot of the plants we chose are salt resistant.” People seek out landscape designers that they trust will assist them in choosing the right plants for the right place in the landscape.
Curb Appeal
The homeowner is a realtor who knows the importance of curb appeal to property value. “It’s all about how your house shows on camera,” said Sanders. “It’s about how your house shows online if you are trying to sell. They’re not selling, but being a realtor, she knows the outside is essential. It adds value to your home as well.” Besides being aesthetically pleasing, all of the plants suggested to the homeowner on the design should be choices that will thrive in the landscape. If plants require special care, the landscape designer must provide that information to the homeowner. As a result, all plant choices consider the appearance, impact in the landscape, and growing conditions.
“We’ve actually changed the drawing at least twice pretty majorly, but mostly not design-wise, but mainly just plant material that the homeowner wanted to have a little different choice in,…” said Sanders. “Sometimes we have to design on the fly. We want to follow your plan as much as possible. Originally we had proposed that we put some liriope and podocarpus over here (side of the yard facing neighbor), but we got enough of the orange bird of paradise from the backyard and transplanting here. It looks fantastic. So again, plants can change. We are very accommodating and flexible, and we need you guys involved as much as possible because this is another idea that the homeowner had to fill this spot. So it ended up working well.”
Front Yard “So with our plant choices, we kept it pretty simplistic did a lot of color towards the front,” said Sanders. “We’ve made the (flower) bed a little bit smaller. It’s going to look a lot cleaner. And then our plant choices if we look around here (garage side of the house facing the road) we’ve got a little bit of color as well, but we tried to keep it looking clean. The coonties that are up here in these palms are transplants from by the front door. The coonties are a Florida native, and they look more in a natural area here than they did upfront. We did keep the bottlebrush, which is a highlighted plant, really nice and attracts hummingbirds, but added some apostle iris, and we’ve got some roses and liriope. And by the front doors, we’ve added some ixora, some pentas, and she already had some existing blue daze. Now, remember we are very close to the beach. So again, everything has to be salt tolerant. And the ixora is salt tolerant. It is not as cold tolerant, but being here by the beach, it’s a plant we can choose, especially when it’s that close to the front of the building because this (front porch) gets protected.”
Backyard “It was just a bunch of stuff all pushed together,” said Sanders. “We went a little bit more symmetrical and a little bit to block the neighbors. This big bird of paradise here was actually in a corner lying on the ground. It had broken out of its pot. These two guys (birds of paradise) were in pots, and we wanted to put them in the ground. So what we’ve added is some heliconia, false bird of paradise for a tropical look, and lantana, which is another hummingbird and butterfly plant that is bright and colorful.” Behind the pool a new queen palm was installed. “There was one that wasn’t doing so hot,” said Sanders. “So we’ve replaced it.” The fresh, new layout with tropical foliage and vibrant colors sets a new tone for the homeowner from their balcony overlooking the pool and entertaining guests or relaxing poolside.
Sideyard “Down in here, we had a lot of Asiatic jasmines,” said Sanders. “We had originally proposed to cut out a lot of this, but she liked this little area here. So all we did was highlight this big white wall give some interest in the podocarpus and some camellias, which are fantastic plants. Camellias bloom from the Fall through the Winter into the early Spring, and you don’t see many blooming plants that do that. Another area that got added kind of last-minute was this little corner area here where we’ve added some more camellias, the yuletide, which is for Christmas (blooming). It’s a really dark green color (foliage). It has a fantastic little pink bloom, almost red, which kind of goes with the Stromanthe.” The designer does multiple walkarounds the entire property with the client on a multiple-day installation to ensure they are on the same page with the homeowner.
“One important fact is that we give you guys a six-month plant warranty,” said Sanders. “We can extend that to a year if you go with our maintenance program.” To explore pricing to extend your plant warranty and sign up for the Earth Works lawn maintenance programs get a free instant quote with a visit to the Earth Works Lawn Care page. “With shared responsibility, issues such as disease or infestation can also be hard to pin on one or the other entity,” according to Landscape Architecture Magazine. “If the owner is going to take over maintenance while the plants are under the installing contractor’s warranty, the owner needs to know how to carry out responsible landscape maintenance or hire an entity that does. “
A properly working irrigation system is a requirement within the terms of the Earth Works landscape plant warranty. “That’s key because these brand new plants have to be watered at least once a day for the first 30 days,” said Sanders. “If they don’t get watered properly, we can’t warranty our plants. So whether you decide to go with us for irrigation or someone else, you have to make sure you’re watering is proper.”
For comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden and landscaping need contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online and at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Proudly serving clients in Northeast Florida including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine. Happy Gardening!
Landscape design as a profession is rooted in formal and informal layouts integrating clients traditional plant and hardscaping choices. “Formal designs are often geometric and symmetrical, with plants and landscape structures specifically shaped and arranged,”according to Hagen Homes. “Informal designs make use of more natural-looking, irregularly-placed plants and structures.” Increasingly, clients want landscape designs that better suit their lifestyle and choices that don’t fit with tradition. While some landscape designers limit customization at Earth Works the clients choices are the basis of their fully customized landscape design.
“We are out here in the Nocatee area in a new development, said Earth Works Landscape Designer John Cacchione. ‘I just want to show you a unique design that took into consideration bugs, water, Florida friendly plants, low maintenance for the customer, low water consumption for the irrigation system and things like that to consider when you are doing new landscape designs and installs.” A fully customized landscape design is unconventional by taking elements from various traditional designs to provide the client exactly what they want.
Clients share their landscape priorities with the designer, who provides feedback on the possibilities that can work from their knowledge rooted in art, horticulture, and applicable regulations. Whereas many clients wish to conserve water as a cost-saving measure, there are other reasons to do so such as Florida’s fragile ecosystems and water conservation requirements. Reputable landscape designers can explain the applicable land use regulations, including permeability and watering restriction, along with drainage requirements that may include onsite stormwater retention solutions. “Half of all the water taken from the public supply ends up watering private lawns—some 900 million gallons a day,” according to National Geographic. “Of the seven billion gallons of freshwater used daily across Florida’s agriculture, industry, power plants, and public water sectors, most is taken from the Floridan aquifer.”
Xeriscaped designs provide an alternative to highly water-dependent plants and lawns that may include the use of rocks as aesthetic elements that reduce maintenance and the presence of insects. “Anytime you can take these builder ninety-degree angles that every house has and break those up with plants or lines, veins of gravel and with boulders themselves that can change that line, said Cacchione. “You see how this comes together and takes away that really hard ninety-degree angle.” The importance of the artistic eye of the landscape designer cannot be overstated.
Some purists prefer adhering to specific landscape design styles rather than mixing them. “Cacti are far from the only plants appropriate for xeriscaping, according to National Geographic. “Other drought-resistant plants include agave, juniper, and lavender. Many herbs and spices are used in xeriscaping, such as thyme, sage, and oregano. Some plants used for food are drought-resistant, such as black walnuts, Jerusalem artichokes, and sapodilla, a sweet fruit native to Mexico.”
An advantage of strictly native plants is they provide additional ecological benefits to your landscape, and the area ecosystems wherein plants and animals evolved together. Florida-friendly plants include non-natives that don’t have the same ecological benefits as natives. However, strictly native design is rare due mainly to the lack of availability of the volume of native plants required to meet the demand for landscape material in Florida. Native plants are most commonly a component of informal designs that favor a natural un-sculpted landscape.
Though wanting a fully customized landscape design, clients still want a professional design they can be proud of that will flourish long after installation. “…,research shows landscaping goes beyond simply sticking flowers and shrubs in the ground,” said the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors. “According to the study, the biggest factor that buyers look for in home exteriors is a design that is sophisticated. Plant size and maturity comes in second.”
Benefits of onsite landscape design consultation as opposed to strictly online suppliers include an in-person site assessment that considers architecture, elevations, site and soil conditions followed by the designer providing a professional drawing representing workable possibilities. “Back here, I kept it open and natural because of the natural backdrop it had,” said Cacchione. “We framed the screen out to leave the opening of the preserve available. Back here, just tying into the drought tolerance of certain plants and native plants because they are just easy to grow, they will be friendly to you. Like the coonties, the tri-colored sage and the rosemary are just easy plants. You don’t think about using the sages and things in your landscape, but they add a cool texture to it once they grow up. Those get fairly large and add a nice element of color year-round.”
Additional perks that go with a fully customized landscape design with companies that offer installation are cost savings opportunities. “We’re doing a consultation fee that’s reimbursed if you go with us for the job if you spend a certain amount of money,” said Cacchione. “You get a unique job (design) that’s different than what a builder would do. We can repurpose some plants too that builders put in. We’re not going to throw away everything.”
For comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden and landscaping need contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online and at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Landscaping with Florida native plants is economical and benefits our Northeast, Florida ecosystems requiring less water, fertilizers, and pesticides to sustain than non-native plants. “They are acclimated to everything that Northeast Florida can hand them the cold, the heat, the extreme drought that we can have from time to time, but also the deluge of rain we get a couple of months of thunderstorms back to back to back,” said Matt Barlow, Earth Works garden center manager. “And they are also pest and disease resistant because they evolved right here.” Native plants are also important to the ecosystem as a source of food, shelter, and habitat for native wildlife including amphibians, birds, insects, mammals, reptiles and non-native migratory species.
Native plants host beneficial insects, pollinators, and decomposers that form a healthy natural ecosystem. For example, there are 24 oak tree varieties native to Florida, which support over 500 species of moths and butterflies. According to the National Wildlife Federation nearly 100% of songbirds depend on these insects as a key food source. Remove the native plants and the insect and dependent animal species populations crash. “More than 100 species of vertebrate animals are known to consume acorns in the US, including mammals such as white-tailed deer, gray squirrels, fox squirrels, flying squirrels, mice, voles, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, gray foxes, red foxes, and wild hogs,” according to the University of Florida. “Birds that feed on acorns include wild turkey, bobwhite quail, wood ducks, mallards, woodpeckers, crows, and jays.”
Outside of their natural environment non-native species have fewer natural predators resulting in invasiveness crowding out native species without providing a similar degree of benefits to the ecosystem. A few non-native invasive plants you may be familiar with include camphor trees, Japanese honeysuckle, kudzu, melaleuca, mimosa, sword fern, torpedo grass, and water hyacinth.
Earth Works carries a variety of Florida native plants including Walters Viburnum. “It’s a great slow-growing shrub that you can use as individual plants, as focal points, but also as a hedge row,” said Barlow. “They do grow thick and dense and are evergreen. They bloom white in the Spring. Once we come out of Winter and the temperature starts to warm up the flowers pop. They do hold their buds sometimes for a very long period of time. Their buds when they are closed are kind of a rosy color, which gives the shrub in Wintertime going into Spring this really nice look and then they pop open and their covered with tiny white flowers. These are a very easy addition to your garden.”
Walters Viburnum “These are a very easy addition to your garden.”
The Florida Native Plant Society lists 663 native plants in its database. However, most Florida native plants are not commercially available for purchase. Where native plants are grown commercially it is typically by small independent growers who cannot keep up with the commercial demand for the natives they grow. Propagating native plants to nurture commercially favorable ornamental characteristics results in what is called cultivars. “Many native plant experts and enthusiasts do not consider man-made cultivars as being native, although it might be argued that selections or hybrids could have occurred under natural conditions,” according to the University of Florida. “When purchasing native plants, ask for a plant by its scientific name. Also ask about the origin of the plant. Plants that were derived from seed or plants of natural populations in other parts of the country might not perform well in Florida.”
Zamia integrifolia the Coontie palm is another popular commercially available Florida native plant. “It’s called the Coontie palm, but it’s not an actual palm,” said Barlow. “It’s actually a cycad. It gives you a palm or tropical look without actually being a palm. They’re more of a small loose, but densely compacted shrub. Loose in the fact that they are not branched like other types of shrubs. There is a lot more separation and distance where all the stems come from the base rather than a branching type plant like a traditional shrub. They don’t require any pruning. So those of you who are looking for a low maintenance plant the coontie is a great addition. Also, the coontie is versatile. It can grow in the sun, part sun, and into almost some completely shaded conditions. It’s very versatile and easy to grow.”
Coontie palm. “They don’t require any pruning. So those of you who are looking for a low maintenance plant the coontie is a great addition.”
Florida native plants occur in diverse biomes including marshes and swamps, prairies, hammocks, sandhills, scrub forests, upland forests, and more resulting in the need to match your choice of natives to your conditions. It’s also important to understand the significance of your area’s plant communities. For Duval County alone the plant communities include; Beach Dunes, Hydric Hammocks, Mangrove Swamps, Maritime Forests, Pine Flatwoods, Saltwater Marshes, Sandhills, and Wetland Swamp Forests. Native plants adapt in these areas in relation to one another in ways that we continue striving to understand.
Salt tolerant native seagrapes are better suited for the coastal landscape than Florida’s state wildflower the Coreopsis found in fields and along roadsides across North Florida. Landscaping for Florida native plants requires considering the various categories of natives available including flowers, grasses, ground covers, palms, shrubs, trees, and vines. Search these categories at www.floridayards.org. Likewise, a variety of Florida native palms including the Florida State Tree, the Sabal Palm, and palmettos are available at Earth Works and seasonal varieties of other natives like anise.
There are small local companies that afford us the opportunity to buy Florida Native plant seeds and advocates of planting natives share them through local and national seed exchange programs and on social media. Visit our Seed Saving & Exchange blog that contains extensive information about these activities and information about groups like the 13,000 member Seed Savers Exchange.
For more information on landscaping with Florida native plants in Northeast Florida stop into Earth Works garden center and speak with Barlow, another garden guide, or schedule a consultation with one of our landscape designers to help you with your Florida-friendly landscape.
For comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden and landscaping need contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online and at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions.
Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Sanctuary on 8th Street Fall Gardening Collaboration with the Man in Overalls
Jason Duffney, Matt Barlow, & Doug McGregor prepare the irrigation and soil for a Fall season garden with the children at The Sanctuary on 8th Street and collaborate with Nathan, Man in Overalls for building new boxes and more opportunities for the community.
On Arbor Day Earth Works delivered a check for $2000 from proceeds collected from 25% of gift card sales over the 2020 holiday season.
Rick Cartlidge, executive director of the Sanctuary on 8th Street Educational Charity in the historic area of Downtown Jacksonville, Florida discusses their relationship with Earth Works, their mission helping children and how you can help.
Sanctuary on 8th Street Volunteer Day with Earth Works
Earth Work of Jacksonville workday for area volunteers who came out and improved the curb appeal and did general lawn and landscaping work at the Sanctuary on 8th Street in Jacksonville’s Springfield Community. Jason & Sean Duffney along with Mark & Patricia Fechtal and Timbo were joined by a dozen U.S. Navy personnel. Thank you to everyone who participated for your service to the Sanctuary and community. Event: Earth Works Volunteer Work Day Date: Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020 Location: Sanctuary on 8th Street 120 E. 8th Street, Jacksonville, Florida.
Sanctuary on 8th Street Community Garden Jason & Matt return to the Sanctuary on 8th Street community garden to work with children teaching them how to plant and care for a garden. Plus, they announce our upcoming Volunteer Work Day where everyone can join us to give the landscape at the front entrance more curb appeal. Meet us at the Sanctuary Saturday morning December 5, 2020 and help for as long as you wish!
Sanctuary on 8th Street Educational CharityCommunity Garden Jason Duffney & Matthew Barlow spend the afternoon teaching children how to tend the vegetable garden at the Sanctuary on 8th Street in the Springfield area of downtown Jacksonville, Florida. Thank you for the help from kindergarten through 2nd grade students who participated including Nehemiah, Kyree, Noah, Micah, & Kendall. Special thanks to Coach Henry & Ford and Assistant Director Jaime!
Plus, remember that for comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden and landscaping need contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online and at 904-996-0712.
Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Contact us with your questions and to book design consultations. Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
In-depth information into this recreational swim pond construction by Earth Works, Aquascape Inc., and contractors from around the country. This event took place in St. Augustine, Florida as part of an annual Winter Seminar coordinated by Aquascape Inc for the purpose of advanced training for Certified Aquascape Contractors.
Read Jason Duffney’s article on this recreational swim pond construction in the May/June 2021 issue of Pond Trade Magazine.
Brueggen Swim Pond 1 Year Anniversary of Installation
Jason Duffney met with Jenn and John Brueggen to get their thoughts after one year of their swim pond installation that was the featured build of the contractors in attendance at the 2021 Aquascape Inc. Winter Retreat.
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Aquascape Recreation Swim Pond Construction Part 1 Behind the Scenes at the start of Earth Works of Jacksonville collaboration with Aquascape Inc. in the Aquascape Recreational Swim Pond for a Eastern Collard Lizard – Advanced CAC Build at the home of the St Augustine Alligator Farm Director John & his wife Biologist Jenn Brueggen’s home. John Brueggen discusses what they are hoping for and Earth Works team members Jason Duffney & Sean Duffney along with Michael Quatromoni discuss this event that will involve 100 Certified Aquascape Contractors participating here & at the Aquascape Pond and Fountainscape Build at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park with onsite participation & education with Greg Wittstock, The Pond Guy & Ed Beaulieu.
Aquascape Recreational Swim Pond Construction for a Eastern Collared Lizard Part 2 Ed Beaulieu, the Pond Professor, Jason Duffney, and Michael Quatromoni discuss progress and setbacks ahead of being joined by 100 Certified Aquascape Contractors participating here & at the Aquascape Pond and Fountainscape Build at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. Behind the Scenes at Day 2 of Earth Works of Jacksonville collaboration with Aquascape Inc. in the Aquascape Recreation Pond for a Eastern Collard Lizard – Advanced CAC Build at the home of the St Augustine Alligator Farm Director John & his wife Biologist Jenn Brueggen’s home.
Sneak Peek Teaser into Part 3 of the Recreational Swim Pond Construction Sneak peek into Part 3 in the video series about the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park Director John Brueggen’s swim pond build by Aquascape and Earth Works. This is serious business folks!
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Aquascape Recreational Swim Pond Construction Part 3 Jason Duffney, Ed Beaulieu, and Chris Hansen are back for the third update on the swim pond install at John & Jen Brueggen’s home in Elkton, Florida near the St. Augustine Alligator Zoological Park where they will also be conducting an Aquascape contractor seminar Wednesday, February 3rd – Friday, February 5th, 2021.
St Augustine Alligator Farm Sneak Peek Part 1 Jason Duffney takes us behind the scenes with Director John Brueggen, and Aquascape Inc’s Pond Professor Ed Beaulieu, and Chris Hansen at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park prior to the Aquascape Inc pond construction and Certified Aquascape Contractors 2021 Winter Retreat. Part 1.
St Augustine Alligator Farm Sneak Peak Part 2 St Augustine Alligator Farm Director John Brueggen provides a behind the scenes sneak peek to Earth Works Jason Duffney and Aquascape Inc’s Pond Professor Ed Beaulieu, Chris Hansen and Travis prior to the new pond construction and the Certified Aquascape Contractors training sessions and Winter Retreat. Part 2.
St Augustine Alligator Farm Sneak Peek FINAL Part 3 Final Behind the Scenes Sneak Peek at the St Augustine Alligator Farm. Tune in to interesting stories from around the world along with specifics on requirements for healthy wildlife habitats and maintaining exotic species with Zoo Director John Brueggen and Ed Beaulieu as we prepare for the Aquascape Winter Retreat and build Feb 3-6, 2021.
Welcome Team Aquascape to the St Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park Jason Duffney, owner Earth Works of Jacksonville welcomes Team Aquascape to the St Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park event and Winter Retreat! Wednesday, February 3-5, 2021!
St. Augustine Recreational Swim Pond Reveal Wrapping up collaboration with Aquascape Inc. for the Aquascape Recreation Pond Build at the home of the St Augustine Alligator Farm Director John Brueggen & his wife Biologist Jenn Brueggen’s home. John Brueggen discusses what they are hoping for and Jason Duffney and Greg Wittstock discuss the outcome of this recreational pond.
Fill ‘Er Up! Recreation Pond Final Details – Part 5
Bring in the reinforcements! The CACs are here for the regional build event to help with the process of finishing up the recreation pond for the Alligator Farm. John also takes me in to show me his Gila monsters and their habitat.
Replicating the Desert for a *GILA MONSTER POND* – Part 4
Bring in the reinforcements! The CACs are here for the regional build event to help with the process of finishing up the recreation pond for the Alligator Farm. John also takes me in to show me his Gila monsters and their habitat.
Answering Your Questions: Concrete or Rubber Liner? – Recreation Pond Part 3
I’m taking some time to answer some of the questions you have had about the recreation pond build. Specifically, the under liner drainage and the architecture of the wall.
Today is the day! We break ground in St. Augustine, FL on the recreation pond for the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. I’ll show you how important it is to get these recreation ponds designed and planned the right way!
I am so stoked to be in St. Augustine, Florida to design and build a restorative recreation pond for John Brueggen, director of the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. Today, John gives us a tour of the farm which is such an inspiration.
*POND BUILD* for Florida Alligator Farm (Rec Pond Revealed)
Chris leads Build-a-Pond-Day at the historic Alligator Farm and Zoological Park in St. Augustine, Florida! Newbie attendees knock this 8′ x 11′ pond out in one day. Later, Ed reveals the reptile rec pond from the advanced build!
Groundwork on the reptile rec pond for our advanced CAC build continues. Today the crew constructs the wetland filter and Ed shares tips for excavation and setting boulders.
Establishing different elevations and grade levels makes all the difference on a flat property like this. Ed and Chris carve in a massive cypress log as a unique edging element for the reptile rec pond.
Groundwater Solutions for Reptile REC POND – Part 3
Ed and Chris implement groundwater solutions and install a 4-inch drain tile so they can create a solid base for their liner. The rocking of the reptile rec pond is now underway!
Ed the Pond Professor arrives at the job site and notices we’ll need to make adjustments to our intake bay. The reptile rec pond comes in at a 30,000 gph requiring 500 gallons of water storage.
Reptile REC POND Design for Collared Lizards – Part 1
Chris joins the Earth Works team down in Florida to collaborate on a recreation pond for eastern collared lizards! The 20′ x 25′ reptile rec pond will utilize a tile drainage system to combat hydrostatic pressure from the groundwater.
Earth Works is proud to have hosted the 2021 Aquascape Winter build with Greg Wittstock, founder of Aquascape for Certified Aquascape Contractors from around the country. Participating CAC’s include:
Chris Pekarek | Poseidon’s Aquatic Designs
Stan Lepkowski | Delaware Water Features
Stan Lepkowski | Delaware Water Features
Greg Gill | Eastern Iowa Landscape
Bob Kerr | Gradex Company LLC
Zak Kladden | Majestic Water Gardens
Thomas Smith | Garden State Koi
Tim Dille | Garden State Koi
Enrique Gomez | Garden State Koi
Jason Borawski | Liberty’s Pavers, Ponds, & Water Features
Armando Amaya | Virginia Water Gardens
Charlie Ross | Virginia Water Gardens
Armando Amaya | Virginia Water Gardens
Crystal Urquizu | Virginia Water Gardens
Don | Virginia Water Gardens
Allan Schule | Sound Shore Pond Inc.
Bruno Maegerle | Pond Pros
Chris Ostrander | Living Water Landscape Service
Alex Oren | Landvista Aquascapes
William Seeds III | Seeds of Nature Watergardens
Brent Hullinger | The Pond Beyond, LLC
Yogi Davis | Bear Stone & Aquatic Design
John Griffith | Paradise Ponds
Patrick Kirby | AquaReale
Carl Petite | Columbia Water Gardens
Brad Cheney | Nature’s Image Aquatic Design LLC
Micah Miller | Easton Outdoors
Frank Council | Easton Outdoors
Evan Hamner | Easton Outdoors
Rico Rosa Arce | Easton Outdoors
Ethan Hammond | Amen Corner Ponds
Jeremy Vlcek | Vlcek Gardens
Jay McCormick | Aquatic Lifestyles LKC
Zachary Medori | Turpin Design/Build
Max Taylor | Turpin Design/Build
Dave DeGroot | Artisan Water Gardens
Martin V Dimitrov | Atlantic Ponds LLC
Cody Gilstrap | River Rock Water Gardens
Chris Sturdyvin | Chris’ Water Gardens
Mark Carlson | Chris’ Water Gardens
Franco Propato | Frank Propato Landscaping LLC
Greg Falvo | We Build. LLC
Sean Frost | Nature Scapes
Bubba Hogan | Dreamscapes Landscaping
Scott Anderson | Scott Anderson Design
Brad Fontaine | Florida Custom Aquatic Services
Adam Goit | Brookside Landscape and Design
Nate Shirley | Brookside Landscape and Design
Brad Fontaine | Florida Custom Aquatic Services
Trevor Gibson | Florida Custom Aquatic Services
John Underwood | The Pond Beyond
Matt Berry | Nature Scapes
Adam Klingenberg | Florida Custom Aquatic Services
Beth Roth | Triton Waterscapes
Kathy Rosen | Delco Ponds and Waterscapes
Jeff Norman | Great Lakes Pondscapes
Allison Norman | Great Lakes Pondscapes
Gunther| Six Flags Nursery Supply LLC
Stephen Perez | Stephens Landscaping of Clermont
Brandon Grope | PondScape LLC
Amanda Gunther | Six Flags Nursery Supply LLC
Jay Duke | Rivercrest
Greg Gill | Eastern Iowa Landscape
Steve Roth | Triton Waterscapes
Peter Donahue | GreenPete, LLC
Brian Rosen | Delco Ponds and Waterscapes
Aaron Cruz | Garden State Koi
Baldo Bautista | Garden State Koi
Kimberly Kontopodias | Across the Pond Aquascapes LLC
Maggie Hutt | Across the Pond Aquascapes LLC
April Dugan | April Dugan
Melanie Norman | Great Lakes Pondscapes
Brian Norman | Great Lakes Pondscapes
Lisa Ballantine | Ballantine
Ben Clark | Buddy’s Property Services, LLC
Garrett Wurzbach | Aqua Escapes LLC
Aaron Chico | Blue Lotus Waterscapes & Design
Zachary Watson | Site Pros Landscaping, Inc.
John Adams | Modern Design Aquascaping Inc.
Alissa Wells | Site Pros Landscaping, Inc.
Tim Wood | Aquatic Edge
Cameron Perez | Stephens Landscaping of Clermont
Tim Wood | Aquatic Edge
Casey Perez | Stephen’s Landscaping
Gabriel Botto | Island Aquascape Inc
Brad Birch | BBs Aquatic Service LLC
Robert Lofgran | Wasatch Ponds
Andrew Starkey | Aloha Landscaping and Services
Zoran | Zorancreative
Jerome Fischer Alabama Aquascapes
Kyle Brown | Modern Concepts Custom Outdoor Creations
Garth Price | Modern Concepts
Diana Cagle | Aqua Dreamscapes LLC
Pheonix Singleton | Ceto Waterscapes
Joel Lattimer | Lattimer Landscaping Inc
Luke Lattimer | Lattimer Landscaping Inc
William Adams | Lattimer Landscaping Inc
George Ruiz | TAMPA BAY PONDS & ROCKS
Carl Gennaro Jr | EnviroScapes Property Specialist, Inc
DAY ONE: Team Aquascape Winter Retreat 2021 It was a great first-day kickoff at Earth Works of the Team Aquascape Winter Retreat-St Augustine Alligator Farm pond builds. Aquascape, Earth Works, and contractors from around the country had been preparing for months for this week’s activities. The amount of energy and associated expense for all in attendance during these difficult times deserves recognition and praise.
Wednesday night was the kickoff for the event at the Earth Works garden center with meet & greet opportunities and an hour-long Q&A before the group between Greg, Mark Fechtel, and Jason Duffney about the thirty-plus year success story of Earth Works and its role in providing a wide range of outdoor living services including Aquascape water features and its core state of the art technologies that take the stress and strain out of water feature maintenance while providing high performance and client satisfaction.
The Tribe as the Aquascape gaggle of pond diggers is known is welcoming to everyone with Greg setting the tone with an outreached hand for those he’s had relationships with for decades, as well as first-timers to this Team Aquascape event. Over one hundred contractors attended including company owners, foremen, and reps that wear a myriad of other hats covering the wide range of duties achievers take on in building an idea into a successful business.
Greg espoused the benefits of sharing and learning from one another pointing out those members in attendance with five and ten plus years of experience with Aquascape. There are numerous Aquascape artists of the year and Jason Duffney is notably last year’s Aquascape Businessman of the Year. Greg encouraged tribe members to tap the knowledge base of those next to them as it is extensive among the tribe members in attendance.
The network of the Aquascape Tribe will doubtlessly strengthen this week. Aquascape contractors around the country will benefit as these technologies are installed at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park where thousands of guests pass through each year, and Zoo Director John Brueggen shares the success and potential of these applications with his international network of zoological society tribe members.
Plus, remember that for comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden and landscaping need contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online and at 904-996-0712.
Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
After more freeze days in Winter than in recent years, many Northeast Florida homeowners are heading to garden centers to replace plants and want to do more landscaping for pollinators. “It’s really easy here in Northeast Florida to attract the birds, the bees, the butterflies, all the beneficial pollinators and insects that we want to have in our garden,” said Matt Barlow, Earth Works Garden Center Manager. “Simply put, you need to have a combination of flowers that not only attract them for the pollen but also for the nectar. So each insect is going to be looking for different things. So it needs to be a combination of nectar plants and pollen plants. So the bees are really interested in pollen. And then the butterflies and some of the other insects will be looking for nectar.”
Landscape designers assist clients in creating landing strips. These multi-level layered plantings draw pollinators to the garden, where plants serve as food sources and nesting habitat and protection from the elements and predators. Lawn care service providers can likewise assist by enhancing soil constituents and conserve water that can reduce plant stress and the need for pesticides that typically harm pollinators.
“Aim for at least ten flowering plant species selected to complement one another, according to the University of Florida IFAS Extension. “Specifically, design your garden to have three or more different plants blooming at any given time during the growing season, which is year-round in southern Florida, and March through November in northern areas of the state. Because bees often prefer dense floral displays, arranging flowering plants in clumps with multiple individuals per species will increase the attractiveness of the garden to bees.”
While native plant species are best for both nectar and pollen sources, they are increasingly difficult to acquire. When landscaping for pollinators your area native plant societies such as the Florida Native Plant Society (www.fnps.org) is vital for information about the availability of Florida native plants.
“Some great nectar plants for your fluttering friends will be things like pentas, salvias; they are the top two with lantana as well. Lantana alone will bring in more varieties of butterflies, I think, than any other single plant in your garden, said Barlow. “So I’d have at least a handful of lantanas to mix and sprinkle in. We have some really nice bunching, compact varieties that you can use. Traditionally people think of lantana as that giant elephant in the garden that just sprawls everywhere. Well, there are a lot of new improved and compact varieties that you can bring into your garden. Pentas are great because they are naturally compact. Most varieties 18 inches at the most. There are some larger growing varieties, but the pentas are easy because you can grow them in both full sun and partial sun. So if you don’t have a full sun position, which is four hours at the minimum, you can also use pentas if you are getting less than that.
A lot of the salvias that we have in are going to come in blues and purples, and that is important because blues, purples, and reds are the spectrum that the insects see. Also, the hummingbirds see blues and reds. Just by having blue and red in the garden, it will act as a beacon that will bring them in. And once they find the garden, they will be back day after day after day. If you were to walk around the garden center here in late Spring and all throughout the Summer, you’ll see the butterflies; the hummingbirds are just all over these tables.
The purple and the red are crucial, and they look nice together. There is some nice contrast between the colors and then sprinkle in other types of colors too because they will feed off of the other colors, but it’s the blues, the purples, and red that are going to bring them in.”
Other nectar plants available for landscaping for pollinators include Bleeding Heart, Coneflowers, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Dianthus, Hibiscus, Gaillardia, Marigold, Petunias, Verbena, and Viburnum. While milkweed is widely known as a host plant for Monarch butterflies and required to complete their lifecycle, there are others. Commercially available host plants include Bougainvillea (Cloudless Sulphur butterfly), Dill (Black Swallowtail butterfly), Dusty Miller (Painted Lady butterfly), Oleander (Queen & Monarch butterfly), Passion Vine (Gulf Fritillary), Snapdragon (Buckeye butterfly), and Violets (multiple Fritillary butterfly species). Visit our article on Butterfly, Gardening Basics for more information.
“If you have any questions on specific varieties and how to mix them together, stop in here at Earth Works, and any one of us here would be more than happy to help you put together your pollinator garden,” said Barlow. Earth Works landscape designers are also available to help landscaping for pollinators in an eco-friendly fashion, and the lawn care division provides regular maintenance.
And remember that for comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden and landscaping need contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online and at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
In what some consider a Florida real estate post-pandemic gold rush, landscaping for curb appeal in Northeast Florida’s hot real estate market is more critical than ever, benefiting both higher resale value and improved homeowner satisfaction. Earth Works Landscape Designer John Cacchione showcases landscape design elements that improve property value and customer satisfaction at a new estate build.
HOT REAL ESTATE MARKET
Jacksonville home values have increased by 21%, the highest year-over-year increase among the top 40 metro areas in the nation according to Realtor.com’s Market Hotness rankings. This has occurred while Jacksonville remains among the most affordable according to the Boston Real Estate Times.
St John’s County property values and surrounding coastal communities are likewise in high demand as values steadily increase and the average length of homeownership increases post-pandemic.
“Homes on the market are selling quickly in St. Johns County,” reported News4Jax.com. “There is high demand and low inventory. “With resale, those are going under contract often in 24 to 48 hours, multiple offers over list price,” said Karen Zander, 97Park Real Estate owner and broker. “No one knows how much to offer.”
IMPORTANCE OF CURB APPEAL
According to the National Association of Realtors, over 70 percent of prospective homeowners consider curb appeal crucial to their home buying experience according to bankrate.com. “That first impression is important,” says Frank J. Lucco, managing director of IRR-Residential Appraisers & Consultants in Houston. “If they don’t like the looks of the front of the house, which is mostly landscaping, often they won’t even go inside.”
ELEMENTS OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Personalizing your landscape design to suit your choice of plants and hardscaping materials if done right creates visual appeal. Whether doing it yourself or hiring a professional, the landscape design elements include considerations of color, form, lines, scale, and texture. Remote consultations do not impair the design process, for although client tastes vary, landscape design principles remain the same. Earth Works landscape designers consult with clients worldwide and often before their home construction is completed in Northeast Florida.
Earth Works of Jacksonville Landscape Design for Curb Appeal
Cacchione’s client for this informal landscape design built a large single-story sprawling home on an expansive lot with a concrete driveway that could accommodate two traffic lanes. The flower bed in the middle of the circular driveway includes green, blue, orange, and red with an outer ring of 50 perennial Blue My Minds followed by a ring of Ixora, and orange birds of paradise, all on an incline leading up to the centerpiece triple trunk Roebelenii palm. All flower beds in the front yard include red mulch that compliments the rich colors of the home. Tan River rock form a border around the house. These rocks protect the black iron fencing around the backyard and line the generator and pool equipment pads and courtyard’s flagstone. Color is a crucial component of landscape design involving the choice of plantings, rocks, and mulch in relation to the house.
The size and growth rates of plant choices are as important as their current appearance. The collective selection of plants involves decisions of proportionality in size and spacing throughout the beds in relation to the home. “That’s something you have to think about while you are planting, doing your design,” said Cacchione. “This plant is small now, but in five years, what’s it going to look like?” On either side of the front door, small plants dominate the flower beds, including foxtail ferns and salvia. Cacchione creates focal points with gradual increases in scale from the flowers to several 10′ Mule palms.
The driveway’s curving lines create an informal design that Cacchione alters with straight lines of hardscaping along the walls of the house that serve a practical purpose and visual appeal. “We did this clean edge around the foundation, then the gravel against the stucco,” said Cacchione. “That’s important, especially with stucco. Stucco is a permeable surface that water will penetrate if it stays wet too long.” Layering with clean lines with a mix of plants, edging, rocks, mulch, and pottery provides lots of visual interest.
The concrete driveway forms a vast flower bed in front of the house leading around the side to a garage and courtyard. “The builder had this pergola existing on the design, and I felt like we needed a way to get from the driveway to the garage door,” said Cacchione. “So this was just a cool addition. And we were able to use some of the flagstones we used in the courtyard.” For color and interest in this area the plan included:
The four walls of the courtyard with doors and window viewing vantages needed a focal point. “We knew this little courtyard needed something special,” said Cacchione. “And just to create the sound of water in here is perfect.” What happens during periods of rain, though, considering the myriad of pitches of the roof? “This water feature collects all the water from the downspouts from the roof in here and are channeled into our reservoir,” said Cacchione. “Another thing in here where we are thinking about permeability. So the gravel and flagstone will allow the water to penetrate, and that also goes into the reservoir.” In the event of an overflow from storms, the water is being funneled out through installed drain pipes.
A portion of the backyard incorporating the swimming pool, patio, and pergola is enclosed by black metal fencing lined with edging and tan river rock. Cacchione centered a triple trunk Roebelenii behind the pool that can be viewed upon entry to the home through the front door. A rectangular flower bed connects the pool pad to the raised pergola sitting area. Texas sage line the bed behind the pool on both sides of the Roebelenii. Pringle’s podocarpus surrounds the pergola and the Bahia sod base will green up nicely as the weather warms up in the Spring and Summer.
As half of our days are shrouded in darkness, the landscaping’s beauty is revealed in new ways with a complete outdoor lighting package including blade lights on steps, path lights, large lights on palms, and wall wash lights. Whether planning to improve your landscaping for curb appeal in a new or existing home in Northeast Florida’s hot real estate market, contact Earth Works for a design consultation.
And remember that for comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden and landscaping need contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online and at 904-996-0712.
Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
