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Budgeting For a Better Landscape 1
D.F. Hamilton and R.J. Black2Starting a home landscape project can be difficult, especially for the novice. While most homeowners cannot afford to hire a professional landscaper, with proper planning you can create your own landscape project that will enhance the beauty and value of your home at a cost within your budget.
One of the most important factors in creating a successful landscape project is the relation between initial plant costs and future maintenance costs. Before you begin, learn about the relative costs of plants and the expense of their upkeep.
The Landscape Budget
Your home grounds improvement project requires use of a good budget plan. Include both the initial amount of money for plants and installation and also the amount of time and money required to keep the plants healthy and neat.Looking for a bargain? People often select plants that seem to be cheap. This could be a mistake, however. Over time the cost of labor to maintain such plants raises the cost far above that of more expensive nursery plants. Slower growing plants may be more costly initially but usually require less maintenance. Thus, keep your future maintenance budget in mind when selecting landscape plants. With proper foresight in design and selection, you can reduce the cost and the amount of maintenance work.
Plant Costs and Size
In estimating maintenance costs, consider the size and kind of plant. A common pitfall is that of choosing a large, fast-growing species instead of a smaller, slow-growing one. Of course, pleasing effects are more immediately visible because the landscape seems more filled in. But the amount of maintenance increases for larger species. Lasting effects may diminish if upkeep lags and the landscape appears to be overgrown ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 ).
Figure 1. Rapidly growing shrubs, if misplaced, can block the view from the driveway, hide and partly block doors and windows, and crowd the yard. If pruning is delayed, an overgrown and unattractive landscape may result.
Figure 2. The desire for quick shade often leads to poor tree choice and poor placement. Plant Selection and Existing Conditions
You can easily determine the existing environmental conditions of the space you plan to landscape. What are a plant's requirements in relation to those conditions?Select plants adapted to the conditions of a particular location, whether full sun or dense shade. You can modify soil factors to provide a suitable growing medium, but you'll save money by selecting plants adapted to existing conditions. Is the soil wet or dry? Acid or alkaline? Carry out your well-developed plan as time and budget permit. If needed, get more information on plant culture from your local county agricultural Extension agent.
Using the Suggested Plant Lists
The sample plans included here show common residential plantings arranged for maintenance ease. The suggested plants have proved dependable in Florida. Each plant is listed with the section of the state to which it is adapted. The geographic areas are:
Each plant is also listed with a maintenance rating. With a 1 rating, the plant needs only minimal watering in dry weather and occasional fertilizing to preserve foliage color. With a 2 rating, the shrub or tree may require pruning, extra fertilizing, or other occasional maintenance for best growth. With a 3 rating, the plant requires such attention as periodic spraying to prevent insect attack.
- N, north Florida - Pensacola to Jacksonville and south to Ocala.
- C, central Florida - Leesburg south to Punta Gorda and Fort Pierce.
- S, south Florida - Stuart to Fort Myers and south to Homestead.
- NCS - entire state.
The ratings are relative to each other. For example, on this scale a rose plant, which is not listed because of high maintenance requirements, might have a rating of 6. The plants listed are among the most maintenance-free plants available in Florida for home grounds use.
The amount of light needed for each plant is listed. Sh indicates that the plants need shade for optimum growth, Pt Sh indicates part shade, Sn indicates sun, and both Sh and Sn indicate that plants will tolerate either shade or sun.
Landscape Plans
You can adapt the landscape plans to both rural and urban settings throughout Florida. Numbers on the drawings refer to plant numbers on the corresponding list. For example, number 12 on the low budget plan ( Figure 3 ) refers you to number 12 on the low budget suggested plant list (Table 1 ). Although several choices may be offered, choose only one type of plant for a given location.
- Low budget planting plan - Figure 3, Table 1
- Medium budget planting plan - Figure 4, Table 2
- Higher budget planting plan - Figure 5, Table 3
Figure 3. Sample low-budget planting plan.
Figure 4. Sample medium-budget planting plan.
Figure 5. Sample higher-budget planting plan. Tables
Table 1. Suggested Plants - Low Budget Plan
Plant Number
Common Name
Scientific Name
Section of State to Which Adapted
Maintenance Rating (1=low)
Light
1 Sago palm Cycas revoluta NCS 2 Sn or Sh 2 Fatshedera Fatshedera lizei NCS 2 Sh Gold-dust plant Aucuba japonica variegata NC 2 Sh 3 Yew podocarpus Podocarpus macrophylla NCS 2 Sn or Sh Twisted juniper Juniperus chinensis torulosa NCS 1 Sn Viburnum Viburnum suspensum NCS 2 Sn or Pt Sh Wax myrtle Myrica cerifera NCS 2 Sn 4 Lily turf Liriope sp. NCS 1 Sn or Sh Ivy Hedera sp. NC 2 Sh Mondo grass Ophiopogon japonicum NCS 1 Sh 5 Pindo palm Butia capitata NCS 1 Sn Cabbage palm Sabal palmetto NCS 2 Sn or Sh East Palatka holly Ilex opoca 'East Palatka' NC 2 Sn or Pt Sh 6 Holly fern Cyrtomium falcatum CS 1 Sh Cast-iron plant Aspidistra elatior CS 1 Sh Coontie Zamia floridana NCS 2 Sn or Sh 7 Dwarf yaupon holly Ilex vomitoria nana NCS 1 Sn or Pt Sh Boxwood Buxus microphylla japonica NC 1 Pt Sh 8 Cleyera Ternstroemia gymnanthera
NC 2 Sn or Pt Sh Yew podocarpus Podocarpus macrophylla NCS 2 Sn or Sh Anise Illicium parvifolium
NCS 2 Sn or Sh 9 Liriope 'Green Giant' Liriope gigantea NCS 1 Sh Serissa Serissa foetida NCS 3 Sn 10 Wax myrtle Myrica cerifera NCS 2 Sn Sweet viburnum Viburnum odoratissaimum NCS 2 Sn or Sh Privet Ligustrum japonicum NCS 2 Sn Japanese pittosporum Pittosporum tobira NCS 2 Sn or Sh 11 India hawthorn Raphiolepis indica NCS 2 Sn or Sh Texas sage Leucophyllum texanum CS 2 Sn Pineapple guava Acca sellowiana
NCS 2 Sh 12 Loquat Eriobotrya japonica NCS 2 Sn or Pt Sh Jerusalem thorn Parkinsonia aculeata NCS 2 Sn Crape myrtle Lagerstromia indica NCS 2 Sn 13 Oak Quercus sp. NCS 1 Sn or Pt Sh Southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora NC 2 Sn or Sh Pine Pinus spp. NCS 3 Sn Table 2. Suggested Plants - Medium Budget Plan
Plant Number
Common Name
Scientific Name
Section of State to Which Adapted
Maintenance Rating (1=low)
Light
1 Sago palm Cycas revoluta NCS 2 Sn or Sh Coontie Zamia floridana NCS 2 Sn or Sh Lady palm Rhapis excelsa
CS 1 Sh 2 Yew podocarpus Podocarpus macrophylla NCS 2 Sn or Sh Rice paper plant Tetrapanax papyriferus NCS 3 Sn or Pt Sh Sasanqua Camellia sasanqua NC 2 Sh 3 Fatsia Fatsia japonica NCS 1 Sh 4 Confederate jasmine Trachelospermum jasminoides NCS 3 Sn or Sh Ivy Hedera sp. NC 2 Sh Lily turf Liriope sp. NCS 1 Sn or Sh 5 Pindo palm Butia capitata NCS 1 Sn 6 Dwarf yaupon holly Ilex vomitoria nana NCS 1 Sn or Pt Sh Dwarf boxthorn Severinia buxifolia NCS 2 Sn or Sh 7 Southern red cedar Juniperus silicola NCS 2 Sn Anise Illicium parvifolium
NCS 2 Sn or Sh Wax myrtle Myrica cerifera NCS 2 Sn Common myrtle Myrtus communis NCS 2 Sn 8 Pampas grass Cortaderia sp. NCS 1 Sn Century plant Agave americana NCS 2 Sn or Pt Sh Spanish dagger Yucca gloriosa NCS 1 Sn 9 Dwarf elm Ulmus parvifolia NCS 3 Sn Jerusalum thorn Parkinsonia aculeata NCS 2 Sn or Pt Sh Crape myrtle Lagerstroemia indica NCS 2 Sn 10 Boxwood Buxus microphylla japonica NC 1 Pt Sh 11 Privet Ligustrum japonicum NCS 2 Sn Cabbage palm Sabal palmetto NCS 1 Sn or Sh 12 Sandankwa viburnum Viburnum suspensum NCS 2 Sn or Sh Japanese pittosporum Pittosporum tobira NCS 2 Sn or Sh 13 Oak Querus sp. NCS 1 Sn or Pt Sh Southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora NCS 2 Sn or Sh Table 3. Suggested Plants - Higher Budget Plan
Plant Number
Common Name
Scientific Name
Section of State to Which Adapted
Maintenance Rating (1=low)
Light
1 Fatshedera Fatshedera lizei NCS 2 Sh Gold-dust plant Aucuba japonica variegata NC 2 Sh 2 Cast-iron plant Aspidistra elatior CS 1 Sh Boxwood Buxus microphylla japonica NC 1 Pt Sh 3 Lady palm Rhapsis excelsa CS 1 Sh Sago palm Cycas revoluta NCS 2 Sn or Sh Needle palm Rhapidophyllum hystrix NCS 1 Pt Sh or Sh 4 Lily turf
Liriope spp. NCS 1 Sn or Sh Confederate jasmine
Trachelospermum jasminoides NCS 3 Sn or Sh Ivy
Hedera spp. NC 2 Sh Creeping fig
Ficus pumila NCS 3 Sn or Pt Sh 5 Cabbage palm
Sabal palmetto NCS 2 Sn or Sh Pindo palm
Butia capitata NCS 1 Sn 6 Twisted juniper
Juniperus chinensis torulosa NCS 1 Sn American holly
Ilex opaca NC 2 Sn or Pt Sh Rice-paper plant
Tetrapanax papyriferus NCS 3 Sn or Pt Sh 7 Sweet viburnum
Viburnum odoratissimum NCS 2 Sn or Sh Sasanqua
Camellia sasanqua NC 2 Sh Cape jasmine
Gardenia jasminoides NCS 2 Sn or Pt Sh 8 Cherry laurel
Prunus caroliniana NCS 3 Sn or Pt Sh Southern red cedar
Juniperus silicola NCS 2 Sn Washington palm
Washingtonia robusta NCS 2 Sn 9 Bottle brush
Callistemon rigidus NCS 1 Sn Jerusalem thorn
Parkinsonia aculeata NCS 2 Sn or Pt Sh European fan palm
Chamaerops humilis NC 1 Sn or Pt Sh Crape myrtle
Lagerstroemia indica NCS 2 Sn Loquat
Eriobotrya japonica NCS 2 Sn or Pt Sh 10 Cleyera
Ternstroemia gymnanthera
NC 2 Sn or Pt Sh Anise
Illicium parvifolium
NCS 2 Sn or Sh Pineapple guava
Acca sellowiana
NCS 2 Sn or Pt Sh 11 Dwarf firethorn
Pyracantha spp. NCS 2 Sn Dwarf yaupon holly
Ilex vomitoria nana NCS 1 Sn or Pt Sh 12 Oak
Quercus sp. NCS 1 Sn or Pt Sh Southern magnolia
Magnolia grandiflora NC 2 Sn or Sh 13 Windmill palm
Trachycarpus fortunei NCS 1 Pt Sh Serissa
Serissa foetida NCS 3 Sn Cast-iron plant
Aspidistra elatior CS 1 Sh 14 Yew podocarpus
Podocarpus macrophylla NCS 2 Sn or Sh Privet
Ligustrum japonicum NCS 2 Sn Viburnum
Viburnum suspensum NCS 2 Sn or Pt Sh Japanese pittosporum
Pittosporum tobira NCS 2 Sn or Sh
Footnotes
1. This document is ENH-15 (which supersedes OH-15), Department of Environmental Horticulture, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Date first printed: September 1985. Reviewed and revised: June 1997, September 2003. Please visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu2. D.F. Hamilton, Extension Rural Development Specialist; R.J. Black, Extension Urban Horticulturist; Department of Environmental Horticulture, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.
Copyright Information
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