For waterfront properties, we at Peer Landscaping believe that plant selection is the single most important aspect of landscape design. This is particularly true if you have property on the beach. The Gulf of Mexico has much calmer water than the Atlantic Ocean but is just as salty. So one of the elements we must consider in that caseis using salt-tolerant plants, along with animal conservation, privacy, preserving the view and aesthetic appearance of the overall design. Choosing the right plants for a beautiful landscape design, includes choosing plants that work well with the weather elements and also means knowing where to plant them and why. It is crucial to know that not all plants work with salt air or ocean front property when designing a landscape.  For example, the list of palms, trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers that will grow on or near a beach is limited due to the drought, soil, wind, salt, and heat that beachfront property has. However, being native to the region, Peer Landscaping knows exactly which plants do well with salt in the air and in the water and we are lucky in that Florida is home to a large variety of plants native to the area to choose from when it comes to waterfront property. Here is a short list of some salt-tolerant plants we may consider for your waterfront landscape design in Southwest Florida: Trees for a waterfront property

• Bismarkia 
• Buttonwood palms 
• Calusia
• Coconut Palm
• European fan
• Oak
• Pandanus
• Paurotis
• Red Cedar
• Royal Palm
• Sable
• Sea grape

Ornamental Grasses for waterfront properties

• Agave 
• Beach sunflower
• Bulbine
• Carissa
• Crown of thorns
• Geranium
• Green Island ficus flowers
• Indian hawthorn
• Lantana
• Palmetto

Plant protection and good stewardship

Aside from being careful about the protected animal species in the area, we also have a lot of endangered species of plants we must be careful about. For example, joewood, mangrove trees, Curtis milkweed, and Florida Coontie are all native protected plants that grow here in Lee County. We are sure not to disturb any of the protected species when we are creating your waterfront landscape design. At Peer Landscaping we always do our best to practice good stewardship to protect native endangered plant life, and we will do so with your design. Some examples of good stewardship include:

• Creating a buffering zone between where your plants are planted, and the shoreline.
• We love using lots of native species of plants in our designs because they are not invasive and don’t attract invasive species of pests. Native plants also already do well with our weather and soil here.
• We use phosphorous-free fertilizers
• Your landscape design will be created to control both soil erosion and sedimentation.
• Avoiding over irrigated areas that will affect the natural plant life, wildlife, and water sources.
• As we work on your landscape, we are careful to keep waste materials from spilling or spreading throughout the environment.
• If you’ve got fur-babies, we will design a space that promotes easy disposal of pet waste.
• Our landscape lighting will be designed to avoid attracting wildlife away from its native environment.

At Peer Landscaping we know every landscape is unique – it’s a combination of art and architecture. No two customers have the same goals for their outdoor space. Therefore no two landscapes should ever be the same. We design custom outdoor spaces that reflect the personality and individuality of our client. When you hire Peer Landscaping to design your landscape, we’ll work with your HOA or property manager so that we don’t violate any codes while working on your outdoor space.