Klein House, Clearwater, FL

I started working at the Klein’s house in the backyard. There was a very long bed along the back of the property that was filled with overgrown shrubs. They wanted more color since it was right off the patio and the back sliders faced it. It was a prime spot for a showcase garden. The sun was perfect, only half a day of direct sun. There were also areas of filtered sun and one area of shade. This gave me lots of options to choose from. Their daughter is also a gardener and had some input into the garden. She also contributed some large Dombeya ‘Seminole’ (Florida Hydrangeas) for the bed because they had outgrown their location at her own house. I chose a mixture of flowering shrubs that would bloom all year round. 

Prior to planting we removed some of the old soil and replaced with a wonderful soil mix that I have found to be very successful. We also put in an aluminum edge to keep the grass from encroaching into the bed and adjusted the sprinklers for good coverage.  This planting has done so well! There is color all the time. In addition we added pots to the patio which we change out seasonally.

Having such great success on the back yard, the Kleins wanted to also improve the front yard. When I first saw their house, I though the architecture was so interesting. However with a big palm in the middle of the entrance courtyard and overgrown shrubs in the front, the lines of the structure were hidden. When we pulled everything out and just had the beds empty with fresh soil in them, it was already an improvement. We also handled a large drainage problem in the front that was flooding the beds when there was a heavy rain. 

I wanted to complement the architecture and color of the house by using burgundy and dark red accented with dark green foliage and pops of blue. The end result was beautiful. The landscape draws attention to the house and then you are able to really appreciate the architecture.