This garden is on a lakeside site within a gated community in eastern Florida. The primary assets on this lot besides the lakefront views are the large live oak trees, not commonly seen in this area of Florida. They provide canopy for shade and an ideal place to grow orchids throughout their branches and tree crotches.

Possibly the only negative to the site is a direct view of other houses across the lake, just a few hundred feet away. This problem was taken care of by installing small trees along the shoreline. The mature canopy of these trees visually block out a direct view from this house and lakeside terraces directly to the facade of those distant houses while keeping the view of the lake open underneath the canopy.

The entry motor court could have been overly hot in feel and appearance but lush planting on the walls and at their base mitigated that potential. The plants that were selected for the lakefront landscaping project had to be easy to maintain and look their best without a lot of heavy maintenance.

The swimming pool, unlike most in this community and elsewhere is located on the side-yard rather than the rear yard, which provides for a privacy that could not have been possible if it had been on the shoreline. This side-yard position also provided a refuge from cold winds during the winter months when our client was most likely to be in residence.

The beauty of this pool and it’s lake house landscaping is also a major focal point from the kitchen and great room.

The following photographs should speak for the garden details and the video tour following this article will provide additional detail for those who may want it.