Top Landscaping Tips for Waterfront Properties in Sarasota

If you have waterfront property but you’re reading this inside on the couch, it looks like we got here just in time. 

Why aren’t you outside?

Is the view not quite right? Annoying neighbors in the way? It needs something, but you’re not sure what? There’s no great place to sit?

Let’s get to work. 

What are the best landscaping ideas for waterfront properties? First, maximize those stunning views. Create a patio you won’t want to leave. Use plants that can hang tough in salt water spray. Make sure your irrigation coverage is just right, so you can push any excess sea water down into the soil. Partner with pros who research and try out the latest plants suited to waterfront landscaping.

Keep reading to learn more waterfront landscaping tips, including:

First, Maximize Those Beautiful Views  

Waterside Patio, Anyone?

Create a Sense of Privacy

Use Plants That Survive Salt Spray

Double Check Irrigation Coverage 

Check Your HOA Rules

Be Open to a Landscaping Update

Partner with Pros Expert in Waterfront Plants

First, Maximize Those Beautiful Views  

You paid good money for this stunning water view. Make the most of it by creating smart and luxurious spaces that encourage you to spend fun and relaxing time out there: 

Frame the View

Draw your eyes to the best part of your water view by framing it with palm trees. Sabal palms or coconut palms are great for this. 

Palms are among the best trees for Sarasota waterfront landscaping — they’re salt tolerant, look great near the water and come in enough shapes and sizes to perfectly complement your waterside hangout. Plus, you’ve always wanted to nap by the water in a hammock between two palm trees, right? Who hasn’t?

The right plants in the right spots can also emphasize what you want to see and hide what you don’t. 

Maybe your neighbor’s boat and dock are in your view, and you’re not crazy about that. Instead of plotting to sink the boat, consider creative use of plants that block the obstacles, but leave plenty of water for you to enjoy. (The best waterfront landscaping tips keep you out of jail.)

Waterside Patio, Anyone?

Install a peaceful, amenity-filled patio where you can spend hours enjoying your water view. Include a welcoming walkway so you can stroll elegantly from here to there. 

Then, what do you need to boost your waterside enjoyment? That restful hammock for blissful naps? Comfy furniture for lounging or dining? A shaded putting green? (You know you need the practice.) 

Add a fire feature for cozy, flickering ambience after the sun goes down. Or some tiki torches for a tropical vacation vibe.

Whatever it is you love to do, it’ll be even better by the water, with waterfront landscaping ideas that really help you use that stunning space. You’ll forget you even have an indoor couch. 

Create a Sense of Privacy

If your waterfront view is on the Gulf side, you don’t need much privacy, unless the dolphins are getting a bit too chatty. 

But if your waterfront view overlooks a canal, there might be other homes directly across the water. Suddenly, you know way too much about your waterside neighbors.

That’s where skilled waterfront landscape design comes in, to offer privacy without blocking your view. 

The pros can help you choose plants that grow just tall enough for privacy, but won’t be too tall five years from now. 

Just one example: Silver buttonwood has velvety-soft leaves dusted with a silvery-gray color that doesn’t distract from your water view. It can be easily shaped into a stunning hedge, an accent plant or a small tree, depending on your exact needs. Bonus: they’re salt tolerant. 

Which brings us to…

Use Plants That Survive Salt Spray

Chances are if you can see the saltwater, your plants can feel it. Among the best Sarasota waterfront landscaping tips: use plants that can stand up to the salt spray.

Native Florida plants can often shrug off the salt. They’ve lived here all along, so they’re used to it. 

Some of our favorites: 

• Beach Sunflowers
• Muhly Grass
• Oleander
• Saw Palmetto
• Sea Grape
• Fakahatchee Grass
• Firebush 

Everybody’s favorite, Bougainvillea, isn’t native, but holds up well to salt spray. 

Double Check Irrigation Coverage 

Be sure your irrigation system offers perfect head to head coverage. Yes, this is a good idea no matter where you live, but it’s extra important if you live 
near the water. 

If a storm surge brings salty seawater into your Sarasota waterfront property landscaping, you’ll want to turn on dependable irrigation so the fresh sprinkler water pushes damaging salt water into the ground, below the turf’s root line. 

Check Your HOA Rules

Everybody who loves HOA rules, raise your hand. Anybody? Well, they might be part of your waterfront life. Know what you can and can’t do out there. 

Bird Key, for example, doesn’t allow plant material taller than 4 feet within 20 feet of the seawall, so plants don’t block those valuable views. 

Before you make any big decisions, check the rules surrounding your Sarasota waterfront landscaping. 

Be Open to a Landscaping Update

Older waterfront homes often have old and dated landscaping that could really use a refresh.

You might be tempted to replace a bit here and a bit there, the way you might nibble your way through a tasty charcuterie board. 

But sometimes you need to dive into a big steak dinner. 

Waterfront landscaping tip: If your landscaping needs an update, the best designs come from tackling it all at once, so everything works together in a cohesive, creative way. 

Partner with Pros Expert in Waterfront Plants

The hurricanes last year taught us a lot about what plants really hold their own during damaging storms.

For years everybody thought pitch apple was the best choice to stand up to storms in waterfront landscaping. But it didn’t do as well as expected in the high winds and storm surge.

Tropical Gardens team members visit The Landscape Show in Orlando each year and talk to growers about their latest plants — including new varieties that can stand up to wild Florida weather, and old favorites making a comeback. 

Variegated pittosporum, also known as Japanese mock orange, fell out of favor with landscape designers for a while, as plants sometimes do. 

But the hardy plant survived well during the hurricanes, so now it’s back, and selling like crazy. 

Partner with a landscaping company that makes time to talk to growers, stay up on the latest trends, and try out new plants.

Every year we install the latest plants at our shop and at our own homes, giving them a thorough test run before we decide to use them in our customers’ landscaping. 

Need Waterfront Landscaping Tips? Talk to Us

Make the most of that stunning waterfront property with landscaping features that get you off the couch and out in the breeze. 

Leave it all to us. 

Tropical Gardens offers expert landscape design services in Sarasota FL that will make you want to spend every spare minute outside. Indoor couch? What indoor couch?

We can’t wait to get started. 

Give us a call or fill out our form today! Our team of Sarasota landscape experts can’t wait to help you out with landscaping ideas for waterfront properties you’ll love.