Designing Outdoor Spaces for Florida’s Climate

People heed the call of the Sunshine State with dreams of soaking up the sun as they spend time outdoors. The Tampa Bay area–including Clearwater and St. Petersburg–is among the top destinations for those seeking year-round warmth.

If you have dreams of Florida landscape living and need ideas for your backyard in Florida, you’ve come to the right place. Despite being a wonderful place to live (or vacation) for a full 12 months, designing outdoor spaces for Florida’s climate is not without its challenges.

Landscaping Ideas for Florida Backyards

Before diving headlong into installing your backyard paradise in Clearwater or St. Petersburg, it’s important to consider Florida’s climate and account for the challenges that accompany it. Thankfully, you can have the Florida outdoor living of your dreams with just a bit of planning, especially if you choose to work with an experienced, reputable professional landscaper.

The Challenges of Florida’s Climate

It may be painted as heaven on earth (minus the alligators and hurricanes, of course), but the Tampa Bay area faces several climate challenges that can make the backyard Florida life you’re craving difficult to attain.

Among the factors you should consider when designing your Florida backyard are:

• Heat. The Clearwater and St. Petersburg areas can get extremely hot for prolonged periods of time. This presents challenges to plant life and people who want to spend time outdoors. From drought to sunburn, accounting for Florida’s high temperatures is a must when planning your backyard oasis.
• Humidity. Florida has a reputation for being hot and sticky, and the sticky part of the equation is due to the high levels of humidity that are common in the state. The moisture in the air will affect everything from your comfort level when enjoying your Florida outdoor living space to the furniture you choose to purchase.
• Hurricanes. The third H word you should consider when brainstorming landscaping ideas for your Florida backyard is hurricanes. Florida has serious storm seasons, and Clearwater and St. Petersburg are both particularly prone to hurricane damage. How you design your outdoor space can help mitigate the fallout from bad storms.

How to Create Year-Round Outdoor Spaces in Florida

From welcoming shorelines lined with swaying palm trees to manicured golf courses ready for a day of leisure, one of Florida’s primary appeals is that you can enjoy its beautiful outdoor spaces year-round. If you want to bring that same characteristic to your home, luxury community, or commercial property, you’ll want to consider a few essential tips to craft the ultimate outdoor space.

Throw Some Shade

The sunshine may draw people to Clearwater and St. Petersburg, but it can also drive them away–especially in the summer months. Florida’s heat is no joke, and it can turn an outdoor oasis into a miserable experience in no time flat. So, how do you tackle the temperature and make your backyard usable, even during the summer months?

In a word, shade. Porches with coverings, fabric shades over gathering areas, and pavilions with some form of roof are all great ways to make your outdoor space appealing throughout the hottest months. In addition, investing in shade trees that will thrive in Florida’s climate is one of the best (and most beautiful) options for creating usable shade. Our favorite shade trees include the following.

• Live Oak Trees
• Southern Magnolia Trees
• Florida Elm Trees
• Bald Cypress Trees

Keep Things Dry

Florida outdoor living is next to impossible if your backyard is a swamp. Thanks to the Sunshine State’s frequent downpours and notorious storm season, your backyard in Florida can quickly turn from paradise to pond if you don’t have proper rainwater management and drainage.

Not only does investing in a good drainage system keep rainwater from pooling and making your outdoor space unusable, but it also protects your plants and property from the consequences of unchecked runoff and standing water.

When rainwater is not properly routed away from your landscape and is left to sit, it can introduce disease to your plants, drown them, and otherwise lead to severe (and expensive) issues. If, on the other hand, the water is able to run off of your property freely, it can cause erosion, damaging the Florida backyard you’ve worked so hard to create.

A professionally planned and installed drainage system prevents both of these negative outcomes, allowing you to embrace Florida landscape living to the fullest.

Take It Easy

While some Floridians find solace in caring for their lawn, most of us would prefer to simply enjoy our Florida outdoor living without constantly being concerned about maintenance. After all, an outdoor space is meant to promote leisure and relaxation, not add work to your day.

One of our top landscaping ideas for Florida backyards is to prioritize a low-maintenance environment. There are many ways to achieve these, including opting for plants that can thrive in Florida’s drought-prone and salty climate, embracing hardscaping, investing in a smart irrigation system, and limiting the complexity of your landscape design.

If a little R&R is on your agenda, work with your local Clearwater and St. Petersburg landscaper to craft the idyllic, low-maintenance outdoor space you’ve always dreamed of.

Batten Down the Hatches - Hurricane Proofing Your Florida Landscape

Intense storms and hurricanes are inevitable in the Clearwater area, so it is imperative to prepare your backyard in Florida for the heavy rains and strong winds ahead of time. Taking steps to make your outdoor spaces immune to severe hurricane damage can help them recover quickly, letting you enjoy them year-round.

Outdoor furniture should be either securely anchored or easy to store when storms approach. This will prevent it from becoming a dangerous projectile that can damage other parts of your property. 

Managing stormwater with a thoughtful drainage system is also essential, as it can help prevent flooding, keep plants healthy during storm recovery, and help mitigate erosion issues that occur when the flood waters recede.

Perhaps the most important step to creating a safe hurricane landscape is choosing and placing plants strategically. You’ll want to opt for plants that are wind- and salt-tolerant, then place them appropriately–whether that means keeping them a certain distance from structures or utilizing them as windbreaks. Some of the best storm-resistant plants to consider are the following.

• Crape Myrtle
• Sea Grape
• Bottle Brush
• Several varieties of palm trees
• Magnolia

Trust Florida Outdoor Living Experts

If you want to bring your landscaping ideas for your Florida backyard to life, working with an experienced landscaping professional in the Clearwater and St. Petersburg areas is the best way to achieve it. Landcrafters has 25 years of experience creating idyllic outdoor spaces for both homeowners and commercial properties, making it uniquely suited to help turn your Florida landscape into a personal paradise.