Choosing between artificial turf and real grass for your Florida home depends on your specific needs and preferences.

Here are some reasons why you should consider using artificial turf:

Low Maintenance: Artificial turf requires significantly less maintenance compared to real grass. Artificial turf doesn't grow, so you don't need to mow it regularly. With real grass, especially in Florida's warm and rainy climate, grass can grow quickly, requiring frequent mowing during the growing season.

Water Conservation: Florida often faces water shortages, and artificial turf can help you conserve water as it doesn't need regular watering to stay green and lush. This can also result in lower water bills.

Durability: Artificial turf can withstand heavy foot traffic, pets, and various weather conditions better than real grass. It remains green and attractive year-round, even during the hot Florida summers.

No Fertilizing or Pest Control: Real grass often needs fertilizers and pesticides to maintain its health and appearance. Artificial turf eliminates the need for these chemicals, reducing both the cost and environmental impact.

No Weeding: You won't have to spend time and effort pulling weeds in your artificial turf, as it doesn't support weed growth.

Allergen-Free: If you or your family members suffer from grass allergies, artificial turf can provide relief, as it doesn't produce pollen or other allergens.

Consistent Appearance: Artificial turf maintains a consistent and lush appearance throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions or foot traffic. Real grass can become patchy, brown, or worn in high-traffic areas or during periods of drought.

Cost Savings: While the initial installation of artificial turf can be expensive, it can save you money in the long run by reducing ongoing maintenance costs and water bills.

If you value low maintenance and want to conserve water while reducing the use of chemicals in your lawn care routine, artificial turf can be an excellent choice for your Florida home. It can provide a green and attractive lawn without the ongoing maintenance demands of real grass.

Some people find artificial turf to look better because of its consistent appearance. But ultimately, the choice between artificial turf and real grass should be based on your personal preferences and priorities. Consider what matters most to you in terms of appearance, maintenance, and environmental impact when making your decision. Contact Siesta Key Landscape (941) 379-3479, and we’ll be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Unlike the “AstroTurf” of yesteryear, today’s artificial turf looks and feels like natural grass, minus the weeds and brown patches, and it has myriad advantages over a traditional lawn.

For starters, you can choose from a variety grass types, each with its unique characteristics, and you can customize the color, length, and texture to achieve the perfect landscape, and today’s synthetic grass is UV-resistant and extremely durable, so it will stay green and manicured for years.

Artificial grass is a great choice for front yards, backyards, balconies, and terraces, and an absolute must-for hard-to-mow areas, areas that don’t get enough sunlight, and high-traffic areas.

Entertaining in an area that has been landscaped with synthetic grass means no allergies and no mosquitos and your lawn will still look pristine when the party is over. This is why synthetic grass has become so prevalent in public spaces where people gather for concerts and the like.

Siesta Key Landscape is extremely mindful of the environmental impact that our actions have on Sarasota, our bays, and our estuaries – that’s why we’re big fans of artificial grass!

With artificial turf, there’s no watering, so you conserve water, and no fertilizing, so you don’t have to worry about fertilizer runoff – the excess nitrogen and phosphorus flows into the stormwater system, feeding red tide, so it’s a great alternative if you want to help protect the environment.

Bottom line, synthetic turf is cost-effective, low-maintenance, eco-friendly, and it looks great, plus there’s no mowing, no watering, no fertilizing, no weeds, no allergies, no mosquitos, no pesticides, and it’s easy to clean!

If you’re ready to kiss those bare spots goodbye and start enjoying your weekends, instead of doing yard work, call 941-379-3479 for a free consultation and estimate.

Since the mid-nineties, harmful algal blooms known as “red tide” have dramatically increased in duration and concentration.

Although Florida red tide develops miles offshore, human-contributed nutrients like nitrates and phosphates from fertilizer use, foster its growth as it moves closer to our shores.

Siesta Key Landscape is extremely mindful of the environmental impact that our actions have on Sarasota, our bays and estuaries.

We follow strict Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles like:

1. setting an action threshold (a single pest doesn’t automatically mean control is needed)
2. understanding that not all insects or weeds require control (some are actually beneficial)
3. selecting pest-resistant plants, and
4. evaluating pest control methods for their effectiveness, and risk to the environment.

We also follow all recommended fertilizer restrictions, and we conserve as much water as possible, but if we want to save our resources and eliminate fertilizer run off – we have to do better as a community!

When our yards are over-fertilized, excess nitrogen and phosphorus will flow with rainwater into the stormwater system.

You can reduce your environmental impact by:

1. choosing plants that require less fertilizer
2. using slow-release fertilizer minimizing overall fertilizer use
3. adding an infiltration trench for drainage, and
4. making sure your irrigation system has a rain sensor

But if you really want to eliminate human-contributed nutrients like the nitrates and phosphates that feed the red tide from our water ways – consider artificial grass. Artificial turf needs zero water, zero fertilizer, and zero maintenance – it simply does not get much better than that!

To learn more about the myriad advantages of artificial grass, visit https://www.siestakeylandscape.com/services/artificial-turf or give us a call at 941-379-3479.

We have landscaping options that will make you the envy of your neighbors, while protecting our environment!

Siesta Key Landscape is honored to have been selected as the Landscaping Contractor for this beautifully Reimagined Retreat,

which was just featured in Home & Design Magazine Suncoast. Check out the great article and photography, and don't skip the parts about how the multi-colored pavers where lush palms, flowers, and other foliage by Siesta Key Landscape round out the vacation-home feel.

In what’s shaping up to be one of our best years ever, our team has expanded to continue offering the best all-around property maintenance in Sarasota. Owner John Butts, who has been an ISA Certified Arborist for nearly 15 years, just completed his qualifications to become a Professional Mangrove Trimmer (PMT) and Jason and Daniel continue to work in our Gardens & Flowers team.

Gardens require a watchful eye, but the enjoyment you get from just one flowerbed makes it all worthwhile. This April we are planting Vincas, Pentas, Dusty Millers, and Angel Wing Begonias. Next month, the Caladiums will be coming out like we look forward to every year. Our secret is mixing ‘Command’ organic compost into the soil before planting new flowers, herbs or vegetables.

We’re excited to announce that we recently transitioned to a new fertilizer and plant healthcare vendor. Long story short, John sold his portion of GreenEdge and hired one of his previous technicians to exclusively handle our properties, allowing for better quality control and more accountability. Josh Ward is our boots-on-the-ground guy. He’s extremely knowledgeable when it comes to plant health, palm nutrition, and turf care. We look forward to seeing immediate results from this transition.

We also added full-time office personnel. Barbara McIntyre will be helping us with scheduling and other administrative tasks, as well as answering any questions you may have. Barbara spent the last 20 years as Stephen King’s assistant, and we are happy to have her on our team.

Our maintenance staff and project team has a lot of the same faces and has been very consistent over the past year. It’s getting harder and harder to find good people that can meet the physical demands of this job, but we have an amazing group of men and women working with us right now.

Like everyone else, we’ve had to learn to work differently to overcome some challenges brought on by the pandemic, but mother nature always finds a way and our will to get better, work harder, and provide excellent customer service has never been stronger.

Thank you for being a part of our family and allowing us to serve you!

Immediately recognizable to most Floridians, mangroves, with their distinctive root systems that dot the muddy shores of rivers and estuaries around South Florida, play an important ecological role.

They provide a habitat for thousands of vertebrate and invertebrate marine species and other wildlife, and they often bear the brunt of tropical storms and hurricanes.

Although most mangroves live in mud, they can also thrive in sand, peat, and coral rock, and they can withstand a level of salinity one hundred times greater than most other plants. In fact, mangroves are the only trees that can live in brackish water and they tolerate the daily ebb and flow of coastal tides that would drown most trees, even if the water itself were fresh.

But these majestic trees are by no means indestructible and, as such, they require expert care.

There are over half a million acres of mangroves in Florida and over 80% are under some form of government or private ownership or control and are expressly set aside for preservation or conservation purposes. This means that mangrove pruning must be conducted by a Professional Mangrove Trimmer (PMT) in compliance with the Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act.

Additionally, the City of Sarasota requires permits for the removal of all street trees, mangroves, and private trees on all properties, and it is necessary to provide the building department with a Certified Arborist evaluation to obtain these permits. Siesta Key Landscape owner John Butts has been an ISA Certified Arborist for nearly 15 years, and he has completed all PMT qualifications.

If you live in Sarasota or the surrounding communities of Siesta Key, Longboat Key and Lido Key and you have mangroves growing in or around your property, call Siesta Key Landscape at 941-379-3479. We offer specialized mangrove pruning services that cater to your needs. We can expertly trim your mangroves, in accordance with the Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act, improving your view while maintaining the health of your mangroves and avoiding hefty fines

Congratulations to Mark Sultana & April Balliette of DSDG Architects on being named Best Architect and Best Interior Designer, respectively in SRQ Magazine's Best of SRQ local 2020.

Mark’s clean and fresh designs have earned him 10 Best of SRQ awards while April has held the position of Best Interior Designer for the 4 years the category has existed.

Siesta Key Landscape is proud to have worked with this dynamic duo on projects like the recently completed Blue Marlin Residence.

Backyard walkways and paths are a great way to connect parts of your yard and create separate areas within it.

Residential and commercial landscapes can benefit from various types of walkways and paths. These are functional but also can be designed to enhance any outdoor landscape. Siesta Key landscape specializes in all varieties of walkway & path design and installation.

We can connect your outdoor living spaces with steppers or pathways. From flagstone steppers and paths to brick, natural stone, gravel or concrete, there are multiple ways to get around your landscape. Let us help you create an attractive walkway or path throughout your gardens and landscaping today.

Landscaping can be a highly effective way to make your property more appealing and also allow you to spend more time in your green space. Outdoor pathways and walkways can guide visitors to your front door or a hidden backyard garden. Custom paths can add aesthetic charm and practical function to your property.

When choosing materials and creating designs for your custom path, we consider the style of your home and surrounding property and use that complements your home’s existing architecture and decorative choices.
Our landscape architects and designers will provide you with a complimentary consultation for your walkways and paths project.

DIY landscaping projects can be a lot of fun, as long as everything goes according to plan but, if you don’t have the right training, tools or experience, a simple DIY project can quickly turn into a major unexpected expense - especially if you hit a utility line while digging!

Professional Landscapers have the knowledge, experience, equipment (and insurance) to handle any problem that might arise. They’re familiar with local rules and regulations, and they know what plants, irrigation systems, and water strategies will work best with your soil composition and climate.

There are many great reasons to hire a Professional Landscaper, especially for larger projects, even if you mow your own lawn and trim your own hedges each week. Here are some of them:

Professional Landscaping Increases Your Property Value

Professional landscaping offers an excellent return on investment. According to John Gidding, host of HGTV’s “Curb Appeal” and Logo TV’s “Secret Guide to Fabulous”, a landscaping investment can yield as much as a 1,000% return. As a rule of thumb, Erik Shorb, co-owner American Plant, a Bethesda-based nursery and landscaping company, recommends investing 10% of your property value on landscaping. Of course, there are many things you can do to significantly improve your home’s curb appeal through landscaping, even if you only have a few hundred dollars to spend on landscaping.

Professional Landscaping Makes Your Home More Enjoyable

Professional Landscapers have the creative vision to turn an ugly backyard into your favorite staycation and, when your backyard looks good, you and your family will want to spend more time at home.

Professional Landscaping Lowers Your Water AND Energy Bills

You probably already know that the right landscaping will reduce your water consumption but, Energy.gov reports show that “shading and evaporation from trees can reduce surrounding air temperatures by as much as 6°F” and “air temperatures directly under trees can be as much as 25°F cooler.” Talk about return on investment!

Professional Landscaping Will Save Your Back

Professional Landscaping is back-breaking work, especially if you don’t have a crew or the right equipment and hauling landscaping supplies in your sedan can take the fun out of any DIY project.

Maintaining your new-found oasis can be hard work too. If you don’t want to spend your hard-earned weekend working on the yard (or your hard-earned money paying someone else to do it), a professional landscaper can offer low-maintenance options.

Professional Landscaping Can Help Your Maximize Your Space

Even a small area can become a relaxing getaway with the right vision.

Professional Landscapers Can Keep You On Budget

We’ve all seen DIY Projects spin out of control. Professional Landscapers can tell you how much a project will cost (before you are knee-deep in it), they can help you establish priorities so you can stretch a project across a few phases, and help you stay on budget!

If you’re ready to increase your property value, reduce your cooling costs or just make your outdoor spaces more enjoyable, call Siesta Key Landscape at 941-379-3479.

The source could be your Areca palms.

There’s a common misconception regarding Areca palms that all the new growth must be trimmed away. Unfortunately, all these open cuts provide an easy point of entry for diseases which are often incurable and can spread to other palms on your property.

One common example of an incurable palm disease is Ganoderma Butt Rot. This disease is so contagious that it can easily spread through pruning shears or chainsaws and, once a diseased palm is removed, a new palm cannot be planted in its place for 4 to 5 years.

If you have any questions or concerns about Ganoderma, or any other palm disease, call Siesta Key Landscape at 941-379-3479 and always inform your landscape company if you think you might have an infected palm so they don’t inadvertently transfer the disease to healthy palms.

When you land one of the last original bungalows in paradise, only the best will do and that includes landscaping by Siesta Key Landscape!

Check out the Detroit Home article of this Casey Key gem that we worked on.

Florida Oolite – (Coral Stone) found at or near the surface in southeastern peninsular of Florida from Palm Beach County to the Barrier Islands east of Miami bordering Biscayne Bay and the lower Keys of Florida From Big Pine Island to the Marquesas Keys just south of Key West.

Florida Oolite Coral Stone consists of fossiliferous limestone, quartz sand, marine sediments and lime sandstones.

Fossils present in this Coral Stone include mollusks, bryozoans, and corals. Molds and casts of fossils are common. This Coral Stone is highly porous and permeable. This Coral Stone has a Tropical appeal and is used in walls, columns, Building Veneer and as Bank or Shore Lining.

The most prevalent form of oolite is southern Dade county oolite because of the available rural land. Southern Dade county oolite is characterized by white. Gables oolite or graveyard stone is characterized by deep crevices & rust veining. It is available in limited quantities & because of its porosity can not be hatchet faced in thicknesses less than 3 inches.

Oolite is temperamental and requires expert installation, skills that exceed those of most commercial or residential tile layers.

Siesta Key Landscape can install it in a variety of formats: Trench Cut Blocks, Saw Cut Blocks, Slabs, Dimensional, Flagstone (Irregular shapes) and Curbing If you are looking for a Pinecrest, Gables, or Palm Beach look – oolite is the material for you.

For this unique project on North Lake Shore Drive in Sarasota we removed all the existing landscape in order to allow for renovations to take place.

Then, once the new driveway was installed, we provided all the irrigation, landscape, drainage, and landscape lighting.

We carefully routed all the gutter drains underground and out to large drain basins near the bay, we installed several sections of artificial turf near the front entrance for low maintenance and aesthetics, and we added zoysia grass sod in the front yard and back.

Siesta Key Landscape worked closely with the homeowner and Tim Borden Landscape Architect to complete this stunning landscape design.

Coming Soon: Look for these pictures on the cover of Home & Design magazine!

Click here to see more photos

A Casey Key home we did the landcaping for was recently featured in an article for Detroit Home Magazine.

A respectful innovation of an original 1940s Florida cottage honors the best of the past and present.

https://youtu.be/XCU2CX1BKAk

To do the job right, you need to make sure that a sporting field is completely level and that the soil is properly prepared before you put grass down.

That is why we begin by rough grading the area with a bobcat or large tractor, then we do the final grading with a box blade or another type of level before raking all of the soil into place by hand. We also add a large amount of organic matter to sandy soils so they can maintain good drainage and have the capacity to hold some water.

Siesta Key Landscape builds soccer fields, playgrounds, putting greens and all kinds of backyard sporting fields, and we do all of the prep work needed so the finished product is perfect every time!

Can You identify this palm disease in the landscape. Once a Palm is dead and cut down it’s extremely important to remove the stump or grind the stump to eliminate any other palms from contamination.

This palm disease is extremely dangerous to any palm, it spreads easily through pruning shears or chainsaws and there are no current treatments for this disease. The hard, Brown mushrooms are the fruit from the disease and should be carefully removed then immediately disposed of in the trash.

The unique shape and rich textures of Palm Trees have become a symbol of the Florida lifestyle and their durability and adaptability have made them a favorite of landscape designers in the warmer parts of the state, but these hearty plants can succumb to a variety of diseases including Ganoderma.

Ganoderma zonatum, the pathogen that causes Ganoderma Palm Disease, was first identified by scientists at the University of Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center in 1994. This lethal and incurable disease which affects mature palms can easily spread through pruning shears or chainsaws and it is important to remove or grind the stump, once a tree has been cut down.

In the early stages of Ganoderma Palm Disease, the older fronds droop and turn brown, and new growth slows and becomes pale green or yellow. As the older fronds continue to die, the younger leaves begin to wilt and turn brown at the tips. Infected trees will usually die 6 to 12 months after the initial symptoms appear. Some trees have been known to hang on for several years, but they should be removed once the disease is identified in order to prevent further contamination.

Other symptoms include “bleeding”, a reddish secretion that stains the trunk, and the formation of a conk or bracket fungus on the lower part of the trunk as seen in these photos. This conk is the reproductive body or fruit of the disease and it should be carefully removed and immediately disposed of to protect neighboring palms. The presence of this hard, brown mushroom is proof that the tree has Ganoderma, but the absence of the same does not mean that a palm may not be infected.

The fungus starts out as a small, white blob that is flat against the tree. As it grows, it begins to jut out like a shelf, its texture becomes woody, and its color changes to a shiny brown with bands of reddish and lighter shades of brown. At maturity, the conks swell around the edges revealing a white surface where millions of spores are produced. These spores are then transported to other palms by the wind.

You should avoid replacing the removed palm with another palm because any fungus still present in the soil or root system of the diseased palm could infect the new palm. If you do are set on another palm, you should remove all of the old roots and replace the soil with new soil, but your best bet is to plant something other than a palm tree in that spot.

If you see the telltale conk or otherwise suspect that your palms have become infected with Ganoderma and you are in Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Lido Key or the surrounding areas of Sarasota County, call Siesta Key Landscape at 941-379-3479.

The explosion of manicured golf courses that spread throughout the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s made the “golf course-like lawn” a goal for many American homeowners.

Spurred by this new-found interest in golf courses and private lawns, the USDA increased its testing of potential lawn and turf grasses throughout the country's land-grant universities. It is around this time that Zoysia grass, which is native to Asia, is introduced into the United States.

Zoysia grasses are suitable for southern climates like ours, they grow in a variety of soil types, and can tolerate cold temperature, shade, and salt.

In recent years, turfgrass breeders have also made improvements to the insect resistance, establishment speed, and overall performance of the grasses but, without proper maintenance, even this hearty breed will not produce the desired results.

These warm-season grasses should be planted in the spring after the threat of frost has passed. Their optimal growth season is the late spring and summer and, although they tend to brown in the winter, they are among the first to return in the spring. Their dense turf makes them resistant to weeds and tolerant to heavy foot traffic, but the dense turf also causes them to develop a thick layer of organic material at the soil level known as a thatch.

Zoysia grasses should be aerated and dethatched in the early spring so they have time to recover before their peak growing season, they typically require 1” of rain or irrigation per week, although sandy soils require more frequent watering, they should be kept at a height of 1 to 1 ½ inches, they have a relatively low nitrogen requirement, and they prefer a soil pH of 5.8 to 7.0.

Soil testing can help you determine the nutrient requirements of your Zoysia lawn but, if you’re aiming for the “golf course-like lawn” that has been the goal of many Americans since the turn of last century, there’s no substitution for the care of a trained professional.

If you are in Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Lido Key, and the surrounding areas of Sarasota County, call Siesta Key Landscape at 941-379-3479.

Have a problem w your palms and not sure what it could be?

Palms are very unique plants and are not like most trees. They require a very specific amount of fertilizer compared to turf grass. They can also be very negatively affected by turf grass fertilizer and should always be treated separately.

Most palm problems are from deficiencies in nutrients, excessive moisture or improper planting. Palms that experience severe nutrient deficiencies for too long can become stressed out and attract boring or chewing insects that could kill the palm.

At SKL we offer the very best palm nutritional program in Sarasota. We use a custom blended 8-2-12 granular fertilizer w slow release minor nutrients.

Not all 8-2-12 fertilizer is created equal and most companies take out the good slow release components for cheaper quick release components.

We apply this 8-2-12 directly to palms three times per year but what we do different is the key! During the black out period of the summer we apply a granular 0-0-16 Potassium based fertilizer w minor nutrients that gives palms the proper amount of potassium to offset any granular they may have received from the turf grass. Potassium deficiencies are one of the leading problems w palm tree decline so if your company is not doing this and using good quality fertilizer then they are doing u more harm than good.

Siesta Key Landscape provides expert landscape design for Sarasota Florida and the surrounding areas.

We specialize in hardscapes and paver design. Here is an example of a Casey Key pool patio we recently finished. We can help you with all aspects of home masonry such as driveway and walkway construction, poolscapes and custom landscaping services.

Our services include: Driveways/walkways, Custom fireplaces, fire pits, and barbeques, Custom design, Poolscapes, Custom landscaping.

Fire pits are a popular addition to backyards.

This is a fire pit we recently completed with pavers around it. Our paver patio fire pits are lined with steel rings to protect the block surround. There are also grill attachments available for most pits that allow the pit to be used as a wood fire grill. We can customize each pit to fit our client’s needs.