[Ozzello]

I have met many victims of poor landscape installers. Few mistakes are more blatant and greedy as the landscapers planting expensive Areca, Bottle, Triangle and even Foxtail Palms.

There are a LOT of "landscapers" that don't know or don't care as long as they make lots of money. So no matter how large the company and advertising budget , or how many houses they landscaped on your street. do a little homework.

REMEMBER word of mouth is not a fact and often biased or not accurate at all. Look up REAL DATA.

Betrocks Cold Hardy Palms is the best book I have found.

[Wiotte]

Originally Posted by Ozzello

I have met many victims of poor landscape installers. Few mistakes are more blatant and greedy as the landscapers planting expensive Areca, Bottle, Triangle and even Foxtail Palms.



There are a LOT of "landscapers" that don't know or don't care as long as they make lots of money. So no matter how large the company and advertising budget , or how many houses they landscaped on your street. do a little homework.



REMEMBER word of mouth is not a fact and often biased or not accurate at all. Look up REAL DATA.



Betrocks Cold Hardy Palms is the best book I have found.

Home Depot & Lowe’s also sell these varieties. All are complicit.


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[Ozzello]

Not all. Bobby from Escapes Landscaping will not let you make mistakes. I know for a fact he warned the owners and sales people at the large company installing large and expensive areca palms all over the Villages, (and not replacing the dead they supposedly warrantee.)

If your 'designer' moved to this area from South Florida or up north and you don't fact check everything the salesman or salesgirl tells you ... what you get is your fault. This area is a unique zone , find one of the few natives , and then fact check them too.
I can't believe people are still allowing door knocking un insured idiot drug addled scam artists to install stack wall and expensive plants and palms, but I just looked at a front yard in Osceola. about 3000 in materials is installed. All the wall and cap is going to settle, looks terrible. Big trees 1 foot from the sidewalk, wall built so close to the road , not just the ARC will make him take it down, so will the FDOT. sagos covered in scale and several trees and plants that wont live through our average zone winter.

From the crappy landscape explosion in Feeney , I see Service Smart has done well scamming door to door. When is the ARC going to get off their you know whats and get out here and go after these door knockers?

[JerryP]

What does ARC have to do with companies soliciting in the Villages?

I would also like to add that the Sago Palm which is seen in a lot of yards is quite poisonous which you might also want to consider. I agree that some research is essential.

[villagetinker]

Master Gardener is an excellent resource for this type of information, they have workshops in the villages, check the Daily Sun for times and locations.

[Choice Maintenance]

Service Smart’s landscape division has definitely been running through Fenney. I see there same two sales trucks just circling neighborhoods waiting to find someone outside.

Stop letting companies install Queen palms. They are some of the messiest palms. They are not apart of the low maintenance landscape you’re looking for. They are apart of the cheap and tall palms club.

Most importantly please please please stop letting your retaining walls be a mere 1ft from your palm trunk. You’ll be calling us or another reputable company to come and repair the gaps in your wall and cap as the palm root ball will push it apart within the first year.

[JoMar]

Originally Posted by JerryP

What does ARC have to do with companies soliciting in the Villages?

Landscaping and hardscapes need to be approved by ARC. Those soliciting often try to avoid that to make their sales. It is the homeowners responsibility if it doesn't comply, not the landscapers.

[Ozzello]

The sago seed is the poisonous part. Male sagos do not seed. I agree Master Gardener is a good place to start, though the bulk of the people in MG club are not experts or from this area. I am finding some false facts that seem to stem from the Master Gardeners. Opinions on Queen palms, roballinis, etc are misleading and not in line with actual weather data and long standing expert knowledge and published documentation from the actual people with a masters degree teaching horticulture at UF.

There are not many true experts in the area. Bobby at Escapes is top notch and always willing to spend a little time with my questions, 352 303 8610

Originally Posted by Ozzello

The sago seed is the poisonous part. Male sagos do not seed. I agree Master Gardener is a good place to start, though the bulk of the people in MG club are not experts or from this area. I am finding some false facts that seem to stem from the Master Gardeners. Opinions on Queen palms, roballinis, etc are misleading and not in line with actual weather data and long standing expert knowledge and published documentation from the actual people with a masters degree teaching horticulture at UF.

There are not many true experts in the area. Bobby at Escapes is top notch and always willing to spend a little time with my questions, 352 303 8610

I never knew there were male and female plants but found out that the Sylvester Palm also has a male variety that does not produce seed pods.

[Ozzello]

Those are rare mutations, Sylvester Date palms are self pollinating.

Sagos, Coonties and Cardboard palms are not true palms, but cycads and always male or female.