Landscaping Questions & Answers for Clermont and Central Florida

Most full-yard landscaping in the Clermont area runs $2 to $15 per square foot depending on how much is plants and mulch versus pavers, irrigation and structures. A typical 500 sq ft front-yard refresh in the Orlando market is roughly $2,300–$6,000; a complete new-construction package with sod, irrigation, trees and beds is more. We give free, itemized estimates so you can phase the work.

We are based in Clermont and serve all of south Lake County every week: Clermont, Minneola, Groveland, Montverde, Mascotte and Howey-in-the-Hills. We also work in west Orange County (Winter Garden, Horizon West, Ocoee, Windermere, Apopka), the Four Corners and Davenport area of Polk County, and take larger projects across Lake, Orange, Polk, Osceola, Seminole, Marion and Sumter counties. See our service areas.

Florida does not issue a statewide landscape contractor license; landscape installation and lawn maintenance require local business tax receipts and insurance. Applying fertilizer for hire requires the state Limited Urban Fertilizer certification, and applying any pesticide (including weed-and-feed) requires a Florida Department of Agriculture license. Highland Grove is licensed, bonded and insured and holds the certifications its crews need.

Yes. Most communities in Clermont, Minneola, Groveland, Winter Garden and Horizon West require architectural-review (ARC) approval before changing a front yard, adding pavers or building a pergola. We prepare the plan drawing, plant list and material specs the committee asks for and use plants from the community's approved palette.

No. Florida Statute 373.185 says an HOA cannot prohibit Florida-Friendly Landscaping (drought-tolerant, low-fertilizer, low-irrigation design). The HOA can still review the design for appearance, so we prepare submittals that satisfy both the statute and the community's standards.

Up front it is usually similar or a little more than sod because of plant and mulch costs, but it costs far less to own: less water, no summer fertilizer, less mowing. On Clermont's sandy hills, where turf at the top of a slope struggles anyway, replacing it with drought-tolerant beds is often the best-looking option too.

For most residential projects the design is included in the project estimate. For larger custom designs with scaled drawings, lighting and hardscape plans, design is quoted separately and credited toward the installation when we build it.

In the Clermont market a typical full-lawn sod job runs about $1,300 to $2,800 installed, with most homes landing near $1,800. Price depends on square footage, grass type (St. Augustine, Zoysia, Bahia), how much old turf must be removed and whether the soil needs grading or amendment. Sod pallets are also sold at our nursery if you want to install it yourself.

Installed paver patios, walkways and driveways in Central Florida generally run $12 to $25 per square foot, depending on the paver style, base preparation, edge restraints and site access. Pool decks and retaining walls are quoted per project. We give itemized estimates so you can compare patterns and materials.

An established lawn in Central Florida needs about ¾ inch of water per zone per watering, one or two times a week depending on the season and the water district's current schedule. Watering deeply and infrequently grows deeper roots than daily light watering. Use a rain sensor or smart controller so the system skips wet days.

Clermont and Lake County are in the St. Johns River Water Management District. Under the Phase III water shortage order issued in May 2026: odd-numbered addresses water Saturday, even-numbered addresses Sunday, non-residential properties Tuesday, and no irrigation between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., limited to ¾ inch and one hour per zone. Normal (non-shortage) rules are two days a week during daylight saving time (odd Wed/Sat, even Thu/Sun) and one day a week in winter (odd Sat, even Sun), never 10 a.m.–4 p.m. We set every controller we touch to the current schedule.

Under the current Lake County shortage order, not between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. (normally not between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.). Early morning, around 4–7 a.m., is best: less evaporation and the grass dries by midday, which reduces fungus.

Under normal St. Johns River Water Management District rules, low-volume irrigation such as drip and micro-spray for beds, and hand watering with a shutoff nozzle, are allowed any day and time. Confirm the current shortage-order details on the district's site, because emergency orders can change the allowances. We install drip in plant beds partly for this reason.

The City of Clermont enforces the district schedule through its water conservation code, typically with a warning followed by escalating fines for repeat violations, and the city notes that daily irrigation of an established lawn violates city code. The easiest way to avoid it is a controller programmed to the schedule, which we do on every install and service call.

Yes. The St. Johns district's normal schedule changes between daylight saving time (two days a week) and standard time (one day a week), so controllers should be reprogrammed in March and November. Smart controllers handle this automatically; we can also set it on a seasonal service visit.

UF/IFAS recommends pine bark, pine straw and melaleuca (eucalyptus) mulch and discourages cypress because it is harvested from wetlands. Pine bark lasts longest and looks tidy; pine straw is cheap and great under trees. We stock bulk mulch at the nursery and deliver throughout Lake County.

Plan on topping off every year and fully refreshing every 2 to 3 years. Pine straw breaks down fastest; pine bark nuggets last longest. Keep mulch 2–3 inches deep and pulled back a few inches from trunks and stems.

Mulch is better for plant health: it holds moisture, cools roots and adds organic matter to our sandy soil. Rock is permanent, low-maintenance and ideal for drainage areas, walkway edges and beds against the house, but it heats up and reflects heat onto plants. Many Clermont yards use both: rock in high-traffic or drainage areas, mulch around plants.

Sealing is recommended, not required. Florida sun, rain and sprinkler water fade pavers and let weeds and mildew take hold in the joints; a sealer locks the joint sand, deepens the color and makes cleaning easier. Plan on resealing every 3 to 5 years.

Cleaning and sealing in Central Florida generally runs about $0.50 to $2.00 per square foot depending on the sealer type and how much cleaning and re-sanding the surface needs. We quote it with any paver installation.

Pavers cost more up front but handle Florida's heat, settling and tree roots better: individual pavers can be lifted and reset instead of cutting out a cracked slab. They also give better traction around pools. Concrete is cheaper and fine for utility areas. Most of our Clermont and Winter Garden clients choose pavers for patios, pool decks and driveway extensions.

Lake County exempts small one-story accessory structures under 120 square feet with no electrical or plumbing when built by the homeowner. Most contractor-built pergolas are larger and need an accessory-structure permit, and city limits (Clermont, Minneola, Groveland) have their own permitting. We confirm the requirement and pull the permit as part of the project.

Almost always. Pergolas are visible structures and nearly every HOA in Clermont, Minneola, Horizon West and Winter Garden requires architectural-review approval first. We provide the drawings, dimensions and material samples the committee asks for.

Aluminum is the lowest maintenance and handles sun, rain and humidity without rot or repainting. Vinyl is also low-maintenance and affordable. Pressure-treated or cedar wood gives the warmest look but needs staining every few years. We build all three and will match the material to your budget and HOA rules.

For most Clermont-area yards it is St. Augustine (Floratam) for full sun and a thick, fast-establishing lawn, Zoysia (Empire, Zeon) for a finer, more drought-tolerant turf that tolerates light traffic, and Bahia for large, unirrigated or rural lots. We stock all three at the nursery and will recommend one based on your sun, irrigation and how much maintenance you want.

St. Augustine establishes fastest and stays greener in winter but needs the most water and fertilizer. Zoysia uses less water, handles wear better and looks like a northern lawn, but is slower to establish and pricier. Bahia is the toughest and cheapest, needs little irrigation, but is coarse and thins out in shade. A UF/IFAS trial in Osceola County found St. Augustine establishes faster and grows more in winter than Zoysia.

Floratam St. Augustine needs 6+ hours of sun. For oak-shaded yards in Winter Park, Windermere or older Clermont neighborhoods, use a shade-tolerant St. Augustine such as Bitter Blue, Seville or Palmetto, or replace deep-shade areas with ground covers and mulch beds.

Sod can be installed year-round in Central Florida. Spring through early summer is ideal because warm soil and summer rain speed rooting; late fall and winter installs root more slowly and need careful watering. Avoid laying sod right before a hard freeze.

Under the St. Johns River Water Management District rules in effect in 2026, new sod and plantings may be watered daily for the first 15 days, up to 3 days a week for the next 30 days, then 2 days a week for 15 days before switching to the normal schedule. Water in the early morning and keep the top inch of soil moist until the sod resists a gentle tug.

Weekly in summer, every 10–14 days in winter. Never remove more than one-third of the blade at once. Mow Floratam St. Augustine at 3.5–4 inches; Zoysia at 1.5–2.5 inches; Bahia at 3–4 inches. Taller cuts shade out weeds and grow deeper roots in our sandy soil.

Yes. Lake County's fertilizer ordinance bans nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer on lawns and landscape beds from June 1 through September 30 in unincorporated areas; October through May it requires 0% phosphorus and at least 50% slow-release nitrogen, with a 15-foot no-fertilizer buffer along lakes and canals. Orange County has the same summer blackout. Our lawn care programs use iron and potassium blends in summer and slow-release nitrogen the rest of the year.

Plants that handle sandy soil, summer heat and occasional frost: viburnum, podocarpus and clusia for hedges; crape myrtle, live oak, magnolia and sylvester palms for trees; firebush, plumbago, muhly grass, coontie and dwarf bougainvillea for color. Our nursery grows and stocks these because they succeed in Lake County.

Muhly grass, coontie, firebush, beautyberry, saw palmetto, dwarf yaupon holly, Walter's viburnum, simpson's stopper, blanket flower and most native palms. These need little irrigation once established, which matters on Clermont's fast-draining ridge sand and under the current watering restrictions. Ask at the nursery for a Florida-Friendly plant list.

Fall through early spring (October–March) is ideal: roots establish in cooler weather before summer heat. Container plants from our nursery can be planted any month with proper watering; avoid planting tender tropicals right before a freeze.

Saw palmetto, coontie, muhly grass, beautyberry, firebush, Walter's viburnum, longleaf pine, sand live oak and scrub-adapted plants evolved on exactly this ridge soil. They need almost no fertilizer and little water once rooted.

Yes. Landscape contractors, builders, property managers and HOAs can buy trees, palms, shrubs, sod pallets, mulch and rock at wholesale pricing from our Clermont nursery. See the wholesale nursery page or call ahead with your plant list.

Yes. The nursery at 20525 County Rd 561, Clermont is open to homeowners Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Our staff can help you choose plants for your yard and our crew can install them.

Under the 2026 St. Johns River Water Management District shortage order, Clermont odd-numbered addresses water on Saturday, even-numbered addresses on Sunday, with no irrigation between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. The City of Clermont posts updates when the schedule changes, and we reprogram controllers on request.

Our nursery is on County Road 561 just north of downtown Clermont, about 3 miles from the Citrus Tower. Kings Ridge, Legends and the Hartwood Marsh Road communities are 10–15 minutes away.

Yes. Hills of Minneola, Del Webb Minneola and the Sugarloaf Mountain communities are minutes from our nursery. We upgrade builder packages with soil amendment, better sod, drip-irrigated beds, shade trees and paver walkways, and handle the ARC paperwork.

Yes. Hamlin, Independence, Summerlake and the rest of Horizon West are about 20 minutes from our nursery along SR-50 and SR-429, and new-construction landscape upgrades there are some of our most common jobs.

Yes. Ocoee is about 20 minutes from our Clermont nursery via SR-50. We work in Westyn Bay, Arden Park, Forest Trails and the neighborhoods along Clarke Road and Ocoee-Apopka Road.

Ocoee is in the St. Johns River Water Management District. Under the 2026 shortage order, odd-numbered addresses water Saturday and even-numbered addresses Sunday, with no irrigation between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Yes. We serve Windermere's gated communities including Isleworth, Keene's Pointe and Lake Butler Sound, and we prepare the architectural-review submittals those communities require.

Yes. We use wind- and water-tolerant plants along the shoreline, keep fertilizer 15 feet back from the water, and put the formal landscaping up near the house.

That's most of our Horizon West work: soil amendment, better sod, drip-irrigated beds, shade trees, paver patios and lanai extensions, plus the HOA paperwork.

About 20 minutes. Our nursery is on County Road 561 in Clermont; SR-50 and SR-429 take our crews to Hamlin, Independence, Summerport and Waterleigh.

Yes. We design low-maintenance, HOA-compliant yards for Leesburg's 55+ communities and offer scheduled lawn care, and we prepare the architectural-review submittals.

Yes. Sod pallets, bulk mulch, rock and trees are delivered to Leesburg from our Clermont nursery, about 25 minutes down US-27.

Yes. Royal Harbor, Lake Harris Shores and other lakefront neighborhoods are regular stops. Shoreline plantings use native and Florida-Friendly plants and respect the 15-foot fertilizer buffer.

Tavares follows the St. Johns River Water Management District schedule: under the 2026 shortage order, odd addresses water Saturday, even addresses Sunday, no irrigation 8 a.m.–6 p.m.

Yes. Both are new-construction communities about 15 minutes from our nursery, and we upgrade builder yards there and handle the HOA submittals.

Yes. We terrace and plant slopes with ground covers and shrubs that hold soil, and design irrigation zones by elevation so the top of the hill doesn't dry out.