Privacy planting · Sarasota & Manatee County
Palms, hedges, and screens for Gulf-coast lots and side yards.
Planting that blocks the view you don't want and frames the one you do, laid out with the paths, beds, and lighting around it.
- Sarasota & Manatee County
- Free on-site estimate
- You deal with the owner
What we plant
Lots on the coast are often close together, and side yards end up as the view from the kitchen window. Privacy planting puts layers of green between you and the neighbors, the street, or the equipment you would rather not look at.
Palms
Height and a tropical look along property lines, entries, and pool areas.
Hedges
Continuous green screens along fences and lot lines.
Screens and layered beds
Taller plants in back, lower plants in front, so the screen looks planted rather than walled off. Beds can be lifted with a low retaining wall where the grade calls for it.
Side-yard makeovers
Paths, gravel, stepping stones, and planting that turn a leftover strip into part of the yard.
Front-yard planting
Palms and beds that frame the house and the driveway, including grass-free and xeriscape front yards.
Native and low-water plants, and pet-safe plant choices, can be part of the plan. Say what matters to you at the on-site visit.
How a planting job runs.
- Step 01
Call or email
Phone is fastest. Photos of what you want to screen help. - Step 02
On-site look
Free visit. Sun, soil, drainage, access, and what you actually want to hide. - Step 03
Plant
Beds prepared, plants set and spaced for growth, mulch or gravel finished. Same crew, Craig on the job, site kept clean. - Step 04
Walkthrough
You see the finished planting before we leave it.
Plants and materials
Typical building blocks of a privacy planting. Specific plants are picked for the site at the on-site visit.
- 01
Palms
For height, a tropical look, and screening above fence line.
- 02
Hedges & shrubs
Dense, continuous screens along fences and lot lines.
- 03
Native plants
Plants suited to the local climate, including low-water options.
- 04
Mulch, gravel & stone
Bed finishes, gravel areas, and stepping stones for side-yard paths.
Worth thinking about before the visit
A screen works best when it is aimed at a specific view. Before Craig comes out, it helps to stand where you sit, cook, or swim and note:
- What you want to block. A neighbor's window, the street, a pool equipment pad, or an air-conditioning unit.
- How high it needs to be. Eye level from a chair, or above a fence line from a second story.
- Sun, shade, and salt. Which beds bake all afternoon, and whether the lot catches wind and salt spray off the water.
- Pets and kids. Whether plants need to be pet-safe or non-toxic.
- Upkeep. How much trimming and watering you are willing to do.
Privacy planting questions
Straight answers. The specific plants for your yard come from the on-site look.
01How long until a privacy screen fills in?
It depends on the plants, their size at planting, spacing, sun, and water. Larger plants give more screening on day one but cost more up front; smaller plants take longer to close the gaps. We will talk through that trade-off for your yard at the on-site visit.
02Are palms or a hedge better for privacy?
They do different jobs. Many palms give height and a tropical look but leave gaps at eye level once the trunks are bare, while a hedge screens at eye level along a fence or lot line. A layered planting often uses both: palms for height, shrubs and hedges below.
03Can you use native, low-water, or pet-safe plants?
Yes. Native and low-water plants, and pet-safe or non-toxic choices, can be part of the plan. Say what matters to you at the on-site visit so plant choices start from there.
04Will new plants need extra watering?
New plants generally need regular water while they establish, even drought-tolerant ones. If the property has irrigation, part of the on-site look is whether it reaches the new beds. Ask at the walkthrough what the new planting needs in its first months.
05How close to the fence or property line can you plant?
Plants are spaced for the size they will grow to, not the size they are on planting day, so they have room to fill in without crowding the fence or spilling into the neighbor's yard. HOA rules can also apply. The spacing is set for your lot at the on-site visit.
06Can planting be done together with a patio or path?
Yes. The same crew handles pavers and planting, so a screen can be planned with a patio or walkway and built in one job.
Related work
Planting often comes with one of these.
- 01
Patios & walkways
Side-yard paths and patios to go with the new screen.
Read more - 02
Pool decks
Palms and beds around the pool and deck.
Read more - 03
Retaining walls
Raised beds that lift a screen above the grade.
Read more - 04
Service areas
Sarasota, Manatee County, and the coast from Siesta Key to Venice.
Read more
Free on-site planting estimate.
Tell us the city and what you want screened: a neighbor, the street, a side yard, or the pool area.