LANDSCAPE DESIGN & INSTALLATION · WINTER PARK, FL
Winter park landscape design rooted in Zone 9b plant science, estate-scale proportions, and twenty years of building landscapes that thrive under Central Florida's live oaks, sandy soils, and summer heat. Owner-operated design-build.
Design-Build for Winter Park Estates
Winter park landscape design requires a builder who understands that every planting decision here lives or dies by three factors: shade from the live oak canopy, drainage through sugar-sand soil, and irrigation coverage in a water-restricted district. Michael Geist's Yard Works brings a design-build model to Winter Park estates—the same person who designs your landscape is the person who installs it and maintains it year-round. That continuity eliminates the handoff failures that kill most landscape investments within three years. We select every tree, palm, shrub, and groundcover from a Zone 9b plant palette vetted across hundreds of installations in 32789 and 32792, and we size every planting for its mature canopy—not its nursery pot.
Whether you need a full estate renovation, a front-yard curb-appeal upgrade, a palm installation, or targeted bed work under difficult shade conditions, we handle the entire scope from concept sketch through post-install maintenance.
Full-Scope Landscape Services
Every project is scoped, designed, and installed by Michael—not subbed out to a crew you have never met. These are the core landscape services we deliver across Winter Park.
Strip overgrown beds down to clean soil, amend with compost, install new plantings sized for mature scale, and top with premium hardwood mulch. Designed for curb appeal and low maintenance.
Sylvester, Medjool, Christmas, Foxtail, and Sabal palms sourced from Florida nurseries. Crane-set for large specimens, hand-planted for accent palms. Root ball irrigation included.
Custom plant palettes for the deep shade under Winter Park's mature live oaks. Bromeliads, ferns, cast iron plant, and shade-tolerant groundcovers that thrive without direct sun.
Layered bed designs that frame your home’s architecture. We size shrubs for mature height so your windows stay visible and your roofline stays balanced five years out.
Paver walkways, retaining walls, fire pits, and decorative borders designed to complement the softscape. We coordinate with trusted hardscape partners for seamless execution.
Low-voltage LED uplighting on specimen trees, path lighting along walkways, and accent lighting on architectural features. Designed for beauty and security after dark.
From Concept to Completion
One point of contact from first sketch to final mulch. No middlemen, no handoff failures no surprises.
Michael walks your property to assess sun and shade patterns, soil conditions, existing plantings, irrigation coverage, and your goals for the space.
We develop a design concept with a Zone 9b plant palette selected for your site conditions. Each plant is chosen for mature size, not nursery-pot size.
You receive a detailed proposal with plant specifications, quantities, and pricing. Once approved, we source from local Florida nurseries for specimen quality.
Beds are stripped, graded, and amended with compost based on soil test results. Irrigation heads are relocated or added to match the new planting layout.
Plants are installed at the correct depth and spacing, root balls are scored and watered in, and beds are finished with two to three inches of premium hardwood mulch.
We return at 7, 30, and 90 days to check establishment, adjust irrigation, prune any transplant stress, and apply slow-release fertilizer.
Plants That Thrive Here
Every plant we install is selected from a vetted Zone 9b palette. These are proven performers in Winter Park's sandy soils, summer humidity, and varied light conditions.
Dense, evergreen hedge or specimen tree. Full sun to partial shade. Drought-tolerant once established. Ideal for privacy screens.
Florida native with fragrant white flowers and red berries. Attracts birds. Full sun to shade. Excellent foundation shrub.
Self-cleaning, fast-growing specimen palm. Full sun. Dramatic fronds create estate-scale vertical interest without heavy maintenance.
Florida native ornamental grass with stunning pink plumes in fall. Full sun, drought-tolerant. Perfect for mass planting in beds.
The ultimate shade plant for deep canopy areas. Virtually indestructible. Dark green, architectural foliage that thrives where nothing else will.
Florida native evergreen shrub. Dense branching makes it ideal for formal hedges. Tolerates both full sun and partial shade.
One Point of Contact
Most landscape projects fail at the handoff. A designer draws something beautiful, hands it to an installer who has never met the soil, and walks away. The installer substitutes plant species based on what his wholesaler has in stock, skips the soil amendment because it was not in his bid, and installs everything at nursery spacing—not mature spacing.
Our design-build model eliminates every one of those failure points. Michael designs the landscape, sources the material, prepares the soil, installs the plants, and maintains them season after season. The person who chose your Simpson Stoppers is the same person who prunes them in March. That continuity is why our landscapes look better at year five than they did at year one.
Part of Our Full-Service Platform
Landscape design is one service within the complete lawn care and landscaping platform we deliver across Winter Park. From reel mowing and sod installation to topdressing and irrigation, every service is owner-operated and built on soil-first methodology.
View All Winter Park Services →More Services in Winter Park
CitraZoy, Zeon, Empire, ProVista, and Floratam. Soil prep, grading, and 60-day establishment.
View Sod Installation →Tournament-grade precision cuts for zoysia and bermuda estates across Winter Park.
View Reel Mowing →Compost-sand blend topdressing to smooth undulations and build soil biology.
View Topdressing →Smart controller installs, MP Rotator conversions, and zone optimization.
View Irrigation →What Our Clients Say
“Michael transformed our front beds from overgrown leggy shrubs into a clean, layered design that actually makes the house look bigger. He even moved two irrigation heads to match the new layout.”— Sarah P., Dommerich, Winter Park
“We had three live oaks killing everything underneath. Michael designed a shade garden with ferns, bromeliads, and cast iron plant that actually thrives. It looks incredible year-round now.”— Paul & Linda K., Park Avenue, Winter Park
“The fact that he designs it, installs it, and maintains it means nothing falls through the cracks. Our Medjool palms are thriving two years later because he checks them every visit.”— Robert G., Interlachen, Winter Park
Common Questions
Landscape design and installation projects in Winter Park typically range from $3,000 for targeted bed renovation to $25,000+ for full estate transformations. We provide detailed proposals with plant specifications and pricing before any work begins. Design consultation is complimentary.
Yes. For larger projects, we provide a concept design with plant placement, species selection, and mature-size projections. For smaller bed renovations, we work from a field plan developed during the property walk. Either way, you approve the design and know exactly what is being installed before we start.
Under Winter Park's mature live oaks, we recommend cast iron plant, various ferns (holly, macho, Boston), bromeliads, liriope, and shade-tolerant groundcovers like Asiatic jasmine. For shrubs, Viburnum and Simpson Stopper handle filtered light well. Each plant is selected for your specific shade density.
Targeted bed renovations typically take one to two days. Full estate landscape projects range from three to five days depending on scope, palm crane scheduling, and hardscape coordination. We schedule installation to minimize disruption and complete each phase before moving to the next.
Yes. We source palms from Florida nurseries and coordinate crane delivery for large specimens like Medjool and Sylvester palms. Smaller accent palms are hand-planted. Every palm installation includes root ball irrigation setup and our 90-day establishment check program.
Absolutely. Most of our landscape clients are also on our maintenance program. This means the person who designed and installed your landscape is the same person maintaining it year-round—pruning at the right time, fertilizing on schedule, and catching problems early.
Yes. We are experienced with HOA architectural review processes in Winter Park communities. We can provide plant species lists, design plans, and any documentation your HOA requires for approval before installation begins.
Schedule a complimentary design consultation. Michael will walk your property, discuss your vision, and develop a landscape plan tailored to your site—not a template.