Managing a Florida property from out of state: yard care without the stress

If you own a home in Celebration, Davenport, Four Corners, ChampionsGate or Clermont and live somewhere else, the yard is the part that changes fastest while you are gone. Grass can grow inches a week in the summer rains, watering rules shift with drought orders, and hurricane season lasts six months. Here is what to set up so the yard runs without you, and what to ask of whoever does the work.

Why is an empty Florida yard harder to manage?

Three reasons. Growth: from June to September most lawns need a cut every week, and a missed month looks like a vacant house. Water: a controller left on last year’s schedule can break the current order, and a broken head can run for weeks unnoticed. Weather: storms drop fronds and limbs that sit until someone clears them, and HOA letters follow.

What should be on a regular schedule?

• Mowing, trimming and edging weekly in the rainy season and every other week in cooler months.
• Beds and shrubs: weeding and hedge trimming on a monthly or seasonal plan.
• Palms: dead fronds, pods and fruit stalks off before hurricane season, and again where fruit drops on the deck.
• A pre-season storm cleanup in spring; see the hurricane season checklist.

A single lawn maintenance plan covers most of this on one schedule.

Which watering rules apply to my address?

It depends on the county and the water management district, and some are under temporary orders. As checked on October 7, 2026:

• Osceola (Celebration): South Florida Water Management District year-round rule, two days a week by address, never between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Polk (Davenport, much of ChampionsGate and Four Corners): Southwest Florida Water Management District Modified Phase III order through March 31, 2027, one day a week by the last digit of the address.
• Lake (Clermont): St. Johns River Water Management District Phase III order, one day a week by address.

These orders change. Our watering days guide has the full schedule and the official links. Whoever looks after the yard should check the controller against the current order, and Florida law requires a working rain sensor on automatic systems.

What should I expect to hear from the crew?

Silence on routine visits is fine; surprises are not. Agree up front on when you get a message. Our rule: you hear from us with photos when something needs a decision, such as a broken irrigation line, a dead shrub, a leaning tree or storm damage, and nothing outside the agreed scope is done before it is quoted. If you want photos after every visit, ask and we send them.

Do I need to be there for the work?

No. Outdoor work does not need anyone home. If there is a gate code or a side gate lock, we keep it in our office system, encrypted, and the crew closes and locks the gate on the way out. For a first visit, a short phone or video call to walk the property is enough.

How do I pay from another state?

Every method works remotely: credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, ACH, Zelle at 407-577-6400, Venmo @galapagoslawncare and Cash App $galapagoslawncare. Zelle payments appear under our registered name, CG El Quinde Shop Corp. Invoices arrive by email or text with a payment link. See payment options.

What about after a hurricane?

When a named storm passes, the useful thing is a quick check of the property and photos, so you know whether you need to fly in. Clearing the driveway and the walk comes first, then limbs and debris. If a tree is on the house, call us at (407) 577-6400; if it touches a power line, the utility comes first.

Set it up once

Read how we work with out-of-state owners, or start with the services in Celebration or Clermont. Send the address through the free quote form and we quote from photos and a call, in writing.