Plants and shrubs that thrive in Central Florida
Galapagos Lawncare & Services provides plants & shrubs in Celebration, Davenport, Four Corners, ChampionsGate and Clermont, Florida. Replacing dead shrubs, filling gaps and adding color with plants that suit the spot. Call (407) 577-6400 or request a free quote online; our crew serves you in English or Spanish.
Overview
The problem
The same shrub keeps dying in the same spot because it’s the wrong plant for that much sun, shade or water.
What you get
Plants matched to their spot, so they establish and stay.
By the Galapagos Lawncare Team · Last updated
What you get
Everything in one visit
What’s included
- Removal of dead plants
- Plant selection for the location
- Planting and watering in
- Care notes for the first weeks
How often
- One-time
We confirm the price after seeing the property, before any work starts.
What affects the price
- Area and designSquare footage of beds and how complex the layout is.
- MaterialsPlant sizes, rock or mulch type, edging.
- Site prepRemoving old plants, sod or rock and fixing drainage.
What does plant and shrub installation include?
Our plants and shrubs service replaces what died, fills gaps, adds color and swaps out shrubs that have outgrown their spot. We remove the old plant and roots, prepare the hole and the soil, set each plant at the right depth and spacing, water it in, mulch around it with the base left bare, and set up establishment watering.
How do we choose plants for your yard?
The first of UF/IFAS’s Florida-Friendly Landscaping principles is "right plant, right place": choose by the conditions the plant will actually live in. We look at:
- Light. Full afternoon sun on a west wall versus the shade of a courtyard or an oak.
- Water. Whether the bed shares a zone with the lawn, has drip, or gets runoff from the roof.
- Mature size. How tall and wide the plant gets, so it doesn’t cover windows or need cutting back every month.
- Soil and drainage. Fast-draining sand on most lots; low spots that stay wet after storms.
- Your HOA. Some communities have plant lists or rules for front yards.
Why do new plants die in Florida?
Most losses come down to water in the first weeks. A nursery plant’s root ball dries out faster than the soil around it, so it needs regular water until roots grow into the ground. Each water district gives new plantings a window of extra watering: up to 90 days on set days under the South Florida rule (Osceola), any day for 30 days and then three days a week until day 60 under the current Southwest Florida order (Polk), and a step-down over 60 days under the St. Johns River order (Lake). The other common causes are planting too deep and mulch piled against the stem.
When is the best time to plant?
We plant throughout the year. Plantings made as the rainy season starts get help from the weather; spring plantings need the most attention to watering through the dry months.
Replacing shrubs versus trimming them
A shrub that has to be cut back hard every few weeks to stay off a window is in the wrong spot. Replacing it with something that fits at full size is often cheaper over a couple of years than endless shrub trimming.
Plants with the rest of the bed
New plants look and do best in a fresh bed with mulch, and larger changes are part of landscape design. If plantings need their own watering, we adjust the irrigation. We plant in Clermont, Celebration, Davenport, Four Corners and ChampionsGate.
Sources
Simple process
How it works
Look at the spot
Light, water, space and soil, plus any HOA plant rules.
Choose and quote
Plants picked for those conditions and their mature size, with a written price.
Plant right
Old plants and roots out, plants set at the right depth and spacing, watered in, mulched with bases bare.
Establish
Establishment watering set within your water district’s rules.
Common questions
Questions about plants & shrubs
Do I need to call 811 before planting a tree?
Florida law requires anyone excavating to notify Sunshine 811 at least two full business days before digging, and the statute has no homeowner exemption. When we plant or grind stumps, we request the locate.
Can my HOA stop me from planting a Florida-friendly yard?
Not on that basis. Florida Statute 373.185 says a deed restriction or covenant can’t prohibit an owner from implementing Florida-friendly landscaping. The HOA can still review things like plant height or placement, so we work from your community’s written rules.
How often do new plants need water?
More than established plants, and the water district allows extra days for new landscaping. In Osceola (SFWMD), days 1–30 allow any day except Friday and days 31–90 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. We leave a watering schedule that fits your address.
How often do new plants need water?
Often at first, then tapering as roots spread into the soil. Your water district allows extra watering for new plantings for a set period, and we program it for your address.
Can you replace just a few dead shrubs?
Yes. We try to match what’s there so the bed stays uniform, or suggest a better fit if the old plant died because of the spot.
What can I plant in a shady bed?
There are good shade options for Central Florida. Tell us how many hours of sun the bed gets and we’ll suggest plants that fit the light, the space and your HOA rules.
Can you plant in the summer?
Yes. Summer rain helps keep new roots moist, as long as the beds drain. Spring plantings need the closest watering.
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