Independent guide - Fort Myers, Florida

Landscaping and lawn care in Southwest Florida, explained

Independent guide to landscaping and lawn care in Fort Myers, FL. Plain-language guides to design, planting, mowing, mulch, sod, irrigation and storm prep for Southwest Florida yards, and to hiring the right help.

  • Florida-friendly, water-smart choices
  • Lawn care through the dry and rainy seasons
  • What to ask before you hire

The guides

Landscaping and lawn care topics

Design and planting, ongoing lawn care and the details that keep a Southwest Florida yard healthy through the dry season, the rainy season and storm season.

Landscaped Florida home with tropical flower beds and palms

Landscape Design

A good landscape design for a Southwest Florida yard starts with the site, not the plant catalo...

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Healthy, well-maintained green lawn at a Fort Myers home

Lawn Maintenance

Lawn care in Southwest Florida follows the seasons: fast growth in the hot, wet summer and slow...

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Tropical palms and colorful planting beds in a Florida yard

Plantings

Plants give a Southwest Florida yard its color, shade and privacy, but the wrong plant in the w...

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Fresh mulch in a range of natural colors

Mulch

Mulch does more than make beds look finished. In Southwest Florida's sandy soil and strong sun...

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Freshly installed sod forming a lush green lawn

Sod

New sod gives an instant lawn, but it only lasts if the grass suits the site and the first week...

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Florida-friendly palms and shrubs framing a home entrance

Plant Guide

This short reference lists plants that are widely used in Southwest Florida yards, with the con...

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Manicured Southwest Florida lawn and landscaping

About

Landscape & Lawn Guide is an independent informational website about landscaping and lawn c...

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Landscaping Guide

11 min read · Updated July 2026 · Independent guide Ever notice how some Fort Myers yards look...

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Irrigation Systems

If you moved to Fort Myers from the Midwest or the Northeast, you may have assumed the rain wou...

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Palm Tree Care

Fort Myers earned its nickname, the City of Palms, honestly. The Royal Palms lining McGregor Bo...

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Hurricane Prep

When Hurricane Ian tore through Lee County on September 28, 2022, it left behind a landscape th...

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Lawn Pests

If you have noticed yellow patches in your Fort Myers lawn that keep spreading no matter how mu...

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Weed Control

Fort Myers sits in USDA hardiness zone 10a, where frost is rare, soil temperatures rarely drop...

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Grass Types Guide

Walk through any established Fort Myers neighborhood - Gateway, McGregor Boulevard, South Fort...

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Pavers & Hardscaping

Fort Myers sits at the western edge of Lee County where Gulf breezes, subtropical heat, and aft...

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Landscape Lighting

Fort Myers evenings are something that residents in colder states never quite believe until the...

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Lawn Diseases

Fort Myers sits in one of the most lawn-stressful climates in the United States. The same heat...

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Privacy Hedges

In Fort Myers, the lots can be tight, the neighbors close, and the traffic on Colonial Boulevar...

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Florida-Friendly

If you have spent any time trying to keep a Fort Myers yard looking sharp in August, you alread...

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Seasonal Color

If you moved to Fort Myers from anywhere north of Tampa, there is a good chance your first flow...

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Tropical Landscaping

Fort Myers sits firmly in USDA Hardiness Zone 10a, with coastal neighborhoods along the barrier...

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Pool Landscaping

A swimming pool is standard equipment for a large share of Fort Myers homes. With more than 260...

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Aeration & Dethatching

If you have been mowing, watering, and fertilizing your Fort Myers lawn on schedule but it stil...

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Curb Appeal

Your front yard works every single day, whether you are home or not. In Fort Myers, where the s...

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Tree Trimming

Fort Myers has one of the more distinctive urban tree canopies on Florida's Gulf Coast. Drive M...

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Lawn Fertilization Guide

Most Fort Myers homeowners know something about the summer fertilizer ban. Far fewer understand...

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Yard Drainage Solutions

Fort Myers receives between 54 and 60 inches of rain most years - roughly 50 percent more than...

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Hiring help

Three steps before you hire a landscaper

A little preparation makes estimates easier to compare and avoids surprises once the work starts.

  1. 1

    Define the job

    Note sun and shade, drainage, irrigation coverage, HOA rules and your budget, and decide what stays and what goes.

  2. 2

    Compare written estimates

    Ask at least two companies for itemized estimates that list plants, materials, quantities and the maintenance plan.

  3. 3

    Check credentials

    Ask about insurance, local business registration and the state licenses required to apply pesticides or fertilizer for hire.

This is an independent guide to landscaping and lawn care in Fort Myers and Southwest Florida. It explains how to plan a yard that suits the local climate, how to keep a lawn healthy through the dry winter and the wet summer, and what to ask before you hire a landscaper, a lawn service or an irrigation contractor.

Landscaping for the Southwest Florida climate

Yards here face sandy soil, strong sun, high humidity, heavy summer rain and dry winters, plus hurricane season from June through November. The guides start from that reality: the right plant in the right place, watering that follows local rules, and maintenance timed to the seasons. Begin with the complete guide to landscaping in Fort Myers or the overview of Florida-friendly landscaping.

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Start with a topic

Hiring help

If you decide to hire a company, get at least two written, itemized estimates that list plants, materials and quantities, ask about insurance, and check that anyone applying pesticides or fertilizer for hire holds the state license or certification required for that work.

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This site does not provide landscaping services or estimates and is not affiliated with any business that previously used this domain. Read more about this guide.

Manicured Southwest Florida lawn and tropical landscaping at a Fort Myers home

Right plant, right place

Landscapes that suit Southwest Florida

Sandy soil, intense sun, a long dry season and a wet summer shape what thrives here. Choosing plants for each spot and watering by the rules saves money and keeps yards healthy.

Florida-friendly landscaping

Planning a landscape project?

Start with the complete guide to landscaping in Fort Myers, then compare written estimates from insured local companies.

Read the guide

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