Need some landscaping advice... and where to get materials? (Miami: rent, house)

[Atari2600]

Hi! I live in East Tampa... more specifically, the area around Lithia / Fishhawk. The previous owner of my house was a big fan of hedges, and more northern-looking plants. So I have to go out every week with my hedge trimmers, and I cannot stand hedges. I want to replace everything I possibly can.




I'm looking for two specific things:


- Soil & Stone providers: When I lived in San Antonio, this was super easy... I could get rocks anywhere. I'm looking for lots of smooth / polished rock, like what you'd see on the shores of Acadia National Park in Maine, along with some smaller rock that I can use in place of mulch.



- Specific Florida plants: I know this is Tampa, and not South Florida... but for the life of me, I cannot find a single place here in Tampa that sells things like Sabal Minor (palms), or saw-palmetto / sawgrass, or some of the more scrub-style palm. I see it growing naturally down any natural lot, but none of the nurseries have it.




I used to live in South Florida, and when I was down there, all the nurseries had plants that were indigenous to Florida. But most of the nurseries around here seem to have plants that are more... what's the word, what they THINK people who are new to Florida want. Like a lot of simpson stopper bushes, and silver buttonwood, and other stuff.




Would really appreciate if anyone knows where I can specifically get those two things. I don't really see anywhere that provides rockets in huge bags. For example, when I was in San Antonio, I had huge pallets of stone delivered back in the day, that looked just like this... (see attachment)





If anyone knows where I can get rocks / stone like this, I would really appreciate it.

[MortonR]

I can't speak to your aggregate issue, but as far as plantings I would highly encourage you to check out Kerby's Nursery in Seffner. They're local and do a great job of helping you select indigenous plantings and will even install them for you.

Kerby's Nursery

They do landscaping as well, so I'm sur ethyl could assist with your aggregate issues, too.

RM

[Atari2600]

Originally Posted by MortonR

I can't speak to your aggregate issue, but as far as plantings I would highly encourage you to check out Kerby's Nursery in Seffner. They're local and do a great job of helping you select indigenous plantings and will even install them for you.

Kerby's Nursery

They do landscaping as well, so I'm sur ethyl could assist with your aggregate issues, too.

RM

Thanks Morton, I've been to Kerby's a few times, and most of what I've purchased I've gotten from there. But they don't seem to have any of the scrub palm variety of plants, which no one seems to carry... even though they are growing in every ditch, patch of forest, and vacant lot here in Central Florida.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabal_minor


I do really like them, but they seem to be lacking a lot of this stuff too... and last time I asked, they said they didn't know why they don't carry them, but that they don't get a lot of requests for them.


I'm thinking I may start digging up some plants off the side of the highway, hahah...

[kab0906]

These people say they have it:

https://www.wilcoxnursery.com/store/...tto-p187396328

[Atari2600]

Originally Posted by kab0906

These people say they have it:

https://www.wilcoxnursery.com/store/...tto-p187396328

Holy crap! Thank you!!!




EDIT 1: They're about an hour and 15 minutes away, but I could totally rent a truck or attach a trailer to my Exploder and buy a ton of stuff and drive it back. This is fantastic. Thanks!




EDIT 2: I just put in a request for a landscape architect, they do that too and had a really good website that asked a lot of questions. So I feel pretty good about it. The plan will be to have them draw up all the plans, everything I need, what plants will work, and then I can do it all myself.





Thank you!!!

[kab0906]

You're welcome.

Too bad they don't deliver to fishhawk.

Sounds like you have something to do this weekend! Enjoy!

[sm0key]

Lithia / Fishhawk is not East Tampa.

[Atari2600]

Originally Posted by sm0key

Lithia / Fishhawk is not East Tampa.

LOL... ok, "East of Tampa."




I'm from Miami, so my arrogance supersedes your Tampa arrogance.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by Atari2600

LOL... ok, "East of Tampa."

I'm from Miami, so my arrogance supersedes your Tampa arrogance.

Likely not arrogance, just a concern that you would use a term describing one of the most socio-economically disadvantaged areas of the county to identify the Lithia/Fishhawk area.

Consider it enlightenment.

RM

[Atari2600]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Likely not arrogance, just a concern that you would use a term describing one of the most socio-economically disadvantaged areas of the county to identify the Lithia/Fishhawk area.

Consider it enlightenment.

RM

Hahah... Morton, why are you so bitter?



I wouldn't call Brandon or Riverview... or the outskirts of Lithia wealthy by any means, but it is definitely not one of the most socio-economically disadvantaged areas of the country ... but Fishhawk is a fantastic neighborhood. The home values range from high 500k to just under 1.5 million, which is generally decent middle class here in Florida.



As you and I have discussed many times before, the only frustration is that there's only one lane on each of the only two roads getting you out of the place.