Landscape design
Tampa Landscape Design for Homes Across Tampa Bay
4.7 170+ Google reviewsFree on-site estimatesOver 35 years creating Florida-friendly landscapes
Doug walks your yard, we draw beds and plants that cope with sand, summer storms and one-day watering, and our own crew builds the plan.
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On this page
Tampa landscape design at Medscapes begins with Doug on your property, reading sun, shade, drainage, soil and the plants worth keeping, along with any HOA rules. You then choose the drawing: a hand sketch, free on approved projects, or a 2D or 3D design priced per project. Beds, paths, patios and lighting go on one plan, with plants placed to suit the watering you already have, and our own crew installs it.
- Drawings
- Hand sketch, 2D or 3D
- Built by
- Our own crew
- Permits
- Pulled by us where the work needs them
- Estimate
- Free, on site, quoted by Doug
What's included in your landscape design
Whichever drawing you choose, the design covers:
- A site read: where the sun falls through the day, where water sits after a storm, and which plants, trees and paving are worth keeping
- Beds, lawn areas and paths laid out for how the front, side and back yards connect, with drainage planned around the low spots
- Florida plants picked for your light, sandy soil and mature size, set where your sprinklers already reach
- Paver patios, walkways, seat walls, retaining walls and fire pits, built by our landscape construction crew
- Landscape lighting placed on the plan, with VOLT or Garden Light fixtures
- Seasonal color in a few key spots, so you can freshen the yard without replanting it
Hand sketch, 2D or 3D design: which suits your yard?
All three show the same yard at different levels of detail. Pick by how much of the yard is changing and how much you want to see before work starts.
| Drawing | What it shows | How it is priced | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand sketch | Bed shapes and plant positions, drawn by hand | Free on approved projects | One bed, an entry or a front yard refresh you can picture from a drawing |
| 2D design | The whole yard as a flat plan seen from above | Priced per project | Larger layouts where beds, paths, a patio and lighting have to fit together |
| 3D design | The finished yard in three dimensions: at eye level, from above and lit at dusk, like the renders on this page | Priced per project | Whole-yard and pool-area redesigns you want to see before anything is dug |
Backyard design around pools, patios and play space
A backyard carries more jobs than a front yard: a pool cage, a patio for evenings, room for kids or a dog, and privacy from the house behind. We plan those uses first, then fit beds, lawn and lighting around them so the yard reads as one design.
Planting beside a pool cage or patio
Beds next to a screen enclosure or pavers need room for the frame and roots that won't lift the paving. We set bed lines back from the cage and choose plants that stay clear of it when grown.
Privacy and shade
Where an upstairs window next door looks into your yard, palms or a hedge on the plan can screen it. Where the afternoon sun bakes the patio, we mark spots for shade.
Designing for Tampa Bay sun, sand and one-day watering
A plan that looks right on paper can fail in the wrong sun or on the wrong watering day. These local rules and conditions shape our planning, as of October 2026:
- Hardiness zones
- USDA maps put Wesley Chapel, Lutz and Land O' Lakes in zone 9b, South Tampa and Clearwater in 10a, and downtown St. Petersburg in 10b. A plant rated for 10a may not handle a 9b winter, so the zone your yard sits in shapes the plant list.
- One watering day for lawns
- The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) water shortage order, in effect through March 31, 2027, limits lawn watering to one day a week. Shrub and flower beds on hand watering or micro-irrigation may be watered any day, before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
- Lawn where you use it
- UF/IFAS notes that St. Augustine and zoysia lawns do not perform as well without extra water in dry spells. So we suggest keeping grass where you walk and play, and planting beds in the strips that are hard to water.
- Wet summers, dry springs
- SWFWMD's rainy season runs June through September and brings about 60 percent of the year's rain, while October through May averages about 3 inches a month. A plan has to shed storm water and still get through the dry months.
- Florida-Friendly principles
- The UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ program sets out nine principles, starting with Right Plant, Right Place and Water Efficiently. A yard planned on them also has state-law protection from HOA bans (see below).
Sources: SWFWMD water restrictions; SWFWMD rainfall cycle; USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; UF/IFAS LH005, turfgrass comparison; UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping, 9 principles.
HOA rules, Florida-friendly plans and the trees you keep
Florida law says HOA documents and deed restrictions may not prohibit Florida-friendly landscaping (Florida Statutes 373.185 and 720.3075). It does not cancel architectural review, so bring your HOA's landscape rules to the walk-through and we draw the plan to fit them.
Trees worth keeping
In the City of Tampa, taking out a protected tree such as an oak more than 5 inches across needs a city permit, and so does pruning one 24 inches or more across. We draw beds around the trees you have, and we offer tree consultations when one needs a closer look.
Sources: Florida Statutes 373.185; UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping laws; City of Tampa tree information.
How a Medscapes landscape design works
Walk-through
Doug walks the property with you, hears what you want the yard to do, and notes sun, drainage, existing plants and any HOA rules.
Choose the drawing
A hand sketch, a 2D design or a 3D design, depending on how much of the yard is changing.
Design and changes
We draw the plan and go through it with you.
Your quote
Doug writes one quote for building the design.
Permits and 811
We pull any permit the work needs, and on jobs that involve digging we call Sunshine 811 first.
Our crew installs it
Bed prep, planting, sod, pavers and lighting, built from the approved plan.
Why design with the crew that builds it
A drawing handed to a different installer can lose detail on the way. Here the same company designs and builds, so the plan stays tied to your site.
- Doug Wilson, our Director of Operations, writes your quote himself after the walk-through
- Licensed and insured
- References available on request
- Full-service lawn maintenance on 40-week or 50-week plans once the yard is in
- Free on-site estimates
Landscape design from Wesley Chapel to South Tampa
We are based in Wesley Chapel, and Doug walks design jobs across Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas. That means Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Land O' Lakes, Odessa and Keystone, and New Tampa first, plus Tampa neighborhoods from Carrollwood to South Tampa.
- Wesley Chapel
- Lutz
- Land O' Lakes
- Odessa
- Keystone
- New Tampa
- Tampa
Recent design and planting work
Medscapes job photos, plus a few 3D designs labelled as renders. Drag or swipe the row, or select a photo to enlarge it. More in the gallery.
What homeowners say about their designs
4.7170+ reviews on GoogleThey came out same day to look at our yard and design our project. We did all new landscaping in the front and back of our house. Their price was excellent for the quality of work and professionalism. They did fantastic — I would highly recommend Medscapes!
Lindsay Manley Google review, 2024
Doug’s knowledge of the plants and skill in picking out healthy, beautiful landscaping and design… he listened to our vision and turned our landscaping into reality. Final results… just beautiful and well done. You won’t be disappointed — fair pricing too!
Ron Connor Google review, 2024
I hired MedScapes earlier this year for some landscaping around my home and it turned out fantastic from design to ease of care is exactly what I asked for. When life and a new job got too busy for me to keep up with my basic lawn care, MedScapes was there to handle it for me. Now I come home to a beautifully manicured yard weekly !! …
Ryann Roser Google review, 2024
Greg and Doug were fantastic in designing and installing our landscaping! I was nervous at first, but our home looks so much better and have truly exceeded my expectations. The service is a bit pricey, but I honestly don’t mind paying a premium for premium service. …
Kevin Y. Google review, 2024
Doug made the process of understanding what was needed and developing a plan very easy. The crews doing the clean up and new plantings were timely, pleasant, and conscious of making sure things were done right. I've also been very pleased with the weekly lawn maintenance services and their efforts in keeping the yard looking great. …
Pedro Fierro Google review, 2023
We had a Great Experience with Medscapes. Doug was amazing! He worked with us on a Landscaping design of our entire front and side yards. He made lots of suggestions on plants he would recommend. He and his team selected the plants, and installed them. They worked with us on any tweaks we wanted to make after the install. …
Phyllis Sacone Google review, 2023
Greg and Doug and the their crew have done a wonderful job with our lawn and landscaping. Having just moved here from out of state, I had called around to a few different companies and really didn’t feel like anyone was that interested in working with me to make my yard both look good and be easy to maintain. …
Vanessa Mintz Google review, 2023
Doug & his team listen, interpret and work their magic. They turned a barren back yard into warm, beautiful, grandchild-friendly natural-looking zones. Crews are efficient, careful, thorough and personable. WOW every time Medscapes provides a service.
Mary Jane Gwyn Google review, 2022
Landscape design questions
Not answered here? Call (813) 382-5801 or book a free on-site estimate.
Are you landscape architects?
No. Medscapes offers landscape design, not landscape architecture. A landscape designer plans the planting, beds, paths and lighting for a home yard. If your city, county or HOA asks for plans sealed by a licensed landscape architect, Doug will tell you at the walk-through so you can bring one in for that part.
How much does a landscape design cost?
We don't publish prices, because each design depends on how much of the yard changes and which drawing you choose. After seeing the yard, Doug puts the design and the build in one written quote.
Do you design irrigation systems?
No. Irrigation design, new zones and moving sprinkler heads go to a licensed irrigation contractor. We plan the beds around the watering you have now, and before planting we run a sprinkler check: every zone on, coverage gaps marked.
Can my HOA make me replace plants during the watering order?
Not while the current SWFWMD water shortage order lasts (as of October 2026). It bars HOAs from enforcing standards that need more water, "including the replacement of plant material to meet aesthetic standards."
Can you work with my existing landscape?
Yes. Not every design is a full tear-out: we keep the beds, trees, lawn and paving that still work and redesign the parts that feel crowded, tired or unfinished.
Can a design swap mulch and thirsty lawn for rock?
Yes. Rock and gravel beds with drought-tolerant plants are part of our xeriscaping work, and a design can use them where grass struggles or watering is hard.
What should I have ready for the walk-through?
Your HOA's landscape rules if you have them, a rough idea of how you want to use the yard, and photos of yards you like. Doug looks at sun, drainage and the plants already there, so you don't need a drawing of your own.
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Book a free design walk-through
Tell us what you want the yard to do, and Doug will look at the space with you and suggest the hand sketch, 2D or 3D design that suits it.
- 1Call or book online
- 2Doug walks the yard with you
- 3You get a written quote
Book a free on-site estimateCall (813) 382-5801
Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM · Based in Wesley Chapel