Land O' Lakes
Landscaping in Land O' Lakes, FL: lakefront lots and dry yards
4.7 170+ Google reviewsFree on-site estimatesOver 35 years creating Florida-friendly landscapes
Landscape design and installation for Land O' Lakes yards, including the ones that run down to a lake or a stormwater pond.
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On this page
Medscapes provides landscaping in Land O' Lakes from its base in Wesley Chapel: landscape design, planting beds, sod, pavers, drainage and lighting, including for lots that back onto a lake or pond. At the water, UF/IFAS recommends a 10-foot low-maintenance zone, and Pasco County requires a 25-foot buffer around Category I wetlands. Estimates are free and on site, and Doug Wilson, Director of Operations, writes each quote himself.
- Water in Land O' Lakes
- About 2.3 square miles, over a tenth of the census area
- Waterfront strip
- UF/IFAS recommends 10 feet, unmowed and untreated
- Watering days
- One day a week by house number (Pasco County); the District order runs through March 31, 2027, as of October 2026
- Hardiness zone
- USDA 9b
What we build
Beds, pavers and drainage for lots near the water
Land O' Lakes lots often sit beside a lake or a stormwater pond, and the work below is what Medscapes builds for them, along with commercial, HOA and CDD properties.
- Landscape design, from hand sketches to 2D and 3D plans
- Planting beds and bed renovation, including low-water beds
- Sod in St. Augustine, zoysia or Bermuda, and artificial turf
- Paver patios, walkways and driveways, travertine, permeable pavers, paver sealing, seat walls, retaining walls and fire pits
- Landscape lighting with Garden Light and VOLT fixtures, plus night lighting demos
- Drainage and French drains for rain that sits or runs toward a pond
- Xeriscaping and Florida-friendly landscapes
- Commercial, HOA and CDD landscaping
- Fully customizable lawn maintenance packages
- Tree consultations
How a Land O' Lakes estimate runs
Name the water
Use the estimate form or call (813) 382-5801, and say whether the lot backs onto a lake, a stormwater pond or no water. The answer decides which rules you check first.
Doug marks the edge
Doug walks the lot to the water's edge and writes the quote himself. Estimates are free and on site.
Design around the strip
Hand sketches are free on approved projects. 2D and 3D designs are priced per project, and half the design fee goes toward the installation.
Install
We pull the permits your job needs and call Sunshine 811 before digging when the job needs it. Beds, pavers, walls and drainage are installed to the approved design. Fully customizable lawn maintenance packages are available.
Dry-side yards
Land O' Lakes yards that do not back onto water
A yard that does not touch a lake or pond skips the 10-foot waterfront strip that UF/IFAS recommends. If a wetland may sit on or next to the lot, Pasco Mapper shows a conceptual layer, and a qualified environmental professional sets the actual line. Medscapes works across Pasco County, not only on the lakefront.
Rain that sits or runs toward a pond
French drains and drainage work move water that sits or runs off a lot. SWFWMD puts the rainy season at June through September, about 7.8 inches a month and about 60 percent of the year's rain.
A slope that washes out
UF/IFAS Principle 8, Reduce Stormwater Runoff, favors berms and swales on slopes and permeable walkways and patios. Permeable pavers let rain soak into the ground. Pasco County Utilities calls sunshine mimosa native, quick to spread and deep-rooted enough to help control erosion.
A lawn you would rather not water
Land O' Lakes sits in USDA zone 9b, where the average coldest night each year falls between 25 and 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Pasco County Utilities lists perennial peanut and sunshine mimosa as low-water alternatives to turf. Medscapes also installs artificial turf and Florida-friendly planting.
Medscapes lays St. Augustine, zoysia and Bermuda sod. Medscapes does not apply fertilizer or pesticides; for those, use an FDACS-licensed provider.
Sources: UF/IFAS Principle 8; USDA hardiness zone map (enter a Land O' Lakes ZIP code); Pasco County Utilities drought sheet; SWFWMD rainfall cycle; Pasco Mapper, conceptual wetlands.
Lakefront and pond lots
Lake or stormwater pond: settle this before you plan near the water
The 2020 Census counts about 2.3 square miles of water inside Land O' Lakes, over a tenth of its area. On a lot beside that water, the first question is whether it is a lake or a stormwater pond.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) describes a lake as a waterbody that formed naturally, and notes that most natural Florida lakes have a proper name. A stormwater pond is artificial, built to collect and hold rainfall runoff, and a control structure can usually be seen along its edge.
For the strip along the water, Principle 9 of the UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping program recommends a low-maintenance zone at least 10 feet wide, unmowed and free of chemical treatments. It also asks owners to protect native aquatic plants such as giant bullrush and maidencane, and to follow local codes on buffer requirements for natural waterways.
SWFWMD's guide goes further: shoreline vegetation should stay natural, because removing it, cutting it back or treating it can weaken the shoreline's ability to cycle nutrients, absorb pollutants and protect the lot from erosion.
To look after a stormwater pond behind your lot, start with Pasco County's Adopt-A-Pond program. It is free and volunteer-based. Lakes use the county's Lake Management Program, which requires boat access and joining Florida LAKEWATCH as a volunteer.
Sources: Census 2020 Gazetteer, Land O' Lakes CDP row; SWFWMD Lakeshore Living guide (2020); UF/IFAS Principle 9; Pasco County Adopt-A-Pond; Tampa Bay Beacons, July 20, 2026.
Before you clear or build
Wetland line, buffer and plant clearing: who decides at the shoreline
Pasco County Natural Resources says a wetland boundary does not follow where water happens to sit. The state method looks at soils, vegetation and hydrologic indicators.
Pasco County sorts wetlands into three categories, and Category I gets the highest protection. The county's slides put a wetland in Category I when it lies in a lake's littoral zone or connects naturally to a natural lake, river or spring, not through man-made features or floodplains.
| Question | Who decides | What the sources say |
|---|---|---|
| Where the wetland line runs | A qualified environmental professional; FDEP for a single-family lot | Pasco County staff do not have the state delegation to set wetland lines. The county sends single-family owners to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for the delineation. |
| Buffer around a Category I wetland | Pasco County Land Development Code, Section 805 | Pasco County says Category I impacts are allowed only for essential public needs such as roads, property access or linear utilities, and a 25-foot buffer is required. The county's slides add an exception for older unexpired permits. |
| Clearing plants for a boat or swim path | The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), unless the Florida Statute 369.20 exemption applies | On a freshwater lake outside an aquatic preserve or Outstanding Florida Water, the owner of lakefront property may clear a path to open water without an FWC permit. Chemicals and work that needs another state permit are excluded. Confirm with FWC before you cut. |
SWFWMD's lakeshore guide lists FWC, SWFWMD, FDEP's Southwest District and Pasco County among the regulators, and says permits may require different authorizations for the same activity. It tells owners to confirm every authorization is in hand before work starts. The guide also says seawalls, riprap and beach construction are regulated.
The guide adds that a neighbor's cleared shoreline is not proof the clearing was allowed, and that clearing without authorization can bring compliance and enforcement proceedings.
Tree work is a separate question. Commissioners voted 5-0 on March 24, 2026 to adopt an updated Tree Mitigation Ordinance that overhauls Land Development Code Section 802. Ask Pasco County which permit rules apply to the tree on your lot before any work starts.
Sources: Pasco County Natural Resources, wetland regulations; Pasco County wetland slides; SWFWMD Lakeshore Living guide (2020); Florida Statute 369.20; Tampa Bay Beacons, March 31, 2026.
Land O' Lakes lawn watering: your house number sets the day
As of October 2026, Pasco County allows watering of established lawns and landscaping one day a week, under County Ordinance Chapter 62, Article II, Division 3. The last digit of your house number sets the day, from Monday for 0 or 1 to Friday for 8 or 9, and Saturday and Sunday are off. Potable, well and surface water users get one cycle, either from midnight to 4 a.m. or from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Reclaimed water has its own window: one watering, between midnight and 8 a.m., on the same day. Reclaimed service reaches only properties near a reclaimed main.
Separately, as of October 2026, SWFWMD's order limits lawn watering across the District to one day a week through March 31, 2027. Sprinkler check: we run every zone and mark coverage gaps.
Sources: Pasco County water restrictions; Pasco County reclaimed water; SWFWMD water restrictions.
From Wesley Chapel to a Land O' Lakes lot
Medscapes is based in Wesley Chapel, in the same county as Land O' Lakes. Odessa and Lutz are close by, and Lutz sits across the line in Hillsborough County, which sets its own watering rules. See the service areas page for where Medscapes works, or call to confirm your street.
Land O' Lakes and the towns around it
Medscapes serves Land O' Lakes from its Wesley Chapel base, with Odessa and Lutz close by.
- Land O' Lakes
- Wesley Chapel
- Odessa
- Lutz
Bromeliads, bottle palms and stepping stones
Stepping stones, flagstone paths, bromeliads, palms and lawns from our jobs around Tampa Bay.
In customers' words
4.7170+ reviews on GoogleThe crew was very professional and worked hard throughout the day to make sure the job was done. The front yard looks way better and I can’t wait to see how some of these beautiful plants grow! Everyone was very responsive to questions throughout the process and it was all handled in a timely manner! …
Michelle V. Crespo-Melendrez Google review, 2023
I moved into my house in July 2022, and it desperately needed landscaping and some curb appeal. Medscapes was one of the few landscaping companies that actually responsed and showed up for an estimate. …
Danielle Brant Google review, 2022
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
I am so happy with all the work Doug, Chris, and all the guys have done to our new home. A complete redo of plants, removal of mulch replaced by rock(best idea ever!!), and planting of magnolias and Bismarck palms!! My yard is gorgeous Florida landscape now!! …
Jane Pavlicek Google review, 2021
Our prior landscaping was overgrown and over 20 years old. We hired Medscapes to remove all the old landscaping around our house and replant with new plants and trees. Medscapes did a great job – they worked extremely hard and delivered on everything they said they would do. …
Michael Rosenblum Google review, 2025
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
Land O' Lakes waterfront, watering and build questions
Not answered here? Call (813) 382-5801 or book a free on-site estimate.
I back onto a Land O' Lakes pond or lake: what does Medscapes build there?
Beds, pavers, walkways, seat walls, drainage and lighting, designed around the water. Medscapes serves Land O' Lakes from its Wesley Chapel base, and the free on-site estimate is where Doug marks the water's edge and sets the scope. Tell him at booking whether the water is a lake or a pond, because that decides which rules to check first.
How can I tell whether the water behind my Land O' Lakes lot is a lake or a stormwater pond?
A lake formed naturally, and most natural Florida lakes have a proper name. A stormwater pond is artificial, built to collect and hold rainfall runoff, and a control structure usually shows along its edge. If you are still unsure, ask Pasco County Natural Resources before you plan work near the water.
Do I need an FWC permit to clear plants at a Land O' Lakes lakefront?
Keep the shoreline natural where you can, since SWFWMD says removing or cutting back shoreline vegetation weakens it. Florida Statute 369.20 exempts the owner of lakefront property on a qualifying freshwater lake from an FWC permit for clearing a path to open water, but not for chemicals, aquatic preserves, Outstanding Florida Waters or work that needs another state permit. Confirm with FWC before you cut.
How close to the water can a patio or fire pit go on a Land O' Lakes lot?
We did not find a single distance in the sources cited here. UF/IFAS recommends a 10-foot low-maintenance zone, which is a recommendation and not a legal setback, and Pasco County requires a 25-foot upland buffer around a Category I wetland. Ask Pasco County Natural Resources which setbacks apply to your lot. Doug marks the water's edge at the on-site estimate, and you can bring the county's answer.
Which Land O' Lakes watering days apply if my lawn is on reclaimed water?
As of October 2026, Pasco County lets reclaimed water users water once, between midnight and 8 a.m., on the same day as everyone else, set by the last digit of the house number. Reclaimed service reaches only properties near a reclaimed main, so check with Pasco County Utilities whether your street has it.
What do Pasco's tree rules mean for a tree on a Land O' Lakes lot?
Commissioners adopted an updated tree ordinance on March 24, 2026, so check with Pasco County about the permit rules for your tree before any work starts. Medscapes offers tree consultations.
Last updated
Tell Doug if your Land O' Lakes lot backs onto a lake or a pond
Use the estimate form or call (813) 382-5801, and say whether the water is a lake or a pond. Doug walks the lot and writes the quote.
- 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