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Tampa Bay Landscaping Guides

4.7 170+ Google reviewsFree on-site estimatesServing Tampa Bay since 2014

Straight answers for yards in Tampa Bay from the Medscapes team in Wesley Chapel, with the rule or the source behind each one.

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On this page
  1. Guides
  2. Seasons
  3. Florida-friendly
  4. Our services
  5. How we write
  6. Areas we serve
  7. Recent work
  8. Reviews
  9. Questions

The Medscapes blog publishes landscaping guides for homeowners in Tampa Bay, written by Medscapes LLC, a landscape contractor in Wesley Chapel. Each guide takes its rules and dates from the agency that sets them, such as the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the county or UF/IFAS Extension, and links its sources. New guides appear at the top of this page as they are published.

For
Homeowners and HOAs in Tampa Bay
Written by
The Medscapes team, Wesley Chapel
Sources
Water district, counties, UF/IFAS
Updated
When a rule changes

Read

Browse the guides

Pick a topic, or start with the newest guide. Each one names the agency behind the rule and links the source.

Know the seasons

The Tampa Bay yard year

Rain and storms set the calendar for planting and lawn care here.

  1. June to September

    Rainy season: about 60 percent of the year's rain, about 7.8 inches a month, says the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

  2. June 1 to November 30

    Hurricane season, with its climatological peak around September 10 (National Hurricane Center).

  3. October to May

    Dry season: about 3 inches of rain a month, against about 7.8 in the rainy months (Southwest Florida Water Management District).

Sources: SWFWMD rainfall cycle; NHC hurricane climatology.

Plant for here

Florida-Friendly Landscaping in nine principles

UF/IFAS runs the Florida-Friendly Landscaping program. Its nine principles, in order: Right Plant, Right Place; Water Efficiently; Fertilize Appropriately; Mulch; Attract Wildlife; Manage Yard Pests Responsibly; Recycle Yard Waste; Reduce Stormwater Runoff; Protect the Waterfront. We plan beds, plants and mulch around them; we don't apply fertilizer or pesticides, so for treatments use an FDACS-licensed provider.

State law protects the choice: a deed restriction, covenant or local ordinance may not prohibit a property owner from implementing Florida-friendly landscaping (Florida Statutes 373.185, and 720.3075 for HOA documents). It doesn't let owners ignore every HOA landscape rule, so check your community's design rules too.

For a yard built this way, see xeriscaping.

Sources: UF/IFAS, the nine principles; Florida Statutes 373.185.

Xeriscape bed with river rock, boulders and drought-tolerant plants
A Medscapes xeriscape bed: river rock, boulders and drought-tolerant plants

Landscapers in Tampa Bay

When you want it done

Medscapes LLC designs, builds and looks after landscapes across Tampa Bay. Every job starts with a free on-site estimate. See all services.

Our standard

How we write our guides

Every guide is written by the team at Medscapes LLC, a landscape contractor in Wesley Chapel, for yards in Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Rules and dates come from the agency that sets them: the Southwest Florida Water Management District for watering, the county or city for local ordinances such as tree permits, and UF/IFAS Extension for plants and lawns. Each guide links its sources and shows the date it was written.

When a rule changes, we update the guide and its date.

Medscapes work truck parked beside a trimmed hedge Medscapes business card held up in front of a landscaped home with ivy and hedges
A Medscapes truck, and our card in front of a finished job

Where we work

Based in Wesley Chapel, we work across Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Our core areas are Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Land O' Lakes, Odessa and Keystone, and New Tampa, with landscaping projects across Tampa, from South Tampa to New Tampa.

Medscapes service area mapPasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties on Tampa Bay. Medscapes is based in Wesley Chapel; most work is in Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Lutz, Land O' Lakes, Odessa and Keystone.Pinellas CountyHillsborough CountyPasco CountyPASCOHILLSBOROUGHPINELLASTampa BayGulf of Mexico75275475194130154Wesley ChapelNew TampaLutzLand O' LakesOdessaKeystoneTampaSt. PetersburgClearwaterBrandonRiverviewTemple TerraceZephyrhillsDade CityNew Port RicheyTrinityPalm HarborLargoPlant City
Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Drag to move, pinch or use the buttons to zoom; select a town for details.
  • Wesley Chapel
  • Lutz
  • Land O' Lakes
  • Odessa
  • Keystone
  • New Tampa
  • Tampa

Recent work

Photos from Medscapes jobs. Drag or swipe, and select a photo to enlarge it. More in the gallery.

Front landscape beds with palms and mulch at a two-story home
Front beds with palms and boulders
Rock-mulch bed with palms and colorful plantings along a stucco home
Gravel bed with palms
Artificial grass lawn beside clean landscape edging
Artificial turf with a paver path
Landscaped Tampa home with lawn and planting beds
Topiary entry and flagstone walk
Front-yard flower bed with orange bromeliads and a curved mulch edge
Bromeliad bed with a curved edge
Customer review for Tampa landscaping design services
Front lawn and clipped boxwoods
Front yard with trimmed lawn, round shrubs and a small island bed
Corner-lot lawn and island bed
Bottle palm and tropical shrubs in front of a tile-roof home
Bottle palm at a front entry

What customers say

4.7170+ reviews on Google

  • Top notch company for landscaping and lawn maintenance. Very professional, prompt, and provides timely communication. It feels very reassuring to have a company that cares for your lawn like it’s their own. We have found a gem in Medscapes.

    V. O. Williams Google review, 2023

  • Couldn’t recommend these guys more highly!! Doug and the team did an amazing job with the privacy palms they put in my backyard and also the gorgeous Sylvester palm tree out front. They came over to quote me right away after I contacted them and the landscaping work was started shortly after. Very professional, knowledgeable and timely!! …

    Case 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

  • Austin at Medscapes has been fantastic, as have all the staff for that matter. I have been impressed with the prompt and professional services I have received. Austin minimized the cost of the project while at the same time providing high value that resulted in a beautiful front yard landscape. …

    Chris Soskin Google review, 2019

  • Medscapes consistently delivers prompt and professional service! Austin has always been a pleasure to work with! Whenever I have a question or a concern, his responsive follow through and attention to detail are truly refreshing! The Yard crew always leaves my lawn and hedges neatly landscaped. …

    Terri Welniak Google review, 2018

  • Our lawn has seriously never looked better. We love the hard working employees and business owner so much that we've recommended their exceptional service to our entire community, friends and family!! They are professional and very thorough. Providing us with an entrancing lawn we can enjoy all year round. …

    Savannah Google review, 2018

Read every review on Google

Questions about Tampa Bay yards

Not answered here? Call (813) 382-5801 or book a free on-site estimate.

Who writes the Medscapes guides?

The team at Medscapes LLC, a landscape contractor in Wesley Chapel that designs, installs and looks after yards across Tampa Bay. Rules and dates come from the agency that sets them, and each guide links its sources.

When is the rainy season in Tampa Bay?

June through September. The Southwest Florida Water Management District says those months bring about 60 percent of the year's rain, about 7.8 inches a month; October through May averages about 3 inches a month.

When can I fertilize my lawn in Tampa Bay?

Not with nitrogen or phosphorus from June 1 to September 30 in unincorporated Hillsborough County, Pinellas County or the City of Tampa; Pasco County's rules differ. We don't apply fertilizer or pesticides; for lawn treatments, use an FDACS-licensed provider.

Can my HOA stop me from planting a Florida-friendly yard?

Florida law says a deed restriction, covenant or local ordinance may not prohibit a property owner from implementing Florida-friendly landscaping (Florida Statutes 373.185, and 720.3075 for HOA documents). It doesn't let owners ignore every HOA landscape rule, so check your community's design rules.

When is the best time to lay St. Augustine sod?

UF/IFAS names spring and late summer to early fall as the best times to plant St. Augustine grass in central Florida, and advises avoiding the cold winter and hot, dry summer months. We lay St. Augustine, zoysia and Bermuda sod.

Can Medscapes do the work a guide describes?

Often, yes: landscape design, installation, sod, pavers, artificial turf, lighting, drainage, xeriscaping and lawn care, with a free on-site estimate. We don't install or repair irrigation, and we don't apply fertilizer or pesticides; those go to licensed specialists.

Last updated

Want a hand with your own yard?

Call (813) 382-5801, Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM, or send the form at the top of this page, and Doug will walk the property with you.

  1. 1Call or book online
  2. 2Doug walks the yard with you
  3. 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