The concept for the landscape of this stunning home was to embrace its coastal context through the use of native and salt-resilient species, while creating privacy and density that provides scale to the structure, making it feel as though it’s always been part of the island.
Our challenge was to create a garden oasis, providing scale to two living stories over a parking area without feeling imposing. We achieved this by sourcing and transplanting unique, special, mature trees, evoking a sense of compression as you move through their canopy. We also diminished the hardscape's impact through the use of a permeable paving system, allowing the grass to grow and be driven on, and by providing gradual textural experience. At the entry, there is less hardscape, creating a sense of driving into the garden as it opens up. We then incorporate a reclaimed paver that adds warmth and texture as you move through the space, and at the autocourt, the permeable turfblock and reclaimed brick pattern reflects the architecture and provides a formal sense of arrival.
On the Gulf side, we wanted the rear yard to feel as if it was never touched. We achieved this through an exclusively native dune palette, creating a keyway beach path through the existing sea grapes, simply pruning them for access. We then added native sea grapes, muhly grasses, and dune sunflower to enhance the coastal ecostystem. The result is a native Florida coastal backdrop for Anna Maria’s stunning sunset views.
