green side up
Apalachicola, FL 32320
When our clients purchased this existing home, they inherited a property with an unusual layout. The house sits deep within the lot with its front oriented toward the bay, which means the long, winding driveway approaches what is technically the back of the house. This side of the property had become the everyday arrival point, but it was largely open and exposed, with views toward neighboring homes and the street.
As the landscape started to come together, the homeowner would drive down the long driveway, roll down his window, and call out, “Green Side Up!” It became a running phrase throughout the project—and ultimately, the perfect name for it.
project goals.
Add screen planting along the property perimeter
Increase privacy and soften neighboring views
Create a clean, cohesive landscape
Prioritize durable, low-maintenance plantings
Provide year-round structure and greenery
“neat, clean, tropical, private…”
conceptual drawings.
The plan transforms the long driveway into a sequence of spaces rather than a single exposed approach. A circular lawn creates an open center and a stronger sense of arrival, while trees and layered planting are concentrated along the property edges and within existing alcoves. These planted areas screen neighboring homes and street views, soften the irregular property line, and create smaller moments of enclosure while keeping the overall landscape open.
the completed space.
the finer details.
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New paver pathways were matched to the existing permeable driveway, extending the established material palette through the landscape and creating a more cohesive connection between the drive, lawn, and home.
An existing drainage issue was addressed by installing a drain beneath the driveway along the edge of the garage, then directing water into a newly formed swale. Rather than simply moving the water elsewhere, we used the low area as an opportunity to create a rain garden planted with fakahatchee grass, cypress, simpson stopper, and oakleaf hydrangea—turning a problem area into a functional and beautiful part of the landscape.
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Birch, wax myrtle, sweet viburnum, and brodie juniper were layered throughout the landscape to provide privacy and soften views beyond the property.
Camellias, banana, and bird of paradise layer the front of the home with foliage, texture, and seasonal interest, creating a fuller, more established foundation planting that helps visually anchor the house within the landscape.
Beloved existing crape myrtles were thoughtfully relocated and given new places within the landscape, while vitex adds seasonal color. A row of blueberries brings another layer of interest—and something delicious to the garden.
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A variety of grasses and perennials were used throughout the site, including muhly grass, fakahatchee grass, and hostas. Muhly grass surrounds saw palmetto to create a soft, natural understory, while fakahatchee responds beautifully to the wetter areas of the property. Hostas add structure, texture, and contrast to the foundation planting.
