A comfortable drive through The Neighborhoods of the World Golf Village reveals that homeowners have embraced the landscape theme of their community and have eagerly spent time, resources and energy towards expanding and beautifying the landscape of their homes. Today, the value of ones home is not simply a result of the latest in kitchen, bath and entertainment amenities. More and more, home values improve and climb when the home is graced with a well-designed, beautiful landscape.

According to “Smart Money”, the Wall Street Journal Magazine of Personal Business, a home’s landscaping (or re-landscaping, as the case may be) can immediately add at least 15% to the value of the residence. To put that in perspective, for a $500,000 home, on which you spend $25,000 to spruce up the landscape, even a modest gain of only 7.5% would put $12,500 of straight profit in your pocket upon sale. A 15% gain would mean a profit of $50,000 – an amazing result based on some weekend sweat equity coupled with some professional landscape contracting.

Further, residential market studies show that the four greatest, most valuable projects to focus on are 1) Curb Appeal (how the yard and home fits contextually in the neighborhood and how it draws admiration; 2) A Year-Round Yard (how landscape elements are grouped, displayed and contrasted to showcase the seasons); 3) The Sanctuary (how the rear yard accommodates and encourages year-round use; and 4) Bring the Inside Out (how the outdoor living and entertaining areas are embellished to fuse the indoors with the out-of-doors environment).

Landscape plantings are the primary components for success with Curb Appeal and a Year-Round Yard, while hardscape elements along with fixtures and furnishings are vital for success with transforming your yard for outdoor life and activities. At World Golf Village, residents have adopted a vigorous approach to transforming their homes and their outdoor environments to maximize the benefits of our North Florida climate as they add value to their investment and take pleasure in its use.

The United States National Arboretum, in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture, provides the industry standard for plant adaptability to cold zones via the Plant Hardiness Zone Map. St. Augustine, Florida shares the same narrow band of plant suitability and adaptability with Houston, Texas. The corresponding zone is a combination of Zone 8b (hardy between 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit) and Zone 9a (hardy between only 20 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit). Although most folks think that here in Florida, all you have to do is put a plant in the ground for it to grow, our hardiness zones can be restrictive and confining. Add to that the propensity that most native soils perform far better with proper soil additives and amendments, and you can be challenged to produce lush, full, vibrant and year-round landscapes.

World Golf Village has been under development since August, 1996. We have built-up 13 years of both community place-making and landscaping experience. Please contact us for reference materials, plant lists, recommendations and applications that we have found successful here, over the years. Vanessa Cunningham, the Director of the Architectural Review Committee for World Golf Village and the Administrative Assistant to Davidson Development Inc., has compiled a great plant list of trees, shrubs, ground covers, ornamentals, vines and specimen landscape materials that have been successfully used as part of the WGV planting theme. She also has a list of “deer susceptibility” plants that homeowners should be aware of, given the rich and abundant wildlife corridors which weave through the community. We can help with plant selections, plant maintenance and winterizing procedures to help your landscapes mature and continue to add value to your home.

We suggest that you too, take a ride through The Neighborhoods to preview landscapes and designs that interest you. In fact, many homeowners have done just that; they ride the streets to take photos of plant types and plant arrangements as a way to re-imagine their own yards. It is a great way to both learn about plants and plant performance as well as to build your appreciation for the unique beauty growing and showing through the landscapes of the World Golf Village.