Ahead of the Curve


Ahead of the Curve: Robot Landscapers

The newest and best ways to approach maintaining your yard

BY May 12, 2016

 

Have you ever really thought about why you moved to Southwest Florida? Many people mistakenly think it’s for the weather or the beaches or the golf courses. But the truth is we all moved here because of the landscaping. Almost everywhere you look there is some mighty fine shrubbery—along with poolscapes and ground lighting that puts you into a magical state of mind. Subconsciously, that ficus over there is telling you that snow shoveling is for suckers and that you should move here.

But landscaping, much like manscaping, doesn’t just happen naturally. It takes a village. And so, if I may be so bold, I’d like to suggest that if your bushes are looking unkempt, you’re doing yourself and your neighbors a disservice. Not to mention you’re killing our property values. So I’ve taken the time to research the latest trends in landscaping so that your yard is an oasis we can all be proud of.

 

The Grass Is Always Green(er)

If you’re like me, your yard is made up of St. Augustine grass that never seems to look quite right. Sometimes it’s lush and green. Sometimes it’s dead and brown. Most times it defies logic and is both at the same time. I often debate spray-painting it a nice Kelly Green (Pantone 335). Well, technology has come to the rescue yet again with incredibly real-looking synthetic grass. Gone are the days of that plastic Astroturf that looked like it should be the home for Easter Peeps. A professional will remove your actual lawn, re-grade it and then roll out the maintenance-free yard of your dreams. It looks totally real but never needs to be mowed and requires zero irrigation, so it’s friendly to the environment. Prices vary, but don’t be surprised to pay in the $20 per square foot range. globalsynturf.com, synlawn.com

 

Charge It—and Relax

Let’s say you aren’t quite ready to ditch the live grass just yet but still find mowing to be a headache. Well, if Tesla were to make a lawnmower, it would be something like the new line of robotic lawnmowers available today. Think of them as Roombas for your lawn. You place a remote charging station outside and, at a designated time, the robot lawnmower wakes up and heads out for a lovely mow while you watch Fox News or sleep or head to the gym. Technology allows them to make intricate cuts, navigate narrow passages and avoid obstacles. They’re totally autonomous and will head back to the charging station when they’re finished. worx.com, lawnbott.com, robomow.com

 

Edgy Angles

Do you have a pool or patio that mimics nature and looks remarkably similar to Hef’s grotto? If so, I’m sorry to tell you that the newest designs from professional landscape architects trend toward crisp, clean lines. Curves and natural-looking stone features are out. The rectangular shapes and square-edge copings of Old Palm Beach pools blended with a modern esthetic are all the rage. So what can you do if you’ve already got the grotto installed? Not much. Just throw on a smoking jacket, pop in a pipe and invite Barbi Benton over for a swim.

 

Cool Pools

If you’re in the market for a new pool, the latest innovations are all about making the most of your time in the water. For example, Scott Windham of Windham Studios in Bonita Springs has just designed a new pool for a home in Grey Oaks that will leave visitors speechless. It features a hidden spa within the pool itself that sits at the exact water level as the surrounding pool area, making it virtually invisible until you get near it. (Although there is a massive freestanding pergola over that area of the pool giving you reason to explore.) Water from the surrounding surface then cascades down a series of steps into the greater pool area, which features bronze fire bowls and palm trees at the water’s edge as well as an infinity edge overlooking a lake. Subtlety is (a dish best served from the open flames surrounding your pool) overrated. By the way, Windham has also designed poolscapes featuring koi ponds that are separated from hot tubs by nothing more than a pane of acrylic—an ichthyologist’s dream. windhamstudio.com

 

D-I-Y (But Mostly Y)

The do-it-yourself movement has been trending since the beginning of time. Why? Because sometimes, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Or, more likely, you’re a cheap S.O.B. And on that note, I’d like to introduce you to my friend Joe, who dug—and installed—his own swimming pool all by his lonesome. Let that just sink in for a moment. He dug and installed a full-sized swimming pool himself. That’s not what he does for a living. And no, he’s not poor. He’s a pilot for Delta. And even though Delta does regular psychological profiling of its pilots, something in the far recesses of his mind told him he could do it. And that something was a website that sells kits that include everything you need to have a functioning pool for less than $7,000. All you need is a dream, a shovel and hopefully someone to talk you out of it. poolkits.com

 

Edible Greenery

“Your hedge is delicious.” Most of us haven’t heard that before. But more and more people are asking their landscapers to install plants that not only look great, but taste great, too. It makes sense. Full-on gardens take up too much space for most of us, but we’ve latched onto the concept of healthy, sustainable eating. And we’re not talking about the usual Florida thing of some banana and lemon trees. Homeowners want everything from tomatoes to Bright Lights Swiss chard to kale planted alongside ornamentals. Which reminds me: Did I ever tell you about the time Rue McClanahan and I picked weeds on the side of the road for her dinner salad? No? Well, it’s probably better left unsaid.

 

Wall-to-Wall Water

Fountains and waterfalls have long been a staple of Southwest Florida yards, but more often than not they feel so ’90s. Christian Andrea of Architectural Land Design in Naples has been working in more and more wet walls into his projects. What’s cool about wet walls is that they take up very little space, while still giving huge visual impact along with the visceral appeal of moving water. We’re not talking about those cheesy glass walls with water flowing down them that you find in questionable furniture stores. We’re talking about walls of stone, tiles, metals or a combination of the three with free-flowing water cascading down into a shallow recirculating pool. It sounds as though you’ve discovered a jungle waterfall that’s been professionally lit with the latest LED technology. Plant material such as bromeliads, air plants and orchids are also finding their way onto wet walls, making them an organic and living work of art. aldinc.net

 

Mosquito Control

If there’s one thing that can ruin a perfectly good evening on the patio, it’s contracting dengue fever or the Zika virus. Thanks to the flying devils known as mosquitoes, we are at risk for a whole host of maladies—the least of which is utter annoyance. But there are products that can help level the playing field. The Mosquito Magnet Executive Mosquito Trap uses propane to attract mosquitoes and a patented counter-flow technology to suck in the pests where they die. The contraption works constantly to disrupt breeding cycles and keep up to an acre mosquito-free. Yes, it looks like someone has merged a gas grill with a water softener, but that’s a small price to pay (along with the actual price of $749.99). mosquitomagnet.com

 

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