Delivering a Cohesive Atlantic Beach Landscape Redesign

Rockaway’s landscape team recently completed a comprehensive redesign at the Lucas Residence, transforming an overgrown Atlantic Beach property into a cohesive outdoor environment defined by thoughtful plant selection, improved spatial flow, and enhanced functionality. This project highlights how smart design can elevate even modestly sized spaces while honoring the homeowner’s preferences and lifestyle.

Restoring Structure and Creating a Foundation for Design

When Rockaway began the project, the property suffered from heavy overgrowth—particularly invasive Mexican petunia—which obscured sightlines, crowded existing plantings, and limited usability. The first design priority was establishing structure. The team cleared four feet along the fence line and selectively removed vegetation while preserving sentimental plants that held personal meaning for the homeowner. This approach allowed Rockaway to build a refreshed layout that balanced open space, layered planting, and circulation paths, creating a functional framework for the entire landscape.

Introducing Cohesion Through Strategic Plant Composition

With a clean canvas established, Rockaway focused on creating harmony and visual rhythm across the front and backyard. The plant palette chosen for texture, color variation, and coastal tolerance—combined low-growing groundcovers with structural and accent plantings.

Key selections included:

• Emerald carpet and twin sunflower for low, spreading coverage

• Foxtail ferns, blue daze, and cordyline for soft texture and contrasting color

• Aztec grass to introduce variegation and light-reflective qualities

• Red Sisters and gingers for vibrant pops of tropical color

These plants were placed intentionally to guide movement, highlight focal points, and ensure year-round visual interest without overwhelming the space. The result is a layered design that feels lush yet controlled.

Enhancing Existing Features With Complementary Design

A key focal element of the property—a freestanding fountain—was re-framed with a simpler, cleaner surrounding bed design. Rockaway added a compact walkway and allowed space for the homeowners’ planned DIY stepping-stone path, keeping the design cohesive while respecting their hands-on approach to home projects. The driveway also received a design-focused update. By replacing the original limestone with finely crushed 89 granite laid over weed mat, Rockaway created a decorative, stable surface that improves aesthetics and serves as a functional extension for golf carts, scooters, and vehicles. This selection provides uniformity with other granite elements introduced throughout the property, reinforcing continuity in material choices.

Reimagining the Backyard With Height, Privacy, and Focal Interest

The backyard transformation centered on creating an inviting, flowing space that elevated the property’s natural character. Rockaway limbed up a mature white bird of paradise—once heavy and visually dense—to restore its sculptural form and create dappled light below its canopy.

New bed lines helped soften previously harsh transitions between lawn and planting areas. Taller selections, such as 15-gallon and 7-gallon lady palms, were used to introduce natural screening and vertical layering. These palms were strategically placed to provide privacy and conceal utility areas, while still maintaining airy openness throughout the yard. Additional design elements included gingers, ferns, and anise, all chosen for their shade tolerance and ability to build a lush understory. Beautyberry and firebush added native, wildlife-friendly color that aligns with Florida-Friendly landscape principles—offering seasonal berries, flowers, and habitat value beneficial to pollinators and birds.

A Clean, Low-Maintenance Material Palette

The fire pit area and several high-traffic spaces were resurfaced with 89 granite to unify the property’s material palette and reduce maintenance demands. The uniform use of granite throughout the landscape not only enhances visual cohesion but also improves drainage and durability—key considerations for coastal homes.

Rockaway also repurposed existing stone from the property, integrating it into the side yard for improved drainage and a sustainable, cost-effective design solution. Recycling on-site materials is a subtle but meaningful part of Rockaway’s design philosophy when appropriate.

Water Feature Installation as a Garden Focal Point

A signature addition to the backyard was the installation of a homeowner-supplied water feature. Rockaway provided the basins, set the system, and framed the feature with low-lying plants that complement the movement and sound of the water without obstructing views. Firebush and iris were placed to create height and color contrast, drawing the eye toward the feature while maintaining balance within the overall design.

Addressing Overgrowth, Access Limitations, and Environmental Constraints

The back corner of the property presented the most significant challenge: an area previously so overgrown that the fence was not visible. With no machine access, the entire clearing and regrading process was completed with hand tools—demonstrating the team’s ability to adapt to difficult conditions while maintaining craftsmanship. The final planting design for this area—simple, naturalistic, and visually clean—restored usability while reconnecting the space to the rest of the yard.

Carpentry Integration and Future Enhancements

Rockaway’s carpentry division extended the design impact by installing a new white picket fence at the front of the property, aligning the home with the coastal aesthetic of the surrounding neighborhood. A future project phase will introduce permeable turf block parking at the front of the residence, further improving function while meeting stormwater and coastal permitting requirements.

A Holistic Approach to Coastal Residential Design

The Lucas Residence project exemplifies Rockaway’s integrated design-build approach: thoughtful plant selection, material cohesion, drainage awareness, structural enhancements, and tailored client collaboration. By focusing on both beauty and functionality, the team transformed a once-overgrown property into a cohesive, inviting coastal retreat.