Does Bella Collina's HOA require landscape plan approval?

Yes. Bella Collina has architectural review for landscape and hardscape changes that affect the property exterior. We prepare the submittal package — site plan, plant schedule with photos, material specs, lighting layout — and walk it through the review on your behalf.

Can Mediterranean / Tuscan plant material survive a Florida summer?

Some of it, with the right siting. True olive and lavender struggle in our humidity unless they're in raised, well-drained beds with morning sun. Rosemary, ornamental grasses, citrus, and dwarf cypress all thrive. We pick the parts of the Mediterranean palette that actually work here and substitute Florida-friendly look-alikes where they don't.

I want a custom outdoor living space — patio, fire feature, outdoor kitchen — what does that cost in Montverde?

Estate-scale outdoor living projects in Bella Collina and similar properties typically run $40K–$200K depending on hardscape material, kitchen scope, and lighting. Travertine pool deck plus covered outdoor kitchen with grill, fridge, and bar seating sits in the upper half of that range.

Can you redo our pool deck as part of the landscape project?

Yes — pool deck replacements are a regular part of Bella Collina project scope. Travertine and porcelain pavers in 18×36 or 24×24 formats are the typical finish at this price point. Pool deck plus surrounding landscape designed and installed together usually runs $50K–$120K depending on square footage, material, and whether coping and tile need replacement. The deck and the landscape grading interact, so scoping them as one job is cleaner than sequencing two contractors.

We just bought a property — when should we start the landscape design?

Before you move in if possible. Builder-grade landscape on a $2M home looks out of place from day one. Most Montverde redesigns are scoped during the closing window and start installation within 30–60 days of move-in. Design phase is usually two to four weeks.

How long does a full Montverde landscape project take from first call to finished install?

Design phase is typically two to four weeks: site walk, hand-drawn concept, then refined plan. Bella Collina ARC submittal adds another one to three weeks depending on the committee's calendar. Install is six to twelve weeks for a full-property project — longer if pool deck or covered outdoor structures are part of scope. Total timeline from first conversation to finished yard is usually three to five months for a standard estate-scale project.

Do you handle the retaining wall and grading on hilltop lots?

Yes. Bella Collina's elevation means many lots have real grading challenges — terraced gardens, retaining walls, drainage off the high side of the lot. We engineer and install those as part of the landscape package rather than subcontracting them out.

Will my crew be the same from design through install?

Yes. The designer who walks the property is on the install. The same hardscape crew handles every project from start to finish. No bait-and-switch between sales and execution.

Montverde, FL

Landscape Design & Hardscape in Montverde, FL

Name: Firsthand Lawns — Montverde
Address: 3720 N Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL, 32804, US
Telephone: (407) 337-5191
Price range: $$
Rating: 4.9

We design and install estate-scale landscape projects in Montverde and Bella Collina — custom patios on hilltop lots, mature Mediterranean plantings, outdoor living spaces that take advantage of central Florida's only real rolling hills. The homes here are Mediterranean and Tuscan villas spread across the hilltops above Lake Apopka, built for views, and the landscape has to match that ambition. Most of our Montverde work is full redesigns, custom hardscape, and plantings that last thirty years.

Bella Collina especially has architectural and landscape standards that mirror the Tuscan theme of the community — olive trees, lavender, cypress, stonework, fountains. We design within that language when projects call for it, and we know which plant material holds up to Florida summers despite looking Italian in concept.

Most of our Montverde work is initiated when a homeowner buys a property and wants to take the landscape from builder-grade to estate-grade. That's a full-property design conversation: site walk, hand-drawn concept, refined plan, then phased install over a season.

Get a free estimate in Montverde Call (407) 337-5191

Where we work in Montverde.

Bella Collina
Bella Collina Sotto
Hills of Montverde
Lake Apopka shoreline estates
Montverde Academy area
Stoneybrook West (adjacent)
CR-455 estate corridor
Old Highway 50 / SR-50 frontage

What we do here

Every service, in Montverde.

The full Firsthand service lineup is available across Montverde. Click any service for details, pricing range, and FAQ.

Lawn Maintenance

$175–$350/month (residential)

Landscape Design & Installation

$500–$2,500 design · installs $5K–$50K

Sod Installation

$1.50–$3.50 / sq ft installed

Irrigation

Repairs $150–$800 · new install $3K–$8K

Hardscape Installation

$10–$15 / sq ft installed

Tree Trimming & Removal

Trim $300–$700 · removal $400–$3,000+

Stump Grinding & Removal

$150–$400 per stump typical

Bamboo Trimming & Removal

Trim $300–$800 · removal $1.5K–$10K+

Property Cleanup

$500–$5,000+ typical residential

Why Montverde

What Montverde homeowners hire us for.

Hilltop estate design.

Bella Collina's elevation is unusual for Florida — sight lines from the hilltops out toward Lake Apopka and Sugarloaf Mountain are the property's biggest visual asset. We design landscapes that frame those views rather than block them, and we lay hardscape that takes advantage of the topography: terraced patios, retaining walls, view-aligned outdoor living.

Tuscan / Mediterranean plant palette.

The architectural standard at Bella Collina calls for plant material that reads as Mediterranean — olive, rosemary, lavender, cypress, ornamental grasses, citrus. We know which of these actually thrive in central Florida heat and humidity and which only look right for one season before declining.

Hardscape that fits the architecture.

Stone patios, travertine pool decks, retaining walls, outdoor kitchens, fire features — we install hardscape sized and finished for the architectural scale of estate homes. We don't do builder-grade pavers on homes that cost what these cost.

Full-property design from concept to install.

Most Montverde work starts with a blank slate or builder-grade landscape and ends as a designed estate property. We carry the project from site walk to concept to revised plan to phased install, with the same team through all of it.

Hilltop irrigation and drainage engineering.

Bella Collina's elevation creates real irrigation challenges most central Florida landscape companies aren't set up for — pressure variation between the top of the lot and the bottom can be 20+ PSI, and runoff from the high side can scour beds or undermine retaining walls if it isn't engineered out. We design irrigation zones around the actual grade, spec pressure-regulating heads where elevation calls for them, and grade so water moves where we want it instead of where gravity wants it.

From Montverde customers

Reviews from your neighborhood.

Customers across Montverde have rated Firsthand 4.9 stars on Google. Browse all 154 reviews to see what neighbors are saying about recent work in the area.

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4.9

Across 154 verified Google reviews

Montverde on the map.

FAQ

Questions specific to Montverde.

Other service areas.

We work across Central Florida. Pick another area for local specifics.

Working on a property in Montverde?

Tell us where and what you're thinking. We'll come out, walk it with you, and write up an honest estimate — usually within two business days.

Get a free estimate (407) 337-5191