Every spring, garden centers across the Treasure Coast fill up with plants that look wonderful in April and are dead by September. The problem is rarely the homeowner. It is sandy soil that drains too fast, afternoon sun that cooks anything shallow-rooted, and salt air that burns leaves on anything that is not built for it.
The plants that last here are the ones that evolved for it or something close to it. Palms like Florida thatch, foxtail, and sabal handle sun and salt. Shrubs like cocoplum, clusia, and dwarf firebush fill in beds without constant pruning. Crotons, bromeliads, and agave give color and shape with very little water once they are established.
Layout matters as much as plant choice. Beds should be cut with a clear edge, mulched or rocked deep enough to hold moisture, and shaped so water moves away from the foundation instead of pooling against it. Decorative rock with a steel or paver edge stays clean through summer downpours in a way that bare mulch does not.
The last piece is the first six weeks. New plants need consistent water until the roots take hold, even drought-tolerant ones. If your irrigation zones were set for the old landscaping, they need to be adjusted. We walk every client through the watering schedule at handoff for exactly this reason.