Getting smart about your landscaping won’t just improve the look of your home—it can also keep you and your home safe in hurricanes and bad weather! Today, we’re sharing our seven best ideas for summertime landscaping.

Prune overhanging trees.

If there are any overgrown bushes or tree branches that have reached their limit, you’ll naturally want to cut them to keep up a tidy look. But this is especially important to do during this time of year, when hurricanes or even big summer thunderstorms can turn tree branches (or even coconuts from your coconut tree) into debris that can damage your home.

Welcome guests with lush flowers.

You can add flowers—whether they’re planted in the ground or in pots—to your home’s front steps to welcome guests. Go for bright, unique flowers that set the entryway area apart from the rest of your front yard.

Keep lawn short—but not too short!

As we mentioned in a previous blog, grass that’s shorter than three inches can make it hard for grass to get that rich green color we all crave.

Seek out alternatives.

If there’s a perpetually tricky patch of grass that never seems to get enough sun—or if you would just like to cut down on your mowing time—you can seek out an alternative to traditional grass in your lawn. Creating a decorative “centerpiece” for your lawn with white pebbles or rich red mulch can break up big lawns and create a focal point for your home’s exterior. You can plant flowers, shrubs and trees here as you would in the lawn itself because there is still soil underneath! You might also like to use the pebbles or mulch as a backdrop for a pathway of stepping stones that run through a garden or to your front steps.

Soften up your driveway.

If your driveway detracts from the beauty of your front lawn, you can plant trees, bushes or flowers to soften it up and keep with the style of your yard. If you do plant trees, opt for “clean” ones that don’t shed a lot of seeds or leaves (since you don’t want them to dirty your car from above!).

Build a better defense.

We know it’s important to trim your trees during storm season—but what you may not have known is that groups of trees (as opposed to one on its own) can stand up to high winds with more success! Planting trees in groups can also help you create a sort of wind buffer for your home, so it’s a smart choice here in Florida!

Be species specific.

Like we mentioned earlier, some trees and flowers are better than others depending on what your wants and needs are. Pay attention to how plants will look in your yard, but also focus on how they will stand up to storms, and how often (or to what degree) they will shed their leaves, seeds and other debris. Ask your local nursery about specific plants to see if they will work!