By MICHAEL FRENCH

OK “Dorothy”, are you dreaming of finding the perfect place to run away from it all?

Emerald City is much closer than you ever imagined. Does a window have to hit you in the head for you to realize this “perfect place” has been right under your feet, literally, all along?Take a different look at your own back yard! The back yard is often an undiscovered opportunity to create your own private resort! It can be the largest “room” of your home. In Florida, your back yard can be morphed into a “LIVING” room, an actual extension of your home. Plus we can use it all year long!

By living I mean, decorating with plants. Hello! This is Florida! We are so fortunate to live in the subtropics. Choices of gorgeous, exotic, shrubs, trees, ground covers, of every shape and size are infinite. Plants are found in every color of the rainbow. Did I say rainbow?

Have fun! Just like any room, choose color schemes and motifs to reflect who you are. Zen, minimalism, jungle, and desert are just a few themes. The use of natural decorative stone, mulch, even colored recycled glass is very popular. They add incredible detail. Soothing water features such as ponds, waterfalls, and fountains, are available in abundant shapes, sizes, in all price ranges. Don’t forget lighting. Strategic lighting is paramount. It showcases. Lighting creates drama, the good kind.

Seriously, become the visionary architect of your own private paradise! Turn that sow’s ear of the typical, bland, suburban lawn into a silk purse! Create a dreamscape, one that will stand out and shine with your uniqueness. This is your golden opportunity to stand out! All it takes is ingenuity, thoughtful planning, research, imagination, and a little sweat. There is no limit to what you can do!

Avoid the expense of a landscape architect. Just do your homework and you won’t break the bank. Web sites abound offering free, reliable and educated advice. Most important to consider are light levels in your yard and water usage. Think GREEN! Xeriscaping, is landscaping with plants that need less irrigation and typically need fewer chemicals because they tend to be more resistant to pests. It’s the best way to go for the environment and your wallet! Use the web to find these plants. You’ll be surprised at the variety and often lower cost. Many native Florida plants fall into this category. Indigenous plants tend to be low maintenance, saving big bucks in landscaping and water costs. Water will only get more expensive. Beautiful landscaping is likely to increase the value of your home. The right plants attract a myriad of butterflies, humming birds, help keep your home cooler, give privacy and seduce you with the perfume of their flowers; nature’s incense.

There’s a plethora of beautiful, luxurious resorts locally where you can spend this and next week’s pay in just one long weekend. Fantasize about the joy of waking every morning to your own Eden. What a wonderful way to start your day! Better yet, after a hard day’s work you’ll want to skip happy hour and put the pedal to the metal to get home. Instead of just throwing the keys down and crashing on the couch, you’ll rush outside, gaze and gloat, rightfully so, at the beauty you have created. Have a pool? Skinny dipping will become a ritual. Guaranteed you will feel refreshed. Renewed desire to entertain at home will only come naturally. Oh, the parties!

Your search for a place to get away from it all is over. Why? Tell em Dorothy!

Michael French is Agenda’s
new Home from Home
columnist. Contact Michael
at mf7954fla@gmail.com