Landscaping and outdoor construction in Gulf Shores, AL
Gulf Shores is sand and salt, and both of them shorten the life of anything that was not chosen with them in mind.
Sandy soil drains almost too well. Water runs straight through it, which means no standing water but also very little moisture held for roots, so irrigation matters more here than anywhere else we work. Salt in the air burns foliage on plants that are not tolerant of it, and wind off the Gulf does the rest, so plant selection is a shorter list than it is twenty miles inland. Fixings and fasteners take a beating too, which is worth spending a little more on at the point of installation rather than replacing early. A lot of the properties down here are rentals or second homes, and for those the real requirement is usually a yard that looks right with minimal attention between visits.
Tell us whether it is a home you live in or a property you let, because the right answer is different for each.
Magnolia Outdoor Living works across Mobile and Baldwin counties. If your town is on the map, the drive is already priced in. If it is close and not on it, call (251) 880-6086 and ask.
A shorter list than most plant catalogues suggest, and it depends how exposed the property is. A yard behind a dune or a building is a different proposition to one taking wind straight off the Gulf. We pick from what we have seen hold up rather than from what is available at the nursery.
We rent the property out. Can the yard be low maintenance?
Yes, and it should be. That usually means more hardscape and mulched bed, less lawn, plant choices that tolerate being ignored for a fortnight, and irrigation on a controller so it is not depending on anyone being there.
Does sandy soil mean no drainage work?
Less of it, usually, but not none. Sand drains, but water can still pond where the grade sends it or where fill was brought in during construction. We check rather than assume.
Free site visit, written quote
Planning something in Gulf Shores?
Send the details and we'll set up a free site visit. The owners look at every property and write every quote.
Call or send the form. Tell us what you are picturing and where the property is. We come back to you within one business day.
We walk the property. We look at the ground, the drainage, the sun and shade, and what is already there, and talk through options and budget.
One written quote. One scope and one price for the whole job — lawn, hardscape, drainage, fence — in the order it should be built.
We build it. One crew from the first dig to the last light, with a call if anything changes along the way.
