Delray Beach, Florida · 33483
Beachside Estate Landscaping in Delray Beach
East Delray, from the Marina Historic District on the Intracoastal to Nassau Park's 1930s cottages near the ocean, where historic review and turtle rules meet.
Request a Property AssessmentDelray's east end holds two of the city's locally designated historic districts. The Marina Historic District, designated in 1988, sits on the Intracoastal Waterway around the City Marina, with Mediterranean and Mission Revival, Monterey, Florida Cottage and Art Moderne houses built mostly between 1922 and 1943. Nassau Park, designated the same year, is a two-block run of Nassau Street between Venetian Drive and South Ocean Boulevard, lined with Cape Cod Revival and Minimal Traditional cottages from 1935 to 1941.
In both, planting carries as much of the character as the architecture. The Marina's streets are narrow and shaded, with houses set into a lush subtropical landscape and the boat basin as the focal point. A few blocks east, oceanfront lots on South Ocean Boulevard take the full force of salt spray and fall under the city's sea turtle lighting rules. A program for a property here has to respect the historic record on one side and the dune on the other.
The properties
Property types run from 1920s through 1940s cottages and Mediterranean Revival houses on small historic lots, to oceanfront homes on South Ocean Boulevard, to waterfront houses with docks along the Intracoastal. Historic lots leave little open ground, so mature canopy, foundation planting and screening for pool and air-conditioning equipment do most of the work. Oceanfront parcels add dune frontage and the state controls that come with it, plus a stricter survey requirement when trees come out.
On the ground
What landscapes in Delray Beach contend with
Screening equipment in a historic setting
Exterior changes on designated historic properties go through a certificate of appropriateness, and the city's Historic Preservation Board has made landscape screening of mechanical equipment pads a point of further review before a house could proceed. Generators, pool equipment and condensers are best placed and screened with plantings that suit the period of the house, settled before the application goes in.
Ficus whitefly on older hedges
Ficus whitefly, an invasive from South Asia first found in Miami-Dade County in 2007, feeds mostly on weeping fig and yellows the leaves; heavy infestations bring leaf drop, branch dieback and bare stretches of hedge. Long ficus hedges on older lots are the usual casualty. Regular scouting of leaf undersides, with targeted treatment when counts climb, protects screening that took years to grow.
Oceanfront light and the dune
The city notes that hatchlings are drawn to the ocean by the sky's reflection off the water, and that artificial light can deter nesting females and disorient hatchlings. On South Ocean Boulevard lots, that makes seagrape and dune planting part of the lighting strategy. Native screening is kept dense enough to hide house and pool lights from the beach, and trimming is planned before nesting season begins.
Local rules
What Delray Beach requires
Summaries for planning. The linked source is the authority; rules change.
Certificate of appropriateness
Exterior alterations on designated historic properties need a certificate of appropriateness, reviewed by the Historic Preservation Board or by Historic Preservation Division staff depending on the scope. The city's application lists landscape modifications, like-kind species replacements and landscape plan revisions among the minor categories. General maintenance remains at the owner's discretion.
SourceTree and palm removal permits
Removing a hardwood or palm of 4 inches diameter at breast height or larger on a single-family lot requires a tree, scrub and vegetation removal application, and the tree must appear on a survey. In historic districts and beach property owner districts, a professional tree survey is also required, and replanting may be needed to meet city minimums.
SourceBeachfront lighting ordinance
The city adopted Ordinance 11-14 in May 2014, setting requirements for new and existing beachfront lighting, and Code Enforcement staff inspect for compliance during the March 1 to October 31 nesting season. Landscape, path and pool lights on oceanfront property should be chosen and aimed with that ordinance in mind.
Source
Services in Delray Beach
- Estate Landscape MaintenanceMaintenance for Delray Beach properties
- Landscape Design & InstallationDesign for Delray Beach properties
- IrrigationIrrigation for Delray Beach properties
- Tree & Palm CareTrees & Palms for Delray Beach properties
- Outdoor LightingLighting for Delray Beach properties
- Sod, Hedges & Privacy ScreeningSod & Hedges for Delray Beach properties
- Seasonal ColorSeasonal Color for Delray Beach properties
- HOA & Property ManagementHOA for Delray Beach properties
Landscaping in Delray Beach: questions
Do landscape changes in the Marina Historic District need approval?
Exterior changes on designated historic properties need a certificate of appropriateness. Landscape modifications, like-kind species replacements and landscape plan revisions appear among the minor review categories on the city's application, while larger projects go to the Historic Preservation Board, which meets monthly. Routine maintenance does not require review.
Can I take out a palm on my beachside lot?
Palms and hardwoods of 4 inches diameter at breast height or more need a removal application, with the tree shown on a survey. Lots in beach property owner districts and historic districts also need a professional tree survey, and the city may require replanting to meet its minimum standards. A licensed tree trimmer or certified arborist should do the work.
How does turtle season affect garden lighting on South Ocean Boulevard?
Ordinance 11-14 sets requirements for both new and existing beachfront lighting, and city Code Enforcement checks compliance from March 1 to October 31. Shielded fixtures with long-wavelength amber lamps, aimed away from the beach, and dense native screening between the house and the dune are the usual combination.
Nearby estate towns
Sources for this page
- Marina Historic District on the Intracoastal around the City Marina; designated 1988; Mediterranean and Mission Revival, Monterey, Florida Cottage, Art Moderne built mostly 1922-1943; narrow shaded streets, lush subtropical landscape: delraybeachhistory.org
- Nassau Park designated 1988; two blocks of Nassau Street between Venetian Drive and South Ocean Boulevard; Cape Cod Revival and Minimal Traditional cottages 1935-1941: delraybeachhistory.org
- City of Delray Beach designated the Marina Historic District in 1988: markers.flheritage.com
- COA required for exterior alterations; reviewed by HPB or staff by scope; maintenance at owner's discretion: delraybeachfl.gov
- Application lists landscape modifications, like-kind species and landscape plan revision under Level 1: delraybeachfl.gov
- HPB required further review of mechanical equipment pad placement and landscape screening: thecoastalstar.com
- 4-inch DBH removal application; survey; professional tree survey in historic and beach property owner districts; replanting per LDR 4.6.16(H)(1)(a); licensed tree trimmer or certified arborist: delraybeachfl.gov
- Ordinance 11-14 adopted May 2014 for new and existing beachfront lighting; Code Enforcement inspections; nesting season March 1 to October 31; light deters nesting females and disorients hatchlings: www.delraybeachfl.gov
- Delray Beach turtle lighting code at Title 9, Chapter 91 (1987/2001): myfwc.com
- Ficus whitefly from South Asia, first found Miami-Dade 2007, mostly on Ficus benjamina; yellowing, leaf drop, dieback: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Long-wavelength amber lamps and shielded fixtures for beachfront lighting: myfwc.com
- Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1: www.nhc.noaa.gov
Property assessment
Request an assessment in Delray Beach
- 01Tell us about the propertyTown, property type and what you'd like looked after. Two minutes.
- 02A partner walks the groundsTurf, beds, palms, irrigation and drainage, with you, your manager or staff.
- 03You receive a written programScope, visit schedule and price in writing, before any work begins.
Prefer to talk it through? (561) 319-1104