Elevating a Luxury Property on Beach Drive: A Case Study in HOA Landscape Maintenance at Parkshore

When you're managing the landscape for one of the most prominent high-rise residences in downtown St. Petersburg, there’s no room for inconsistency. 

When we sealed the deal on working with Parkshore – a luxury condominium building on iconic Beach Drive NE in St. Pete – we knew we were following up past partnerships and management teams that hadn’t given consistency. 

In this HOA landscape maintenance case study, we explore how our team revitalized a beautiful and high-profile property that had been through years of service inconsistencies, irrigation failures, and lackluster landscaping. 

Through hands-on leadership, responsive fine gardening, and upgraded infrastructure, we transformed Parkshore into the vibrant, detail-oriented community space it deserved to be.

Meet Parkshore: An HOA Property With Prestige & Pressure

Situated just steps away from the pier and some of St. Pete’s best dining, Parkshore is a luxury high-rise known for its striking fountain entry, manicured architecture, and elite visibility. With a steep reputation to uphold (as it has for years), the landscape plan and execution needed to match the expectations of its residents and reflect its premier location. 

When we teamed up with Parkshore for the first time several years ago, it was through the meticulous team at KB Management. Renowned for its attention to detail, KB Management had long been a partner of this luxury space. 

Parkshore demanded top-tier HOA property maintenance – both from a property value and an expectation perspective. But before Landcrafters stepped in, the property had cycled through multiple landscape maintenance providers and account managers. 

The main issue? Each failed to deliver the consistency, communication, and care the community required. Because ultimately, it’s not just about beautiful landscaping – it’s about creating a partnership built on trust and transparency. Expertise may get you in the door, but it’s those values that keep you there. 

The Landscape Challenges: What We Inherited at Parkshore 

A Saga of Frustrations With Past Providers

Overgrown shrubs. Dead annuals. Damaged plant beds from careless pruning. A dysfunctional irrigation system. To most passersby, Parkshore looked fine – beautiful, even. 

But to a trained eye, it was in disarray. The community had been plagued by rotating vendors, declining attention to detail, and a complete lack of reliability. As a result, Parkshore’s landscape had no long-term plan and nothing that kept them on track for success. 

The Top Problems Parkshore Was Facing 

Every space has its own unique challenges. When we first partnered with Parkshore, here was specifically what we felt was standing in their way to stunning, managed, and pristine landscaping. 

• Frequent turnover in providers and account managers
• Damaged foundation plantings from improper pruning
• Dying or overgrown seasonal color
• Inconsistent irrigation with cut drip lines and clogged emitters
• Minimal communication and unclear expectations
• No long-term plan, so no short-term to mid-term goals to keep them on track 

Our HOA Landscape Solution Strategy: Customized, Phased, & Communicative

A Focus on Fine Gardening and Resident Experience

With Elizabeth, our Fine Gardening Lead, at the helm, we approached Parkshore with a strategic mindset: bring the property back to the high standards it deserved, one detailed step at a time.

Our Top Priorities at Parkshore 

• Restore detail-level quality across plant beds and annuals: Though it might have looked OK to guests or passersby, the reality was that Parkshore’s annuals and beds were a cluttered, dead mess. We needed to remove and start fresh with so many sections on their property.
• Establish trust through consistent, transparent communication: For lack of better phrasing, Parkshore had been burned before. They’d been through a handful of landscape teams in previous years, and none had put an emphasis on long-term partnership, trust, or communication. That left them feeling like they didn’t know what to do or who to turn to.
• Fix systemic irrigation failures: Though this wasn’t on the initial docket, Elizabeth explained the ins and outs of irrigation to Parkshore, displaying just how much more they could accomplish if we were able to give their irrigation system the spruce up it deserved.
• Enhance aesthetics with vibrant seasonal color: The bright pops of eye-catching color would make all the difference. With a property like Parkshore on such an iconic street, it takes more than a well-maintained bed to set itself apart from the other fabulously manicured areas. Giving the property the moment in the sun it deserved with thoughtful colors, textures, and design was one of our main goals.
• Offer stability through long-term account management: The constant revolving door of landscaping partners left the Parkshore landscape struggling. The landscape was surviving – barely hanging in there. We wanted it to thrive instead. 

Communication-First Approach

Because Parkshore had several less-than-stellar experiences with its past landscaping teams, we wanted to make it clear from the start that we value transparency, communication, and long-term partnership above all else. 

From the first walkthrough, we prioritized face-to-face meetings with the property team. Elizabeth met with (and continues to meet with, several years later) Parkshore’s management every other week to walk the site, note concerns, and adjust plans accordingly. 

By addressing both the HOA’s priorities and unseen landscaping issues, we built trust and efficiency into the process.

Our goal? To never leave Parkshore feeling like they don’t have a voice, don’t know who to turn to, and don’t have a plan in place. 

Restoring the Beautiful Parkshore Property: The Implementation in Action

Step 1: Reclaiming Landscape Health

As we mentioned, it wasn’t that Parkshore’s landscape was in disarray. To many, it probably looked fine. But we knew that for this property to truly thrive, we’d have to go in, remove and reclaim, and start fresh. 

To begin the process, we prioritized cleaning up overgrown and damaged areas. This included ongoing tasks like:

• Cutting out dead growth and reshaping shrubs
• Restoring damaged plant beds beneath palm trees
• Refreshing and replacing tired annuals across the property

Step 2: Overhauling the Irrigation System

As we began to work with Parkshore, we realized something – we couldn’t help them thrive unless we gave their current irrigation system a thorough tune-up. The existing system was riddled with issues, from cut drip lines to clogged or missing emitters. 

The problem? All of our hard work revitalizing their landscape would be for nothing unless we revamped their system. Irrigation is at the heart of every landscape – and that’s especially true in a place like Florida with wild and sometimes unpredictable weather. 

We performed a full irrigation audit and implemented a few of these solutions to show them the clear difference proper irrigation can make:

• Micro-drip irrigation in key planters for water conservation and aesthetic cleanliness
• Pressure-compensating nozzles to stabilize water flow across a massive footprint with only two irrigation zones
• Weathermatic smart controllers with on-site weather stations for accurate, real-time watering adjustments and remote access

These upgrades not only improved water efficiency but also increased system reliability and responsiveness for the long term. Translation? All of our efforts going forward could thrive. 

Step 3: Creating Visual Impact With Seasonal Color

One of the most visible transformations came from refreshing the entrances, planters, and corner beds with vibrant annuals. 

With dual date palms flanking the main entry, we selected bold, eye-catching color combinations that made the property’s most visible spaces truly pop.

We intentionally planted color wherever possible – from street corners to container gardens – creating a lush, resort-style atmosphere that residents and guests immediately noticed. Because this property is already on a stunning and iconic street, Beach Drive, we had to work that much harder to carefully design flora and fauna that would draw the eye, work well with the space, and create a can’t-miss experience for residents as well as guests walking by. 

The Results: A Vibrant Transformation Residents Can Feel

It’s not just about how a property looks – it’s about how it feels when a resident walks through it. What was once a problematic, fine-but-not-stellar space now feels like a luxurious resort. And what’s more? The relief of knowing the landscaping will always be maintained, managed, and growing toward excellence feels like peace of mind for the HOA and residents. 

Visual & Functional Improvements

Though our work with Parkshore is ongoing (and has been for years), here’s a peek at just a few of the visual and functional improvements we made in their space that have benefited them for years: 

• Overgrown shrubs cut back and re-shaped
• Beds refreshed with lush seasonal color
• Clogged and cut irrigation zones fully repaired
• Planters upgraded with water-efficient micro-drip systems
• Smart irrigation controllers installed for accurate, weather-responsive watering

Client Satisfaction & Relationship Stability

This is perhaps the result we’re most profoundly proud of. For the first time in years, Parkshore had a dedicated account manager who was consistent, communicative, and deeply involved. 

Elizabeth’s hands-on leadership has helped eliminate the client’s past frustrations with frequent turnover and inattentive service.

Adam Burton, the on-staff gardening team at Parkshore said, "Being a professional gardener, you take pride in any work on any property that you do. Parkshore Plaza in St. Petersburg is one that rises above the rest as a place any gardener would be proud to work at."

"This location is in the heart of St. Pete’s waterfront downtown – that kind of visibility creates the pressure to make it shine above its neighboring buildings," he said. "I personally always love being in someone’s landscape who cares as much about it as I do…The gardeners in the truck, and those working behind the scenes at Landcrafters operate as a team. Each time you turn the corner of the building, a different challenge of creativity and skill is there for us to work on. For nearly a year and a half it was a pleasure to be there every week, providing the best service I could to a place that rivals any in the area in its landscape beauty." 

Lessons Learned: Best Practices for HOA Landscape Maintenance

Working with Parkshore (with any of our clientele, in fact) gives us more than just the opportunity for beautiful partnerships and perfecting landscapes – it also allows us to sharpen our skills and glean insight for future projects. 

Many of the lessons we learned from Parkshore are those we see in our long-term HOA landscape relationships. 

• Consistent Account Management Is Invaluable: Keeping the same lead for three years built trust and improved service quality.
• Face Time Matters: Twice-monthly meetings helped manage expectations and build rapport with the management team.
• Micro-drip Irrigation Pays Off: It conserves water, reduces overspray, and improves planter performance in tight spaces.
• Smart Technology Saves Time & Money: Weathermatic controllers help us spot irrigation issues before the HOA does.

A Model for Community Landscape Maintenance

Parkshore has become more than just a property we maintain; it’s a long-term partnership that reflects everything HOA landscape maintenance should be: thoughtful, responsive, consistent, and stunningly beautiful.

We’re proud to have a positive, ongoing relationship with Parkshore and KB Management – relationships we value, appreciate, and cherish. 

We knew when working with Parkshore, the stakes were high. Not only is Parkshore a staple in the beautiful downtown St. Petersburg area, but it also had poor partnership experiences in the past. To us, that’s an enormous deal – something we want to correct for all of our clients.  

By restoring their trust, reviving their grounds, and elevating their expectations, we didn’t just improve the landscape – we improved the resident experience. And as continued partners for this property, we’re not done yet.

Interested in transforming your HOA property with expert care and consistent service? Let’s talk about how we can take your property from surviving to thriving.