New homes in Cape Coral often come with sandy fill, a strip of builder sod, and little else. The fill drains fast, holds few nutrients, and may be compacted from construction traffic.
A sensible order of work
Start with grading and drainage while the yard is empty: slope away from the house and plan where roof water goes. Then irrigation zones, so beds and lawn get water separately. Then beds and curbing, then plants and palms, then rock or mulch, and last, sod to fill the lawn areas.
Plant for the conditions
Sandy, fast-draining fill favors drought-tolerant plants: clusia and cocoplum hedges, coontie, muhly grass, and palms like Christmas, foxtail and sabal. Near Gulf-access canals, lean toward salt-tolerant choices.
Start with structure
A couple of well-placed palms, a defined bed line with curbing, and a clean lawn edge make a new house look finished, even before everything fills in.