Some lawns only have to look right from the street. This one also has to live next to a canal.
A local landscaper called Sunshine Sod for a delivery of saltwater-tolerant Paspalum to a new-build on Snell Island in St. Petersburg, on Montgomery Boulevard. After that first call, the owner of the landscaping company chose Sunshine Sod for the installation too. In fall 2026 we supplied and installed about 11 pallets of Paspalum on the backyard canal side and about 7 pallets of St. Augustine Floratam across the front yard of this multimillion-dollar new construction.
Paspalum went on the back for storm surge, boat splash, and saltwater coming in off the canal. Floratam went out front, where the lawn meets the street. The photos open on the finished backyard, then walk the job in order: bare soil, the flatbed, the install, a roller on the new turf, and irrigation on the front lawn. Seams between pieces are still easy to see. That is normal on a new lawn. They close as the sod roots in.
Photos from this Sunshine Sod project
Start before the grass. The backyard was bare soil running to the seawall, with the canal and neighboring docks right there. That saltwater edge is why the landscaper asked for Paspalum on the back.
Out front, the modern new-build was still open at the ground floor. Newly planted palms sat in bare soil along the street elevation. That front yard would get Floratam, not Paspalum.
Delivery at the curb
The sod arrived on a flatbed at the street, pallets stacked high, forklift still on the trailer. From there the forklift carried full pallets across the sandy front yard.
Paspalum on the canal side
In the backyard, Paspalum went down toward the seawall while the pool deck was still under construction. The grass had to meet a saltwater edge. Storm surge, boat splash, and saltwater off the canal were the reasons for Paspalum here.
The front yard was still bare when the canal side was going in. Palms along the street were held with wood braces, and the forklift was still on site. That open ground is where the Floratam would go.
On the canal side, Paspalum ran from the house and the pool deck out to the seawall. The pool was still a work zone. The lawn was the part that had to be finished up against the water.
Floratam across the front
St. Augustine Floratam filled the front lawn around those braced palms. Empty pallets were still sitting on the grass while the pieces went in. The front yard does not take the canal the way the backyard does, so it got Floratam instead of Paspalum.
Back on the canal lawn, a roller sat on the new Paspalum. One patch was still open. Pool-deck materials stayed stacked to the side while that backyard was finished.
Out front, irrigation was already spraying the new Floratam around the braced palms.
From the street, the front lawn reads as a finished yard: Floratam around the palms, a sprinkler on the grass, and the new-build behind it.
That is the split the job called for. About 11 pallets of saltwater-tolerant Paspalum on the backyard canal side. About 7 pallets of St. Augustine Floratam on the front. A Snell Island new-build in St. Petersburg, on Montgomery Boulevard, in fall 2026.
Who did what
A local landscaper called Sunshine Sod first for delivery. After that call, the owner of the landscaping company chose Sunshine Sod installation as well. Sunshine Sod supplied and installed the Paspalum and the Floratam. For how that split usually works when a landscaper calls us in, see sod installation for landscapers and contractors.
For a saltwater edge like this canal backyard, see our seashore paspalum page. The front yard is St. Augustine Floratam, covered on our St. Augustine sod page. The pool deck was still under construction while the sod went in, and installing sod around pools and patios is the guide for grass along that kind of edge. For St. Petersburg delivery and install planning, see St. Petersburg sod services.
Planning a similar St. Petersburg lawn?
Call Sunshine Sod at (239) 451-4930 or send your project details. Tell us the St. Petersburg address or ZIP, about how large the area is, whether you need delivery, installation, or both, and whether the site sees saltwater. We will talk through current options and pricing for the grass you want. See residential sod installation in Florida for how a home project usually goes.
FAQ
Where was this sod installed?
At a new-build on Snell Island in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Montgomery Boulevard. The photos show Paspalum on the backyard canal side and Floratam on the front yard.
What grass went where?
About 11 pallets of saltwater-tolerant Paspalum on the backyard, for storm surge, boat splash, and saltwater off the canal. About 7 pallets of St. Augustine Floratam on the front yard.
Who called Sunshine Sod, and who installed the sod?
A local landscaper called first for delivery. The owner of that landscaping company then chose Sunshine Sod for installation too. Sunshine Sod supplied and installed the sod.
When was the sod installed?
Fall 2026.
Why Paspalum in the backyard?
The backyard sits on a canal with a seawall. Paspalum went there for storm surge, boat splash, and saltwater coming in off the canal. The front yard, off that edge, got St. Augustine Floratam.
How do I get pricing for a St. Petersburg sod installation?
Call (239) 451-4930 or send the project details. Pricing depends on the grass, the quantity, access, and whether you need delivery, installation, or both.
Related services
- Residential sod installation in Florida
- Sod installation in Florida
- Sod delivery in Florida
- St. Petersburg sod services
- Seashore paspalum
- St. Augustine sod
- Sod installation for landscapers and contractors
- Installing sod around pools and patios
