Beautifying Landscapes for 40 Years: R.S. Walsh Now Run by Second Generation

Jun 15, 2022 01:23PM ● By LISA WALSH

In the early 1980s, Bob Walsh applied his already-extensive knowledge of South Florida horticulture to the business he started “literally” from the ground up to create RS Walsh Landscaping.

Today, the Fort Myers-based company is a thriving and successful landscape design/build firm run by sons Justin and Jeremy Walsh. They head up the company’s day-to-day business, consult with clients, and continue the same high standards that have made the company one of the premier landscape design and installation companies in Southwest Florida.

Bob is still a guiding force within the company, mainly dealing with select clients and collaborating with a talented team of qualified landscape architects and designers. “Our design team is on the cutting edge of the popular tropical modernist design,” he says. “Our goal continues to be creating the lush tropical looks and excellent quality landscapes that have become the trademark of our company.”

On staff are experienced installation crews, as well as a custom maintenance division to care for the landscape masterpieces the company has installed across Sanibel and Captiva and the surrounding area.

Another notable aspect of this landscape company is its beautiful garden center, In the Garden, located on Sanibel. It is a peaceful oasis on the island, with winding pathways through various sample gardens. Created from a design perspective, the gardens are perfect for cultivating ideas for unique outdoor spaces. A retail plant nursery is filled with tropical and native plants, focusing on an unusual variety of plants not often found in typical garden centers.

Certified horticulturists guide customers and provide expert knowledge on plant selection, planting techniques, and care. The garden center also has an extensive selection of pottery, fountains, garden ornaments, and statues, and a gift shop filled with more garden and home décor items. It has become a go-to shop for many homeowners and designers on the islands looking for that final touch to complete their interior design.

As Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote in her classic, The Secret Garden: “If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” In many ways, this is what R. S. Walsh has imagined, designed, planted, and cultivated.

Lisa Walsh is business manager, marketing executive, and store buyer for R. S. Walsh Landscaping, Inc.