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Maintaining Your Wildflower Prairie & Setting Yourself Up for Success

by Heather Day / June 3, 2023

In a blog post last month, we talked all about the benefits of planting native wildflowers in place of traditional lawns. Transforming your front lawn into a vibrant wildflower prairie can bring beauty, ecological benefits, and a love of native aesthetic to your landscape. However, maintaining a wildflower prairie yard requires a different approach compared to traditional lawn care. In this blog post, we'll explore some essential care and maintenance practices to help you nurture and sustain a thriving wildflower prairie.

Year One
Year Three: Here you see a diversification of species, and a fresh planting incorporating more native grasses.

Diversify with Native Grasses

While wildflowers are often the main focus when seeding a prairie yard, incorporating native grasses is equally important. Native grasses provide structure, enhance the overall aesthetic, and contribute to a more natural appearance. When choosing your seed mix, consider including a variety of native grasses that will complement the wildflowers. These grasses typically take longer to mature, so combining grass planting with wildflower seeding ensures a balanced timing of growth and a more visually appealing landscape.

Allow for Seed Production

A crucial aspect of wildflower management is allowing the plants to go to seed. This process ensures the self-sustainability of your prairie and encourages the natural dispersal of seeds for future growth. By letting the flowers fully mature and scatter their seeds, you're supporting the long-term success and expansion of your wildflower population.

Manage Aggressive Species & Combat Weeds

While diversity is key in a wildflower prairie, it's essential to manage more aggressive species within your seed mix. Some wildflowers might dominate the landscape, inhibiting the growth of other species. Regular observation and manual removal of these dominant plants prior to them going to seed can help maintain a balanced and harmonious mix of wildflowers.

Weeds can occasionally find their way into a wildflower prairie yard, competing with the desired plants for resources. Regular weeding is essential, particularly during the establishment phase of your prairie. Identifying and removing weeds promptly will minimize their impact on the overall health and appearance of your wildflower ecosystem.

Supplemental Watering

While wildflowers are generally resilient and adapted to native rainfall patterns, providing supplemental water during the early spring can give them a boost. This extra hydration helps them establish strong root systems and encourages more robust growth and blooming throughout the season. Aim for deep, infrequent watering rather than frequent shallow watering to promote healthier plant development.

Creating and maintaining a wildflower prairie yard requires a different approach to traditional lawn care. By diversifying with native grasses, allowing for seed production, managing aggressive species, combating weeds, and providing supplemental water during the early stages, you can ensure a thriving and sustainable wildflower prairie. Embracing these practices will not only enhance the beauty of your landscape but also contribute to the ecological well-being of your surroundings. Enjoy the natural splendor and the multitude of benefits that a wildflower prairie yard brings to your sustainable future.

Austin Outdoor Living Tour 2023

by Heather Day / May 3, 2023

Native Edge Landscape is excited to announce that its latest project, The Cherrywood Charmer, will be featured on the Austin Outdoor Living Tour this Saturday, May 6th! This property showcases some of the best sustainable landscaping practices and features a variety of outdoor living spaces that seamlessly blend together.
One of the standout features of this project is the 3-pump recirculating water feature. We’ve also included a custom keyhole raised vegetable garden, which allows for maximum growing space while minimizing water usage. Additionally, the property includes a rainwater cistern demonstrating Native Edge Landscape's commitment to sustainable design.
Visitors to the Austin Outdoor Living Tour will also have the opportunity to explore custom stone pathways and a variety of native plants, all expertly curated by the team at Native Edge Landscape.
Tickets for the Austin Outdoor Living Tour can be purchased at https://mads.media/2023-austin-outdoor-living-tour/. Don't miss this opportunity to see The Cherrywood Charmer and other inspiring outdoor living spaces!

Corten Steel: Your Next Custom Project

by Rowan Marney / June 4, 2022

Corten Steel can give your space a rustic yet modern feel while lasting for years. 


Living in Austin, you're bound to see Corten Steel incorporated into landscaping. Not only does it look nice, it lasts longer than any other material you could use for raised planters. Let's take a look at all the benefits, as well as view some examples where Corten steel has helped elevate a space.

Read More »Corten Steel: Your Next Custom Project

Hilltop Haven

by Dillon Tuttle / December 11, 2021

These homeowners have a beautiful hill country property and were looking to match the aesthetic of the home with an updated landscape design. The primary goals for this project included completing the landscape left unfinished around the existing pool, replacing as much lawn as possible with native plants to attract pollinators and birds, and reimagining the front yard hillside. Custom entry stairs and a bridge were added with steel raised planters to give dimension to the sloping walkway to include a formal path to the front door for guest parking at the street. The bridge gives a clear path over a dry creek drainage system made with river rocks, giving excess water a clear path to follow that avoids important areas of the home and landscaping. We added a custom address marker as well as a few bubbling boulder water features in the front and back yard to provide interest and water source for wildlife.

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Read More »Hilltop Haven

Mount Bonnell Native Oasis

by Dillon Tuttle / June 24, 2021

We have had the pleasure of working on multiple projects for this property over the past few years! It has been great to watch the property change and turn into the native oasis it is today! The most important aspect of this property that the owner wanted to maintain was that all the plantings were native to Central Texas. The back of the property was filled with native plantings around the pool, and the property owner wanted a cohesive look with her beds in the front yard that had become overgrown. We removed the old plants and added in some of the same native plantings that were found in her back yard. Yaupon Holly was added along the property line to provide extra privacy from the neighbors and flowering natives were clustered to make the property more pollinator friendly!

Another request from the owner was that we make the property more inviting during the evenings. We added in some outdoor lighting to highlight the trees, as well as lighting that illuminated the pathway up to the house and around the back of the property. This added a dreamy element to the space, making the property more inviting to guests.

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Hudson Bend Hilltop Estate

by Dillon Tuttle / November 3, 2020

These homeowners came to us wanting to update their property with new plantings at the street, which matched the existing landscaping of the neighborhood, as well as update the various beds around their foundation. The existing beds throughout the property became overgrown and needed a bit of breathing room to allow space for the new plants to fill in. The old vegetation was ripped out and replaced with both native, and adapted plants.

The wooded area in the backyard was rid of debris, and a drainage system was added using the rocks that were in their previous landscape design. Not only were the materials able to be recycled, they are now used to help prevent continued erosion of the hillside by taking the water from the sloped driveway and giving it a path toward the woods. Limestone was the chosen replacement because it is cohesive with the neighbor’s landscaping and the pre-existing stairs in the backyard. Blocks of limestone were used to line the new beds and build a new fire pit to accessorize the beautiful view!

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The Native Allure

by Erin Crespo / October 6, 2020

[caption id="attachment_17904" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image from Hyde Park Modern Retreat - Front Yard[/caption]

A well-planned landscape can foster community not only for ourselves, but for our landscape as well.


Natives. Most often looked to for their durability and natural stamina in our climate, but a delicious benefit that can be overlooked is the relationships they nurture with wildlife.[caption id="attachment_10844" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image from Oak Hill Country Estate[/caption]Curating a palette of native plants can invite some of our most beloved guests into our gardens. Tubular, nectar-rich flowers can attract hummingbirds flitting from snack to snack. Flat rocks and a wide arrangement of blooms lure in butterflies for rest and sustenance.[caption id="attachment_15618" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image from Hyde Park Adaptable Landscape[/caption]Tiny tree houses, feeders and soft flowing water appeal to many kinds of birds and Fall is a wonderful time to witness an array of them on their annual migration. These are the guests to our homes that fill us with surprise and wonder.[caption id="attachment_16152" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image from Barton Springs Cottage Community[/caption]The restorative quality of nature is a treat that can be integrated into your landscape. Our choices in design can draw or deter desired wildlife to make a seasonal refuge in our gardens or venture elsewhere.  With the right combination of plants and placement, you can become a steward to species that bring you peace and joy.[caption id="attachment_14585" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image from Boulden Creek Retreat[/caption]Another beautiful part of using native and adapted plants is it's an excellent way to stay connected to our environment. There is an aesthetic to our local plant palette that is unique to our area and it's creatures.
Everything has a purpose, everything plays into the whole. When crafting a space where plans and plants come together in a unique and complimentary goal we get to experience the seasons through their interactions within our landscape including blooms and wildlife.[caption id="attachment_14491" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image from Zilker Native Chic[/caption] 

New mulch makes everything better!

by Rodney Stoutenger / May 2, 2019

New #mulch makes everything better! Not only does it improve soil structure, help retain moisture, and limit weed growth it also looks fantastic. It's so fun to work in such a lush and green space near #bartoncreek!

#landscapeDesign #landscapedesigns #landscapedesigner #landscapedesigners #landscaping #landscapearchitecture #outdoordesign #outdoorliving #maintenance #landscapemaintenance #Austin #austindesign #AustinTX #AustinTexas #austinlife #austinphotography #austinstyle #ATXlife

Best Of Austin 2018 Voting!

by Jake / September 20, 2018

 Awesome News!We made the short list for Austin Chronicle's Best of Ausitn 2018 poll! But to bring home the prize we need you to vote again! So, head on over to the Austin Chronicle's website and vote for us in the "Lawn Care/Landscaping" category for their 2018 #BestOfAustin list! Comment below when you've cast your vote![button style="colored" url="http://bit.ly/AusBest" target="_blank"]Click Here For The Ballot![/button]Below is a list of other local businesses and organizations we think deserve your support and love as well!

Oh you know, just another day on the job.. 🕷

by Rodney Stoutenger / May 18, 2018

Oh you know, just another day on the job.. 🕷[igp-likes] Instagram LikesOh you know, just another day on the job.. 🕷 #spider #surprise #landscape #lifeofalandscaper #landscape #austin #atxlife #atx #nativeedge #nativeedgelandscape