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 Projectby Dillon Tuttle / October 8, 2021
This mid-century ranch makeover was designed to create an exciting outdoor living space to compliment the homeowners’ in-ground pool and outdoor movie theatre. We wanted the unique style of the home to extend into their outdoor space. Architectural plants paired with the movement of softer flowers and grasses blend into a visually striking and relaxing space for this young family to entertain and enjoy! Texture was a big influence in this landscape with a mix of hardscape and foliage to fuse the space into a modern rustic charm. Windmill palms, cacti, and yuccas were paired with flowering perennials and ornamental grasses to provide seasonal bursts of color and amplify the southwestern ambiance.
Cafe lights and hitching-post towel racks were selected for a cozy and eccentric Austin flare. Artificial Turf was installed to replace the pre-existing pea gravel to soften the landscape and create a more pet-friendly backyard for their dog to play in. An outdoor kitchen with a raised countertop for extra seating was built within access of two doors for hosting and cleaning convenience. With this backyard makeover, the hosting possibilities are endless!
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.
by Erin Spencer / June 1, 2021
Located in downtown Georgetown, this family transformed their front yard into a wildflower wonderland! They envisioned a welcoming entrance with seating and native landscaping to host both guests and pollinators on their property. They wanted to ditch their grass yard in favor of colorful native plants that would create a charming scene for friends and neighbors alike. They dreamed of a gathering space in their front yard that looked out over their native plantings, so we added a seating area with cafe lights and raised steel planters so that the plantings could be enjoyed while seated. Black star gravel was added for furniture and plant contrast, making them pop against the home and landscaping. This family now has a relaxing area to gather, host friends, and watch the pollinators visit their beautiful wildflowers!=
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!
by Rowan Marney / October 15, 2020
Adding a fire pit to your space provides an eye-catching focal point while increasing the value of your home.
Highly customizable from their size, to type, to function, there are endless possibilities when choosing the right fire pit to fit your lifestyle. There are portable pits for those who want to have the option of moving their gathering space around. Customizable built-in pits leave room to create a cohesive look and flow within the space. Fire pits come in all shapes and sizes that allow you to choose exactly what size will work for your needs and space. Wood-burning and natural gas fire pits both have their added benefits and harbor different uses, so thinking about the type of experience you want is important.
Wood burning fire pits provide guests with a nostalgic and traditional experience. Humans have been making fires this way since the beginning of time so why shouldn't you? There's something about the smell and warmth of a wood burning fire that allows us to relax and reminisce. This type of fire pit needs to be built and placed safely to ensure the flames and sparks won't travel outside the pit. Raised pits and the use of gravel or rock around the area can provide a safer environment to light fires.
Natural gas fire pits provide all the benefits of having a fire, without the smell or mess. There is no soot or ash to clean up, no smell left on your clothes, and they cast less emissions when burning. Natural gas pits work by running a gas line to a metal fire pit ring. This ring is placed on top of river rock to provide drainage, then topped with lava rock which absorbs some of the heat. Glass rock can then be added on top to finish the look and give your space that "wow" factor. Natural gas fires do not have sparks that fly out from the flames, making this option the safer of the two.
Now that the bulk of the summer heat is over, the best place to enjoy the expansive, Texas starry-night sky is next to a fire. Give yourself, and guests, the ultimate space to enjoy a drink or toast marshmallows as we head into our cooler season!
by Dillon Tuttle / December 2, 2019
These modest homeowners were looking for drainage solutions, low maintenance plantings, and an entertainment space they could enjoy outside. Mowing the grass had been a pain in the past, so with this design we decided to remove it entirely. Instead, more native grasses were utilized to take in water and reduce erosion. A new fence modernized and updated the space and allowed the interior of the backyard to be leveled providing more opportunities for design elements like a floating bench and custom built fire pit.
by Erin Spencer / February 5, 2018
It's February, and that means the season for romance is finally upon us. While a bouquet of roses might easily impress, when it comes to landscaping, in my opinion, there's nothing more romantic than a trellis. Big and small, wood and wiring, here's my list (in no particular order) for the top ten trellis designs that are sure to make you giddy.
Technically, as long as a plant can crawl up it, you've got yourself a trellis. Try using old chairs, mattress spring boards, lawn equipment or even bicycle wheels to create your new funky trellis. If you aren't as into the shabby-chic look, a fresh coat of paint can do wonders and really make your trellis pop!
A wire trellis can be as simple as a single line connected at two points, to as complicated as an interwoven pattern spanning across a 30 ft wall. This type of trellis has an exceptionally clean look with a ton of versatility that anyone could enjoy.
What a net provides that wire doesn't is ease of use. Not only is a net much cheaper than wire I looks more relaxed and will move in the wind. Hang it off the side of your house at an angle to create a shade covered patio.
If you're the kind of person who likes the natural look go for a trellis that reflects what plants climb up in nature, trees. Reclaimed wood and old branches make perfect materials. Get a Trellis shaped like a tree or integrate a tree branch look into a larger design like the one pictured here.
Probably, the most romantic trellis on this list. The trellis arbor is especially popular at weddings and in country gardens. They can be shaped any way you want and made with anything you want, but using a climbing plant that flowers is always a winner. Roses are the obvious choice, but Carolina Jessamine, honeysuckles, and grapes are other local favorites. Check out this project: Native Edge On Queer Eye
The A-Frame is another very traditional form of trellis. It's free standing and allows for double the climbing room without taking up a significant amount more space. Connect two planter beds with a single trellis to create an A-frame arbor walkway like the one pictured here.
Looking for another free standing design besides the A-frame that you can place in your garden? Then maybe the obelisk is the right choice for you! Often paired together, and generally smaller than other trellises obelisks can be both practical and polished.
Sometimes an entire trellis filled with plants can be too overwhelming, but that doesn't mean you want to leave it out completely. We integrated a trellis with this reclaimed wood wall for a local client and think it turned out to be a great success! Check out more pics from this project here: Rustic Crestview Backyard Escape.
Not really a design, but a great use for a trellis nonetheless. A privacy trellis is an easy way to cover up some of those unattractive necessities you find in most yards. Place one in front of your AC unit, pool equipment, or garbage/recycling bins and soon all the neighbors will be following suit. Check out this project: Brentwood Family Escape
Last but not least, when you are considering installing a trellis it's important to think about what you want your view to be. Trellises are beautiful, but if the rest of the yard is beautiful too, you don't want it to get cut off. That's why If you are planning on building a large trellis consider cutting out some holes for a window. Set a bench in front and enjoy the privacy and view you both enjoy.
by Rodney Stoutenger / March 15, 2017
