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Southwest Swale Way

by Heather Day / July 8, 2023

Intelligent Drainage & Rainfall Celebration

Front entry by driveway featuring crushed limestone mulch planted with colorful native plants, accent beds of dark Whittlesey mulch, dry creek bed accents of Brazos and washed river rocks, and a front walk of sawn limestone pavers and poured-in-place concrete leading to and coordinating with the driveway

At Native Edge, we thrive on designing landscapes that not only enhance the beauty of a property but also address practical challenges. Southwest Swale Way was a project that focused on intelligent drainage solutions while celebrating the natural element of rainfall, and enhancing the client's desired southwestern style. Join us as we delve into the details of this remarkable project and discover how we transformed a problematic swale into a stunning landscape feature.

Phase 1: Enhancing Functionality & Aesthetics

In the first phase, we adjusted the irrigation system, began laying the dry creek beds, and installed the sawn limestone slabs, crushed limestone rock mulch, and limestone boulders that were excavated from the site to create a patio space off the back steps and enhance the appearance of the septic field. Native grasses and tradescantia pallida are beautifully incorporated into this space.

Phase 2: Celebrating Rainfall & Creating Visual Delight

Building upon the success of Phase 1, the second phase of the project focused on enhancing the aesthetics of the landscape while emphasizing the celebration of rainfall.

The home's front high voltage utility area has been replanted with native plants that will grow to conceal the utilities while still allowing for accessibility.

The existing overwhelmed downspouts were replaced with rain chains, which not only effectively managed the water flow but also added a touch of rustic elegance that matched the home's style. To work in tandem with the rain chains, limestone slabs were installed beneath them to act as splash pads. The limestone slab beautifully matches and enhances the existing architecture of the home, as well as the materials used throughout the landscaping.

The splash pads are designed to help guide the runoff to a catch basin beneath the gravel to two 12” box drains that pipe into the drain system behind the retaining wall. The installation of mixed limestone block retaining walls with brick caps seamlessly integrated with the architectural elements of the property and employed leftover building materials from the home.

We added a poured-in-place concrete path from the entry walk extending from the sawn limestone pavers to the utilities at the side of the house to tie into the existing driveway, adding visual interest but also practicality.

The existing excavated limestone boulders were strategically repositioned throughout the landscape to not only serve as functional components but also as visually striking features to the modified design of the dry creek pathways and planted areas.

Excavated limestone boulder detail

The swales were further enhanced with a mix of washed river gravel and Brazos River gravel, creating a natural stream-like appearance while maintaining proper water movement. These pathways meander throughout the yard and lead down to the wildflower prairie at the very back of the property.

The beautiful clusters of oaks in the back were viewed as an opportunity to create native planting areas and give ease to mowing, maintenance, and irrigation, while also making these stunning trees a focal point in the design. These areas were mulched with dark Whittlesey mulch to provide visual contrast and tie in to the other landscaped accent beds around the property.

A beautiful mixture of hardscapes: dark Whittlesey mulch, sawn limestone pavers, limestone boulders excavated from the site, and a blend of washed river rock and Brazos river rock

To extend the enjoyment of the yards into the evening, we installed landscape lighting with ten unique fixtures. This included front yard foundation well lights and backyard downlights, known as “moonlighting” that beautifully and naturally illuminates the landscape features, creating a captivating ambiance that imitates the moon.

The Southwest Swale Way project exemplifies Native Edge's expertise in addressing drainage challenges while creating visually stunning landscapes. By intelligently managing water flow, incorporating rain chains, and designing functional swales, we successfully transformed a problematic area into an aesthetically pleasing feature. The use of natural materials, such as limestone boulders and diverse top dresses, added texture and visual interest.

Contact us at Native Edge to explore how we can transform your outdoor space into a sustainable oasis that celebrates both functionality and natural elements.

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!

March is Flower Month

by Heather Day / March 4, 2023

March is officially here, and that means it's Flower Month! With the arrival of spring, the world around us begins to bloom with vibrant colors and fragrant scents. It's the perfect time to celebrate the beauty of nature and to appreciate the role flowers play in our environment. At Native Edge Landscape, we're big fans of flowers, and we believe that incorporating native flowers into your landscape is an important part of sustainable and responsible landscaping.

Native flowers are plants that are indigenous to a particular area and have adapted to thrive in the local climate and soil conditions. They have evolved over time to be perfectly suited to the local ecosystem, and they provide important benefits for local wildlife, such as pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. In addition, native flowers are generally easier to care for than non-native plants because they're already acclimated to the environment.

At Native Edge Landscape, we focus on sustainable and environmentally responsible landscape designs, and that includes the use of native flowers. By incorporating native flowers into your landscape, you can help to create a more diverse and resilient ecosystem that supports local wildlife and promotes a healthy environment. Plus, with so many different types of native flowers available, you can create a stunning and unique landscape that truly showcases the beauty of nature.

Here are just a few of the many native flowers that we love to incorporate into our landscape designs:

  1. Blackfoot Daisy - This beautiful white and yellow flower is native to Texas and is known for its resilience in hot and dry conditions.
  2. Mexican Hat - A popular wildflower in Texas, the Mexican Hat is a bright yellow and red flower that's perfect for adding a pop of color to your landscape.
  3. Purple Coneflower - This lovely purple flower is native to the central and eastern United States and is a favorite of pollinators like bees and butterflies.
  4. Bluebonnet - The Texas state flower, the Bluebonnet is a stunning blue flower that blooms in the spring and is beloved by Texans everywhere.

These are just a few examples of the many native flowers that can be incorporated into your landscape. At Native Edge Landscape, we work closely with our clients to create custom landscape designs that showcase the beauty of nature and promote sustainability. If you're interested in incorporating native flowers into your landscape, we would be happy to help you get started.

So this March, as we celebrate Flower Month, let's take a moment to appreciate the beauty and importance of native flowers in our environment. By incorporating them into our landscapes, we can help to create a more sustainable and healthy world for generations to come.

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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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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Georgetown Wildflower Wonderland

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!=

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Georgetown Native Nook

by Dillon Tuttle / November 21, 2020

After these homeowners moved from a modern house in east Austin out to the hill country of Georgetown, they wanted to modernize their landscaping without clashing with their new home. The pre-existing, overgrown beds provided a great shape, so the designer decided to reenforce them with metal edging, and fill them with drought tolerant perennials and structural plants that look great year round. The old plantings had become untamed, shrouding the home and leaving little room to breathe. The new xeriscape was designed to be minimal and sporadic, leaving plenty of room for the new plants to grow into the space. Pea gravel and river rock where the chosen top dressings instead of traditional mulch to keep with the modern theme of the landscaping. Outdoor lighting was added to create depth throughout the property. Not only were they added against the home, they were added to every tree in the front yard, lighting the entire area with a warm, welcoming glow.

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Brentwood Bermuda Invasion

by Rodney Stoutenger / October 28, 2013

This project is a perfect example of how a few simple changes can produce a powerful impact! Tired of constantly fighting the Bermuda grass creeping into his garden beds, this customer was ready to make some changes! And in the process, reduce the time and waste of watering!With this in mind, we selected native and drought tolerant plant material to utilize in the updating of his existing garden bed lines. With a balanced mixture of taller upright plants for  architectural accents, and a colorful mixture of ground covers for year round color, this garden went from drab to fab with a few easy steps!Now this property has an updated look, with a simple maintenance plan!Read More »Brentwood Bermuda Invasion