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.
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!
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!=
Opting for an Xeriscape allows you to be less dependent on irrigation without sacrificing aesthetic-appeal.
Xeriscape is defined as a style of landscape design requiring little or no irrigation or maintenance. This doesn't mean you have to skip out on a lawn! With careful planning and design, incorporating xeriscape with a lawn area can provide you with the best of both worlds. Living in Texas, xeriscaped designs thrive under the climate. Not only does it save water, but it allows your space to look great year round no matter if there's 100 degree sunshine or 32 degree overcast.
Native plants aren't always used for xeriscaping, but because Texas is such a warm environment, they are the go-to for this type of work. Native plants are already adapted to our environment, making them the optimal choice for survival. Many native Texas plants are drought tolerant, making them perfect for this type of landscaping. Agave, Cacti, Yucca, & Hesperaloe are just some of the examples that we love to work with! These plants are green year round and make great focal points. Evergreen perennials are another option if native plants aren't your style. Hymenoxys, Damianita, and Salvia Greggii are a few examples of perennials that keep their green foliage throughout the year while also providing colorful, seasonal blooms!
Xeriscape can look both rugged and neat depending on design. Incorporating asymmetrical shapes and edges can help tidy up a xeriscaped lawn. Here at Native Edge, we space plants out, to give them room to grow. Sporadic planting allows for the incorporation of odd-shaped edges and tall planters to add dimension to the landscaping.
The use of a top coat is necessary to keep the landscaping looking sharp. Gravels provide excellent drainage which xeriscape plants typically need. It can also be used to blend planted areas with paths and seating or gathering areas, giving a complete and cohesive look to the space. If you're tired of spending time and money on watering and upkeep of your current landscaping, xeriscape may just be right for you!
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.
[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]
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.
Our customers for this project were a young, active family new to Austin with a keen eye for design and a love of the outdoors. The main goal of this project was to implement an outdoor living space while also providing an area for their dogs and kids to be active.
Starting in the front yard, we added a walkway to connect with the street to create a welcoming entrance for guests. Next we focused on extending their indoor living space into the backyard by implementing elements that they would draw them outside. The new patio and fire pit, built-in seating opportunities, an outdoor shower, and an adjustable louvered pergola help keep the space comfortable for everyday use. A rain water catchment and a raised garden and herb wall create opportunities to interact with their landscape. The inclusion of the custom built play area gives the kids a separate place to play while mom and dad entertain.
The home was a new construction, with unique yard layout that left us with a series of corners. These customers were conscious of choosing environmentally friendly options to work with nature in their space rather than combat it. We were able to create movement within the yard and soften the structures with native plantings that added energy to the space.
After their brand new construction was completed, this family had a beautiful and comfortable home that truly fit their needs. However, this new construction lacked an outdoor living space, which left the backyard feeling stark and bare. With this blank slate, we were able to create a relaxing environment for this family to enjoy.
Faced with the challenge of using every square-inch of this small space, Native Edge was able to design a landscape that left this family worry-free. We incorporated a low maintenance composite decking system, modern raised metal planters, and a bubbling urn water feature to tie this peaceful landscape together. The poor drainage of the lot gave us the opportunity to create a striking cat walk and drainage feature, which left ample room for their vegetable and herb garden hobby. There is even a nook for the family dog to enjoy!
[igp-likes] Instagram LikesReplaced the lawn with shades of green for this happy little drought tolerant front yard! #xeriscape #groundcoversrule #greenongreen
