Welcome to Jean Robinson Design. I am Jean Robinson, I live in San Antonio, Texas, and operate a landscape architectural design business for San Antonio and environs. I meet with you on site at no charge, to discuss your project and provide an estimate for my services.
My love of design sprung from a passion for native Texas plants-plants from here. Our chances of a successful landscape greatly increase when we take advantage of the plants that already know how to survive here without our intervention!
My love of design sprung from a passion for native Texas plants-plants from here. Our chances of a successful landscape greatly increase when we take advantage of the plants that already know how to survive here without our intervention!
I provide both residential and commercial design as well as consulting services. I am interested in, and driven by the concept of sustainability and care for our local ecosystem. By incorporating native plants and sustainable practices such as low water use into my designs, I help you contribute to the health and balance of our environment. Your payback is a lower water bill and less work! The more we work with nature instead of against it, the easier the task!
My range of services include residential landscape design (front yard design, backyard design or both), commercial landscape design, informal design sketches, illustrative site plans, horticultural consultation and related services. Drawing from my design education and knowledge of Texas native plants, I create outdoor rooms that are both inviting and easy to maintain. With good design and an effective plant palette, I create a "sense of place" in your landscape.
PLANT OF THE MONTH
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March, 2026
I was not even that close to my Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana) when I heard a distinct hum emanating from it. A few days earlier I had noticed a heavenly honeysuckle-like fragrance from its small white flowers, and now the tree was totally covered with bees. It would have been scary if bees weren't so welcome. This was the first tree I planted at my house and a sentimental favorite. Add this to your list of Pollinator plants!
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DESIGN TIP OF THE MONTH
March, 2026
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I'd like to showcase some stunning examples of rocks as mulch - a trend that just won't go away! First and foremost, as a designer, I see this as an aesthetic disaster. Rocks aren't found under trees, leaves and other organic debris are. This makes the rocks look unnatural and weird. Also uninviting and hard to walk on, which I can attest to, having taken this photo! |
Nice touch adding some organic material (mulch) under the trees. Rocks heat up the soil and air, making it harder for plants to survive high temperatures and drought. They also supply no organic material (such as mulch or leaves) to the soil, which feed the plants as they decompose. It's a lose-lose!
Maintenance is greater, since falling leaves need to be removed often to retain the "clean", inorganic look of a rockscape. Weeds are more conspicuous among rocks than in soil or mulch and more difficult to remove.
In this photo, for less than the cost of the rocks, a low prairie grass seed (Blue Grama, for example) could provide a lush, uniform, beautiful, extremely drought tolerant, quick and maintenance free carpet. Perhaps some Texas Sages could be thrown in for interest, height and color.
Maintenance is greater, since falling leaves need to be removed often to retain the "clean", inorganic look of a rockscape. Weeds are more conspicuous among rocks than in soil or mulch and more difficult to remove.
In this photo, for less than the cost of the rocks, a low prairie grass seed (Blue Grama, for example) could provide a lush, uniform, beautiful, extremely drought tolerant, quick and maintenance free carpet. Perhaps some Texas Sages could be thrown in for interest, height and color.
Yikes!! I can't explain the thinking behind this installation. Rocks are often used to control soil erosion on a slope (although grass and other plant root structures do it better) but that is clearly not the case here. Extra rocks to use?? Mulch too much work ???
With little effort and cost, this very high visibility planter could be full of pink and red Turk's Caps, perhaps a Dwarf Palmetto, and some evergreen Webberville Sedge. This planting would be virtually maintenance free, woodsy, self-sustaining and inviting.
unusual sight of the month
October, 2025
I thought this was a creative and very striking landscape installation, uncharacteristic for the setting, planted along the wall of an excavation. I couldn't determine the species either, from afar. But in fact it was a Hackberry, growing as a shrub, that must have been cut off at the base during the excavation. It had too much life in it to go away. Only nature could have come up with this.
