services
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Residential Landscape Design
Whether front yard design, backyard design or both, your landscape will be unique and personalized to you and your residence. Through discussions with you, I incorporate your ideas as well as contribute my own. I create landscapes that are outdoor rooms, reflecting your style, and drawing you outside!
Whether front yard design, backyard design or both, your landscape will be unique and personalized to you and your residence. Through discussions with you, I incorporate your ideas as well as contribute my own. I create landscapes that are outdoor rooms, reflecting your style, and drawing you outside!
Commercial Landscape Design
Your professional image will be reflected in my landscape design for your business, executed in a palette of low maintenance native plants. Clients, customers or visitors will notice the distinctive look of your landscape- in stark contrast to the generic seen all around them. As always, cost of maintenance, such as irrigation and mowing, are uppermost in my mind. Native plants mean less water and maintenance, as well as an eye-catching look, unique to our South Central Texas home.
Your professional image will be reflected in my landscape design for your business, executed in a palette of low maintenance native plants. Clients, customers or visitors will notice the distinctive look of your landscape- in stark contrast to the generic seen all around them. As always, cost of maintenance, such as irrigation and mowing, are uppermost in my mind. Native plants mean less water and maintenance, as well as an eye-catching look, unique to our South Central Texas home.
Xeriscape Design
All my designs are xeriscape ("xeri" meaning "dry" in Greek) because I use native and well adapted plants. We have about 30" of rainfall a year to work with- if we're lucky- so let's not live beyond our means! Many people associate xeriscape with cactus, but that is just one group of plants that qualify as such. Cactus and other succulents may be included in your xeriscape design or not, depending on your preference.
All my designs are xeriscape ("xeri" meaning "dry" in Greek) because I use native and well adapted plants. We have about 30" of rainfall a year to work with- if we're lucky- so let's not live beyond our means! Many people associate xeriscape with cactus, but that is just one group of plants that qualify as such. Cactus and other succulents may be included in your xeriscape design or not, depending on your preference.
Wildscape Garden
Landscape design with animals, birds and insects in mind is my favorite style of design because it is truly alive and interactive. You will be constantly entertained and pleased to see the busy population of your garden! This style of design is full of variety, with abundant colors, textures and shapes, as well as varying heights and densities of perennials, shrubs and trees, which provide shelter. And all the while you will be supporting our native flora and fauna.
Pollinator Garden
A garden specifically for butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators is going to be a very beautiful garden, because pollinators are attracted to colors, fragrances and different shapes of flowers. Water sources can be as simple as a birdbath or "pondless" waterfall. This is an interactive garden, with a constant flow of life coming and going. And it's a double payback because you will also be supporting our local and migrating winged community.
A garden specifically for butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators is going to be a very beautiful garden, because pollinators are attracted to colors, fragrances and different shapes of flowers. Water sources can be as simple as a birdbath or "pondless" waterfall. This is an interactive garden, with a constant flow of life coming and going. And it's a double payback because you will also be supporting our local and migrating winged community.
Cottage Garden
A cottage garden has traditionally been a densely planted, informal garden close to the house, with plants and flowers useful for medicinal, edible and decorative purposes. Today, this style can be adapted to reflect the interests and needs of the homeowner, or simply be ornamental. The possibilities are many within this style, and the results are a very interesting and appealing garden.
A cottage garden has traditionally been a densely planted, informal garden close to the house, with plants and flowers useful for medicinal, edible and decorative purposes. Today, this style can be adapted to reflect the interests and needs of the homeowner, or simply be ornamental. The possibilities are many within this style, and the results are a very interesting and appealing garden.
Edible Garden
Apart from traditional raised beds for vegetables and herbs, as well as high maintenance non-native fruit trees, there is a wide variety of Texas native perennials, shrubs and trees that provide edible fruit, berries, nuts and seeds for your table! And these plants are highly decorative. And they don't need extra water or pesticides as do the non-native varieties. We should take advantage! It's fun and gratifying to harvest food from your own yard, especially when it was just growing there relatively unattended!
Apart from traditional raised beds for vegetables and herbs, as well as high maintenance non-native fruit trees, there is a wide variety of Texas native perennials, shrubs and trees that provide edible fruit, berries, nuts and seeds for your table! And these plants are highly decorative. And they don't need extra water or pesticides as do the non-native varieties. We should take advantage! It's fun and gratifying to harvest food from your own yard, especially when it was just growing there relatively unattended!
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Rain Garden
A rain garden is a low area, either naturally occurring or engineered, that is planted to collect, store and filter storm water. This keeps rain water on your property, but diverts it away from structures, walkways or anywhere else it is not wanted. A rain garden increases the biodiversity and interest of your outdoor space since it requires a specific palette of plants able to tolerate longer periods of wetness and with a root structure that holds water well. Rain gardens can be serious functional features in storm water management, or simply an interesting, beautiful use of a low spot on your property. |
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Patio Garden
A patio garden maximizes a contained space to provide an inviting atmosphere that stimulates the senses with color, fragrance, texture, tastes and sound. I like to use plants and features that can be best appreciated up close when designing a patio garden. This outdoor room is truly an extension of your indoor living spaces, but more relaxing, because you are surrounded by nature!
A patio garden maximizes a contained space to provide an inviting atmosphere that stimulates the senses with color, fragrance, texture, tastes and sound. I like to use plants and features that can be best appreciated up close when designing a patio garden. This outdoor room is truly an extension of your indoor living spaces, but more relaxing, because you are surrounded by nature!
Prairie Garden
A prairie garden is a landscape composed of the native grasses, shrubs and trees that populate our nearby prairies. A prairie is an ecosystem whose open spaces are peaceful and beautiful. This can make a very inviting garden if sufficient space and an open, sunny exposure are present. A stylized prairie may also be created, where grasses and plants evoking grasses are used. The effect is unexpected, interesting and beautiful.
A prairie garden is a landscape composed of the native grasses, shrubs and trees that populate our nearby prairies. A prairie is an ecosystem whose open spaces are peaceful and beautiful. This can make a very inviting garden if sufficient space and an open, sunny exposure are present. A stylized prairie may also be created, where grasses and plants evoking grasses are used. The effect is unexpected, interesting and beautiful.
Adventure Garden
An adventure garden inspires your spirit of exploration and discovery. This is usually conceived as a children's garden, but is interesting and fun for lively adults as well! This imaginative landscape incorporates play structures, tree houses, various types of swings, secret paths, water features and other interactive elements, including more introspective features such as fairy gardens and insect dwellings. Such a garden can easily be adapted for children as they grow and acquire new interests.
An adventure garden inspires your spirit of exploration and discovery. This is usually conceived as a children's garden, but is interesting and fun for lively adults as well! This imaginative landscape incorporates play structures, tree houses, various types of swings, secret paths, water features and other interactive elements, including more introspective features such as fairy gardens and insect dwellings. Such a garden can easily be adapted for children as they grow and acquire new interests.
Permeable Hardscapes
Permeable or pervious hardscapes allow rainwater to penetrate the ground instead of running off. They are better looking and they don't crack as will a concrete slab, because they flex with the expansion and contraction of soils (due to drought and flood). They can be eligible for SAWS rebates. In my experience, they are much more stable and durable than concrete slabs, due to their ability to flex. And they look beautiful!
Water Features
Water features bring life to a landscape more than any other feature, because of the life they attract! The sound of water is also a factor in their appeal. A simple bird bath counts, perhaps with a solar powered nozzle, or "water wiggler" for a shady location, to agitate the water, keep it clean and attract more creatures. A "pondless" waterfall is another very low maintenance, low water use recirculating fountain, where the water cascades or slowly drips over large rocks, providing entertainment for you and a water source for your animal and insect friends.
Water features bring life to a landscape more than any other feature, because of the life they attract! The sound of water is also a factor in their appeal. A simple bird bath counts, perhaps with a solar powered nozzle, or "water wiggler" for a shady location, to agitate the water, keep it clean and attract more creatures. A "pondless" waterfall is another very low maintenance, low water use recirculating fountain, where the water cascades or slowly drips over large rocks, providing entertainment for you and a water source for your animal and insect friends.
