LANDSCAPE
INTELLIGENT LANDSCAPE DESIGN & INSTALLATION
Landscape planning is neither an exact science nor a haphazard guessing game. Issues like incline, drainage, and utility egress play a major role in determining what can or cannot occur on a property. The rest becomes a matter of personal taste coupled with the goal of creating a sustainable environment that is both pleasurable and attractive.
After the initial consultation, our Landscaping Engineers will incorporate your desires into a plan that may include one or more xeriscape, forested, or traditional landscaping areas in the style(s) you prefer. Once you have decided upon a final draft of the evolving ideas that present themselves during your collaboration, we procure materials, obtain building permits, and notify the varying utilities. Finally, we send in our Landscape Construction Team. This team is exceptional. They have an uncanny eye for detail, are attentive to clean-up, and committed to safety.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN – THE PLANNING PROCESS
The Assessment Process:
It may seem awkward to begin landscaping plans by assessing plants, but vegetation needs certain environmental conditions to thrive, and so do we. By identifying which areas of your property are more suited to xeriscape plants than a thriving forest, we can determine where to place a patio, outdoor fireplace, or pool. Variables like slope and incline suggest whether an area is amenable for shade trees or would be better served with a retaining wall. Most landscape development plans will include a combination of plant types suited to both their placement and the micro-ecosystem being created.
The Xeriscape Landscape
Popular because they conserve water and protect the environment, Xeriscape plants such as cacti, succulents, and ornamental grasses are commonly placed on the sunniest side of a property, especially on newly-constructed homes. The idea is to phase in amended plants, including ground covers that will help retain moisture. When shade trees have matured, other landscaping elements such as porches, patios, seating, and play areas can comfortably be added to this heretofore uninhabitable part of the landscape.
The Forested Landscape
Trees are not only valuable for shade, they also squelch traffic noise and promote privacy. Any landscaping plan that includes a forested area should also include the incorporation of terraced soil, or gentle sloping mounds that emulate hillsides, (known as swales). This type of construction ensures that rainwater gathers at the base of trees and maximizes their development. Benches, flower gardens, and fountains or ponds find comfortable homes at the base of this type of property feature.
The Traditional Landscape
Here in Northeast Texas, we are fortunate to have a huge variety of native plants that can be used for landscaping purposes. Even the most stubborn local soils have native foliage that not only survives, but thrives in tacky soil. Especially valuable are shrubs and small trees endemic to our region. Nonetheless, there are some instances where soils have become hard-packed, (such as during construction). In that case, raised bed gardens can be built and filled with fertile, rich soil. An arable retaining bed garden can house any type of plant, from tropical to local. Another advantage to a raised bed garden is that it gently contours your property, helping highlight the finest architectural features of your home and grounds.
Contouring your property
Walkways, Landscape Walls, and Terraces
We often forget that walkways, landscape walls, screens, and terraces are each components of our landscape theme. Since each of these landscaping elements can be built from stone, brick, or cast stone, (in hues that either match or compliment your home’s architecture); it is important to consider them when planning the overall appearance of your property.
CHOOSING A LANDSCAPE STYLE
You can choose a cohesive landscaping theme, or combine several styles!
When your landscaping planner comes to visit, it sometimes helps to have images ready that help describe your ideas. We find lots of ideas at Google Images that help us cue in to what our clients are envisioning.
Incorporating the Countryside into your Landscape Ideas
The comfortable country garden is a popular landscaping style that incorporates things like garden benches, gentle streams, and oversized planters. You can choose whether to embody this landscaping theme throughout your entire property, or to dedicate a specific garden feature for this purpose.
Adding choice elements (like a Japanese Garden)
Water features and low-juniper covered hillsides are great places to incorporate ornamentations like Japanese statues or Greek Urns. You don’t need to give up everything you love in favor of an overall theme. Most properties include specific areas where a certain style has prominence that enhances, rather than detracts from the overall landscape plan.
Using Formal Shrubs to Enhance Your Property
Formal shrubs provide a unique opportunity to segregate property elements from one another. Their addition can create privacy, or indicate pathways and secluded seating areas. Today’s landscaping techniques often utilize formal alongside naturally-shaped trees to great effect.
Minimizing Lawncare with a Courtyard Component
Modern Landscape Design often includes the addition of stone landings that serve as a kind of courtyard. These versatile additions are often coupled with retaining walls; and sometimes, with a 2nd teir that features a bench or huge planters. These types of garden structures keep lawncare down to a minimum and are advantageous when guests arrive.
ADDING LANDSCAPE ACCESSORIES
Embellishing your Outdoor Living Space
Outdoor accoutrements run the gamut from Outdoor Fireplaces and Kitchens to water features, vases, and urns. These embellishments not only make outdoor living more comfortable, they make it inviting!
Outdoor Fireplaces or Firepits
Extending the amount of time we can spend outdoors together is always an honorable goal, but evening temperatures often send us scurrying for refuge. The addition of a beautiful, functional outdoor fireplace not only resolves that issue, it creates additional seating and becomes a focal point for prolonged conversations.
Outdoor Kitchens or Grills
We are exceptionally proud of our outdoor kitchens and grills, and of the masons who build them. We can design and install any configuration including grills that utilize wood or charcoal or complete islands fueled by electricity or gas. You’ll want to visit our gallery and/or look for designs on Google Images under “outdoor kitchens.”
Water Features
Even simple birdbaths can incorporate attractive water features into your landscape. Things like fountains, streams, and ponds are easily installed and maintained. Modern pump systems regulate a consistent flow that keeps algae and unwanted insects to a minimum.
Planters, Benches, Urns, & Patio Furniture
We are fortunate to live during an age when cast stone products can easily be formed into any shape. Whether your tastes include ornate Roman Urns, or modern designs, cast stone products have amazing outdoor longevity, whether used as fountains, benches, or planters.