Texas Landscaping
This article is part of a series on Central Texas Lawn Care. The hub page contains links to articles on fertilizing, watering and more.
Texas Landscaping
Landscaping is a great way to add value and enjoyment to your home. A little landscaping can go a long way towards improving resale value, as the right or wrong garden can be the difference between a house that stands out and one that gets passed over. Here are some things to consider for getting the most out of your landscaping.
Image by Paladin27
Plant choice
Choose plants that are native to the area as they will be more resilient in the warmer weather than non-native plants. The Urban Landscape Guide has a handy reference database for native Texas plants.
Mulching
Mulching is an easy and cheap way to help your lawn out. Mulch will help retain water in the soil as it prevents it from getting evaporated from the surface. It can also put nutrients back into the soil, will help to maintain soil temperature, and can even be decorative if used smartly.
Drip Irrigation
Drip irrigation is an effective way to irrigate your lawn as well. Drip irrigation will help your plants get water as it increases water retention rate and helps to prevent runoff. This increased efficiency will decrease the amount of water you need to use and will help offset the initial costs of installation.
Hardscapes
Another way to improve your yard area is to add hardscapes. Hardscape is stone or paved areas where the soil is no longer at the surface. Adding in hardscapes can be an excellent way to increase the functionality of your space by perhaps adding in a deck, more seating, a grill area or an enjoyable water feature.
Lighting
Image by georgeogoodman
Lighting is an important way that you can accent your landscaping. Lighting can be anything from cheap solar powered lights to more expensive and complicated sets. Choose a brightness and spread that complement your design choices: too much light will run up bills and look gaudy while too little will be purposeless, so aim for the middle.
Accommodation
Make sure to adjust your watering system to whatever you’ve added to your lawn. You don’t want water running off onto your hardscape or onto newly place plants that might become inundated.
Interaction
Consider how your landscaping will look from multiple angles. Is it meant to be seen mainly from outside the house? Inside? Consider also how landscaping will affect how your move through your yard. If you’ve got a dog, be sure to know how it moves through your yard because he or she might not be as accommodating to new plants as you are!
Future Plans
Be sure to have a comprehensive plan of what you want to do with your yard, especially if it’s a plan which will be enacted over several years. Adding in a deck might be a great idea, but not if it conflicts with something else you might want to add later.
First image by Paladin27, second by georgeogoodman
