River Oaks Italian Garden Design

A River Oaks resident hired us to create organic elements that would harmoniously blend the organic elements around her home with inorganic stonework and masonry that ornamented its exterior. Because her house featured architecture that was classically symmetrical, elegant, and almost perfectly balance, she wanted these areas of her property landscaped with the theme of an Italian garden. The key areas we focused on were both ends of the walkway that ran from the sidewalk up to her motorcourt and front porch, the side yard that featured an all brick surface and very sophisticated swimming pool, and the front and upstairs balcony of the house itself.

The walkway was built in steps that gradually ascended to the front door. We accentuated this sense of an entryway by placing a variety of species around the front steps intersected with the sidewalk. We planted Agapanthus, which is very prolific throughout the Houston area, and known for its blue and white flowers in the late spring and early summer. We also used boxwoods for ground cover, and a number of other annual flowers to create a variety of colors to frame the entrance to the property. This established the theme of an Italian garden by placing order, symmetry, and linear proportions at the forefront of the property where people walk in.

The thee-story home was a very distinguished structure in and of itself. It was built around elements of Classical architectural design. It has windows shaped like tall arches, and rose up from the landscape to a height nearly equivalent to its width. To accentuate the symmetry of its architecture and further enhance the Italian garden theme with Classical elements, we planted two very tall Italian cypress trees on either side of the house. We kept the vegetation in front of the house very low in order to keep the aesthetic of the windows from being diminished, and also to allow people within the home to look through the windows without any obstructions.

In front of the door, the walkway widened symmetrically and intersected with a portion of the motor court. The symmetrical right angles this structure created was almost like that of a planter, and provided additional opportunity for colorful vegetation to be placed. We decorated this area with snapdragons, pansies, and annuals. This allowed the colors and floral patterns to be changed out every season so the residents would have an entirely new look and feel to their Italian garden at the beginning of every spring. Boxwoods were then planted in linear rows and right angles to make a frame for the entry garden that was consistent with the balance, order, and symmetry of Italian design.

To the side of the home there was a pool area which was surrounded by a yard that was completely covered in brick. This area was already perfectly balanced and symmetrical, and the pool had been exquisitely constructed and required no renovation. The area was a bit barren, however, and needed both organic and inorganic elements to add dimension and depth to its aesthetic. We planted a row of Holly trees on the far side of the pool to screen in the entire area and create privacy for the residents and their guests. This provided a backdrop for an Italian cherub that we mounted on the fountain wall on the side of the pool. This sculpture framed by Hollies made the back wall of the pool look like a small garden up lit by concealed fixtures and ornamented symmetrically on both sides by handmade Italian pottery. The final touch to this mini-garden area was up lighting the sculpture, and placing down lighting on the side of the house.