Pool and Patio

Pool and patio design starts as a relationship of duality that expands in all directions into the rest of the outdoor space. Respect to home architecture is a priority for pool and patio design, because it places these elements in proportion to the remainder of the landscape. It also provides a focal point around which to build any number of patio styles that extend architecture into green space to create new form through functionality.

The sizes of pools and patios size are based on the lifestyle of the residents and the way they intend to use these new structures. Many people want a custom pool just for family use. Other people intend to use the pool and patio to host outdoor events and large gatherings. For such clients, we have to take the time to clearly understand their future plans in order to create something that will effectively accommodate the number of people estimated to attend the average event. Some patios can be massive in size, taking up a large portion of the yard to accommodate many different activities and interests. It is not uncommon for us to construct other structures near the pool that are also used to host outdoor entertainment events. Such things as outdoor kitchens, fire pits, and outdoor fireplaces are often located at the end of a custom swimming pool.

Pool patios can be constructed using any number of materials. Ideally, these materials should be selected according to their ability to support key architectural elements the overall theme of the landscape. For instance, over the past few years, we created a number of contemporary landscapes in the Memorial Area. Concrete pool patios worked very well for these environments because they supported a clean look with stark linear forms. In French and Mediterranean landscapes, we built stone patios that allude to the rocky cliffs of the Riviera, Italian Coast, and Greek Islands. On one project, we used actual rocks to create special patios around natural swimming pools built to emulate woodland ponds or waterfalls. Still another project involved creating a pool with no patio.

As diverse as these many projects were, all pool patios we have created over the years share certain basic elements. No matter what materials we use to construct them, we make construct patios as flat as possible so that they can comfortably and safely support foot traffic. We also build them with some sort of drainage system that allows water to quickly run off before it forms a hazardous, slick surface. We can incorporate any number of unique drainage systems as either integrated or concealed elements of the patio itself.

Keep in mind too that Exterior Worlds not only develops the plans for pool and patio construction, but we actually find the best possible pool contractor to install the materials and handle the construction end of the project under the strict management of the landscaping plan we develop in partnership with the homeowner.

Houston Custom Swimming Pools

When we use the term “custom swimming pool” we are using it in a slightly different way than pool construction companies use it. In our mind, a custom swimming pool is one that has specifically designed as an integral component of the landscape, home, and the lifestyle of the resident. In all honesty, we also are very up front with the fact that this means spending more money than you normally would if you went directly to a pool contractor. Due to the higher level of detail that goes into planning a custom swimming pool as part of a master landscaping plan, a higher investment will be required. However, you will ultimately be satisfied when you realize your return on investment in the form of a higher level of functionality and aesthetics relative to the appearance of the home, additional outdoor structures, gardens, and special vegetation forms.

Creating a custom swimming pool takes more than just picking out a style. When landscaping architects work with pool contractors, they actually act as liaisons between homeowners and pool specialists. They create a master plan for the whole property, and then they develop the pool around the topography, needs of the homeowner, and pay close attention to the need to respect the architecture of the home. A great deal of our consulting process involves taking a very close look at your intentions and desires for outdoor space in general. Getting a clear picture of how a swimming pool can play a role in fulfilling these specifics helps us to better communicate a clear picture of value to the pool company that more tightly focuses their expertise and streamlines it into ours.

This is much more to your advantage in the long run, because the highly specialized nature of custom swimming pools requires pool companies to focus on the pools themselves, not necessarily how those pools reflect and compliment surrounding landscape design. We are not saying that pool companies only think of their own benefit, but instead that pool companies only of its benefit often lack the background in architecture and landscaping needed to fully integrate their work into the surrounding exterior designs.

We therefore set criteria very high for custom swimming pools. We consider details like the elevation of the water and the how deep each step is as it relates to surrounding terrain, patios, structures, and vegetation. Our intention is to create a smooth transition from outdoor space to pool space, be it in the water or out of the water. Many times contractors will not be so precise in their designs. They will try to meet the homeowner at a point of budget by lowering these types of specifications.

However, in the long run, we believe that the interests of the homeowner are better served by placing cost at a level of secondary importance to the overall quality of the pool, its many elements, and its ultimate impact on the landscape. Every factor such as rebar spacing, wall thickness, and the professional installation of lighting to minimize glare luminance are factors we carefully assess, specify, and meticulously bid. Other custom swimming pool elements are developed in accordance with personal preference and homeowner lifestyle. Many designs are very innovative, such as natural swimming pools and pools surrounded by grass patios. Some feature unique elements like fountain jets, cut stone drain covers, and spas.

French Drainage Systems

While we already have a drainage system in our landscape, we need to expand it. We’ve been reading about French drains and were wondering what Exterior Worlds thought about them?
French drains are trenches or ditches filled with gravel or other small rocks that move water parallel to the ground. Water flows much easier through loose gravel or rocks, especially as compared to Houston’s infamous thick and gumbo-like clay soil which is always a challenge for any local landscaper. A well-designed drainage system using this type of drain will often have pipes buried in the gravel to further ease the flow of water from the wet area to the dry one.

For those homeowners who are interested in a “green” green garden—that is, one that is ecologically-correct and sustainable—French drains add a “green” element to your landscape drainage system. By the way, French drains were not invented in France. Rather, Henry French of Concord, Massachusetts came up with the idea in the mid-1800s and popularized it with his book.
Why do people install such drains? What are their advantages?
This type of drain fits into almost any landscape design. Their rewards are many, including:
• These drains make residential landscape maintenance easier since they prevent standing water that can cause soggy roots or drowned-out plants. They also help prevent slippery surfaces and breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
• Your overall lawn service is improved because these drains pull standing water out of the landscape while at the same time storing rain water in the subsoil. Your grass ends up looking healthier and more vibrant.
• These drains can work in conjunction with your irrigation system. Both systems can be designed by landscape designers or landscape architects so that water collects in and nurtures garden beds, thus conserving water. Your designer can also work to hide the hardware to lessen any negative visual impact.
What do we need to know, in general, about drainage systems?
It goes without saying that storm drainage issues are very serious in the Gulf Coast region due to our flat topography, dense clay soils, and increased impervious surfaces on heavy forested lots due to years of construction. These three major factors have caused flooding problems for streets and homes during our seasonally heavy rainfalls. Therefore, many local ordinances have begun to follow the standard set by the Memorial Villages that require minimum pipe sizes, temporary drainage systems, topographic maps, engineered drainage plans, calculations, flow rates, and as/built plans.

Homeowners may find themselves swimming in the middle of a big mess that can cost thousands to rectify if their drainage contractors takes on a drainage project without a thorough understanding of these demands.

Also, we always recommend to our clients that, when installing any drainage system, you hand-dig trenches around trees to minimize damage to them. Alternately, pressurized water can be used to dig deep trenches or you can tunnel under tree roots by using compressed air. Any of these tree preservation methods expose tree roots so they are not abruptly torn, thus endangering the life of the tree.

Professional Landscape Service

Because our landscape design has become more sophisticated and complex, we need to get better educated on landscape service. What can Exterior Worlds tell us?
A well-planned, well-maintained property says something important about the owner—it conveys a message about who you are and makes your property stand out among all the others on the street. A professional landscape service program is the key to making it happen.

Where does design fit into professional landscape services?
To create a memorable landscape, you can benefit from the services of experienced landscape designers and landscape architects. We work with some of the best in the area. A competent landscaper helps you develop a plan and guides you through the design process that includes consultation, analysis of the site, conceptual landscaping design, construction documentation and dealing with permitting issues.

How do we factor in maintenance as part of our professional landscaping services package?
Once you have invested in a landscape design and installation, the next step is a landscape maintenance program, such as Exterior Worlds offers. Regularly scheduled landscape and lawn service ensures that all the plant material is healthy and conforms to the original design.

The key elements of our maintenance contracts for homes include the care of lawn, shrubs, ground cover and flower beds. Lawns are regularly mowed, edged, and fed. Shrubs, hedges, and bushes are trimmed to maintain the desired shape. Ground cover and vines are edged for a neat effect.

Trees need attention, too, since they are valuable assets. We recommend deep root fertilization on an annual basis. Small trees are trimmed as necessary. Before you undertake any new construction or remodeling, a tree preservation program should be developed.

We own some commercial property. Does Exterior Worlds handle commercial landscaping services?
Yes! For our commercial clients, the same maintenance tasks are performed as for residential properties. Additionally, most commercial establishments have landscape lighting, which we can maintain. Landscape lighting is a good way to give the property 24/7 visibility. Plus it is a big crime deterrent, making it particularly invaluable to establishments that conduct business at night, such as hotels, restaurants, social clubs, country clubs, colleges, schools and museums.

Drainage systems are essential. They protect the foundation of the building(s) from cracking and uneven shrinkage or swelling. They protect the property from flooding. And they properly drain roofs and green spaces to avoid standing water that can cause slick surfaces, breeding grounds for mosquitoes, or soggy landscaping.

Another common feature of commercial properties, irrigation systems save money, time and hassle. They separate the grass, beds and color areas into different zones, each requiring different water amounts due to the different plant types, sunlight conditions and weather. Regardless of the sophistication, drainage systems and irrigation systems need to be properly maintained by landscape service professionals such as Exterior Worlds.

Front Yard Landscaping

Lawn areas in both larger and smaller lots require subdividing the front yard with a number of related, yet independent landscaping design themes. Entrances, transit areas, gardens, and seating areas all represent very unique elements that must still be integrated together through linear progression and repeated aesthetic themes. Front yard landscaping must also pay great respect to home architecture and style, because newcomers to the residence will see these the house and the property as an aesthetic unity more than distinctive elements.

One of the more significant aspects of front yard landscaping is the entry experience. How you get to the front door is important. As a transition from public space to private space, the entrance sets the tone for the entire landscape. Entry space can be neat and tidy, abstract, or contemporary. It tells neighbors and visitors something about you, revealing personality and lifestyle through such exterior forms as theme gardens and professionally installed landscape lighting fixtures.

Transit areas are another important aspect of front yard landscaping. Motorcourts create unique parking areas that are positioned to give new arrivals a prime vantage point of the landscape before they exit their vehicles. Walkways lead visitors into lawn areas where a number of organic forms and inorganic structures can await them. Theme gardens such as parterre, knot, and Italian gardens further establish the tone of the landscaping design and provide organic reflections of home architecture. Decorative features such as sculptures and fountains can then be used to add vertical dimension to lawn space and further work to unify the front yard landscape, garden forms, and architectural themes of the home.

In larger front yards, landscaping does not stop with simply ornamenting the property to establish mindset. Larger custom homes normally have a great deal of underutilized space when we first arrive on property. Many people do not realize how detrimental this is to optics. Too much empty space creates the illusion that the front yard is much smaller than it actually is. By adding outdoor structures that integrate function and form into the landscape, one does greater justice to the property and contributes to the aesthetic of both the outdoors and the home itself.

Any number of structures can be constructed to accomplish this. Patios can be built that can host everything from public gatherings to private conversations between couples. Porches can be added to the fronts of home that feature special seating arrangements, screened-in outdoor rooms, and even fully functioning kitchen or entertainment areas.

Once a front yard has been landscaped to this degree, what you end up with is a space divided into special areas, each with its own function and aesthetic. That is, if you hire a professional landscaper to design, create, and maintain these elements at a level of sophistication required for a truly superior outcome.

Contemporary landscape architecture

Contemporary landscape architects work to sculpt landscapes into spaces that mirror the human living experience. They develop these spaces with respect to Nature, and in some way or another always seek to create a relationship between structures and the surrounding terrain. Contemporary landscape architecture can be used either unify architecture and the natural environment, or it can be utilized to starkly contrast the natural and the manmade. The determining factor in this lies in the specifics of the project itself, its location, and the type of environment being worked in. Contemporary landscape architects work in almost every imaginable setting where a quality human living experience determines the forms and structures expressed outdoors.

To understand the difference between contemporary landscape architecture and other traditional forms of landscaping design, think infrastructure. Buildings such as libraries, hospitals, corporate campuses, civic centers, academic institutions, and sports stadiums all represent both the human experience and a high quality of life. Technically, any open area such a building can then be developed into a planned environment that speaks to the quality of human life through manipulation of natural forms and outdoor spaces. This is very different from traditional landscaping, which tends to showcase natural beauty alone as the ultimate meaning of life. Contemporary landscape architecture is far more Existential in that it insists on creating only forms that reflect specific functions indicative of a high level of human activity, thought, and commerce. This is not the first time such concepts have found their way into the minds of a people. The Roman Empire was build around an infrastructure decorated with landscapes that reflected the Roman belief that man was the master of Nature, and Rome was the master of all men. Wherever the Romans went, (even in the rural areas of Spain and Gaul) they built their arenas, amphitheaters, gymnasiums, aqueducts, roads, and temples as reflections of themselves.

Pure lovers of Nature (both then and now), often find this concept distasteful. They prefer more aesthetic forms of landscaping and garden design plans that represent states of consciousness in their own right, and not something that necessarily serves mankind. This is why we see more traditional and culturally-specific landscape design and garden design around private residences, and we see an almost universal preference for contemporary landscape architecture in and around any public areas where civil engineers and planners have decided to integrate the natural world into human life itself, allowing people to experience the landscape on uniquely human terms. Movement through the landscape in these outdoor spaces is encouraged as much as possible. Clean lines in gardens and low-growth trees help place the natural world on a more eye-level experience for human beings that makes them feel comfortable and confident when walking through city plazas, parks, and streets.

Because of the desire to connect Nature to human life and architecture, variety of plant life is frequently replaced with geometry. By contrasting only a few very different plant materials planted either in linear bed lines or gardens shaped in stark geometric designs, the contemporary landscape architect can make a single open space into many blocks of form and experience, woven together, much like a building containing hallways and rooms with specific lines of movement and specific functions and unique activities contained therein.

Garden Arch

We want to add a special feature to our landscape design and have been reading about garden structures. Does Exterior Worlds have a type of structure to suggest?
At Exterior Worlds, we encourage our clients to use garden structures to add interest to their home landscape design. One example is a garden arch, an architectural element that adds shape, texture and variety to your garden landscape. It also provides practicality, by supporting vines and growing vegetables. It can be a nod to the past, create a mood or induce whimsy. It is a relatively simple way for you to express a belief that your living environs extends all the way to the edge of your property.

What are some of the materials garden arches are made of?
Here are some of your choices:
• Wood makes beautiful outdoor arches, whether you choose a simple or complex design. Also, eco-friendly.
• Galvanized steel is known for its strength and longevity.
• Wrought iron arches—you can’t go wrong with this classic choice.
• Vinyl arches have the look of painted wood, without the bother.
• Copper arches fit perfectly into a Japanese garden design—or, truthfully, any other landscape design.

You will want to include many factors in your material selection, such as style, durability and financial considerations. Also, be sure the look of your outdoor arch is well-coordinated with your other hardscape selections.

What shapes do garden arches come in?
From curvaceous to right-angled, arches come in many shapes. The long list includes the traditional French shape, made famous by Monet’s gardens in Giverny, France. The central alley of his garden is covered with climbing roses supported by iron arches. These arches have a flat profile, making them perfect for wider spans.

Another option is a Roman arch, which is typically larger in height and width. When covered with flowering vines, it looks like you have a living ceiling made of green plant material, interesting texture, fragrance and color. Consider putting Roman arches together with an outdoor sculpture or outdoor water fountain.

Yet another type of arch is the fruit tree arch. It is sturdy and practical since it was designed to have a fruit tree planted on either side of the arch and trained to meet at the top.

Within our landscape, where should we place a garden arch?
If you put them to work, arches can be used to support vegetables, fruits, vines or climbing roses. They also work as pure decoration, creating a conversation piece and hinting at something in the beyond.

For our clients, we have used outdoor arches near doorways to a garden or home. Or sometimes we place them in a series, as when we cover the pathway to a garden gazebo. If you have a flat yard, they can create vertical dimensions in your landscape. When paired with a gate, they make a memorable entrance. We have included them in patio designs and deck designs, and used them as a focal point in a small garden design.

Garden Design Plans

The best garden design plans can be developed with the assistance of a professional landscaping contractor who has formal training in botany and landscape design. Gardens are vital components to every landscape. They contribute much more than color and greenery to your property. When designed under the global view of a landscaping master plan, gardens will accomplish a number of things for your property that will increase its sense of dimension and vitality.

One of the things that set apart Exterior Worlds is our emphasis on creating garden design plans that directly reflect the architecture of the home. We have found that this is often a much neglected ingredient of garden design. When people look at your yard for the first time, they view the entire property as a unity. First, they notice the home as the largest and tallest structure on the lot. The mind quickly takes in any architectural structural characteristics and unconsciously expects to see certain themes repeated as the eye descends into the surrounding greenery. A garden that is designed around the same basic geometric patterns and linear movements of a home itself will create a much better sense of harmony and unity throughout the landscape.

Gardens are also key contributors to a sense of life and growth throughout the landscape. Outdoor areas must be segregated for specific purposes, and outdoor structures like swimming pools, patios, play areas, sports courts, outdoor kitchens, and patio seating areas have to be constructed by experienced specialists. Such structures are often very complex and lack any semblance of life in and of themselves. This is where a professionally developed garden design can play such a crucial role in the aesthetic of your property. It will add a feeling of vibrant color, warmth, and growth to any exterior structure and make outdoor décor appear more multi-dimensional.

Garden design plans can also be used to establish motion and progression throughout the landscape. We often plant gardens near motor courts and front walkways that run parallel to concrete and brick work. Plant material can be chosen whose natural growth patterns assist in moving the eye along the chosen pathway. Traditional French and Italian gardens are two good examples of garden designs whose forms connote a symmetry and linear progression that is very useful to this purpose. Other garden designs, such as the parterre garden, are actually planted around pathways that are intended for people to stroll through.

On the other hand, you may want to depart from motion and establish a quiet space where peace of mind replaces linear progression. If such is the case, consider a Japanese garden, traditional Zen garden, and or a morning gardens for a private mediation or reading area. Such a design plan can be developed in any yard that creates a separate, private space for an individual or a couple to disconnect from the stress of the surrounding world and quietly enjoy time alone. If you want a garden like this we strongly recommend you hire an expert to design it, because something intended as an ideal environment will need to be carefully planned and cultivated with the very best plant materials and soil nutrients to ensure a lasting and satisfactory outcome.

If you are interested in landscape design services, Exterior Worlds has been providing the high-end garden design services discussed above for the Houston and the surrounding areas including the Memorial Villages (Piney Point Village, Bunker Hill Village, Hunter Creek Village), Tanglewood, River Oaks, West University and the greater Houston (Hou), area since 1987.

Houston Gardens

Houston’s landscape and climate makes it a great place to plant a garden. Because it has such a warm climate, humid atmosphere, and soil that is rich in nutrients, almost anything you plant here is not only going to survive, but also thrive. Tropicals, low-level shrubs, all colors of perennials of all colors, and seasonal in a rainbow of colors all do very well here.

This diversity of plant material options allows the landscape contractor tremendous freedom in creating Houston gardens that are based on both traditional and non-traditional forms. We believe that all elements of landscaping design should first and foremost respect the architecture of the home with a form that mirrors its structural highlights and adds organic sense to the home’s presence. Accordingly, we approach a garden as a key supportive element of the larger surrounding residence and particular neighborhood. We have all seen scores of amateur gardens throughout the city that are basically flower beds circling the bases of trees. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, such elementary design lacks the ability to significantly differentiate a residence from the others on the block.

We believe instead that Houston gardens should be developed under the umbrella of a landscaping master plan. Our goal is never to simply fill empty spaces with flowers and shrubs. In fact, some of the more exotic forms we design for clients, such as Zen and modern gardens, rely on a skillful blend of empty space, vegetation, and ornamentation to create a very subtle but powerful synergy. Yardmen and do-it-yourself gardening manuals miss this nine times out of ten. They only focus on how to find pretty plants that fill space with color and greenery. Professional gardeners, however, rely upon either an established, traditional design or a derivative of that form that is then individualized to a particular residence and client personal tastes.

You can find examples of this in our many case histories, located in our landscaping portfolio. If you read through a few of these, you will soon notice that different garden styles are very prevalent in specific parts of Houston. In River Oaks, for example, you see Italian and French gardens almost everywhere you go. The lots are so large, and the architecture so elegantly formal, that Old World gardening designs work very well with the landscape and houses here. However, we see almost the complete opposite in areas such as West University, Southside Place, Bellaire, and Rice Village. Here, the lots are much smaller, and houses are also either smaller or built upward rather than outward. If you live in one of these Houston neighborhoods, you will want something like a knot garden or modern garden that catches the eye, but nonetheless lies very low to the ground. This will make your home and yard look larger, and it will add dimension and structure without competing with other landscaping elements.

Exterior Worlds is located in the memorial area. They have been serving the Houston area including River Oaks, West University, Bellaire, Memorial, Tanglewood since 1987. Call Exterior Worlds at 713-827-2255 to discuss a complete landscape renovation

Garden Arbor

We want to add an arbor to our landscape design. Is that something that Exterior Worlds can help us with?
Yes! We have built and installed garden arbors for many of our clients. A type of garden structure, arbors give vertical depth to your garden landscape. Our clients like them because they can be either functional or decorative. When used as a functional structure, garden arbors support vines, climbing roses, and other plants. You can also use them purely for aesthetic reasons, for example, serving as an invitation to your guests to enter the landscape.

We’d like to be as prepared as possible before buying. What more can Exterior Worlds tell us about garden arbors?
Garden arbors dress up any space. Your landscape designer or landscape architect can help you integrate the arbor into your total landscape picture. For instance, you may want to pair it with an outdoor water fountain, place it over a path that leads to an outdoor room, wire it with landscape lighting or combine it with other hardscapes in your yard. If you have a themed garden such as a Japanese garden, Mediterranean landscape design or English garden design, you can find arbors with Asian, Moorish, Victorian or Art Deco influences.

Sometimes called a garden arch, an arbor comes in many shapes—squared, rounded or as an arch over pathways. Arbors can be made with decorative ironwork, giving your garden a timeless and graceful appeal. Some are gated. Others have built-in benches.

You have a wide range of choices with materials, too. A sturdy tubular steel construction covered in a black powder coating makes for a durable, weather-resistance arbor. Other choices include vinyl, copper and wrought iron. If your arbor is to be a stand-alone element, then consider using a high quality thick-timber redwood frame. Other woods in this category include cedar and willow.

Because we want our landscape to be special, how does Exterior World suggest using an arbor?
Landscaping ideas with arbors include pairing them with a garden gazebo that creates a focal point that draws the eye into your yard year-round. When used as a gate to your garden, an arbor issues an especially warm welcome to your guests. They can provide shade during Houston’s long hot months or serve as an entrance to a special section of your garden. As an added bonus, arbors make the perfect setting for photo ops on special occasions like children’s parties, family gatherings or business entertaining.

If your priority is gardening, your arbor can provide support to a particular kind of plant by giving them a secure place to grow. They can be used as a showcase for your beautiful flowers and, since they are displayed at eye level and above, make them more easily seen. Plants that work well with arbors are ivy, clematis, roses, grapes and wisteria.

The best use comes at the end, when you get to sit back and enjoy the vista you’ve created with this simple structure in your landscape garden design.

Commercial Landscaping

As a property manager, I need to know about commercial landscaping. What can Exterior Worlds tell me about commercial landscape design?
We have helped our commercial clients with their landscaping needs for more than 20 years. A commercial landscaping project begins with design. During this phase, landscape designers or landscape architects bring together your program elements, permit issues and desired aesthetics, likes, dislikes, opportunities and limitations. In providing design services, a well-versed landscaping professional creatively and diligently works to help you define the scope of your project and stay within budget. They also assist in the selection of materials, scheduling of vendors and coordination of work flow.

Two necessary features of any commercial project are drainage systems and irrigation systems. Landscape drainage is essential for commercial properties in Houston due to our dense soils, low-lying areas and unpredictable rainfall. A proper drainage system protects your property from flooding by carrying water away from roofs, paved areas and landscaping, thereby avoiding standing water where people can slip and fall and mosquitoes can breed. Drainage contractors can provide a holistic approach to ensure all the pieces work well together. Irrigation systems save money by supplying appropriate amounts of water to plant materials, thus protecting your landscape investment. They perform this function by separating the lawn, flower beds and planters into different areas that require differing amounts of water.

What are the benefits of a well-designed commercial property?
Expert commercial landscaping preserves and enhances your overall property value. A well-designed landscape makes a positive first impression on prospective tenants. It also helps keep your current tenants happy by giving them a pleasant ambiance.

Landscape lighting is an important attribute of the well-maintained commercial property. It is a proven deterrent to crime, providing an invaluable benefit to businesses that are open at night. Additionally, a well-designed landscape lighting system gives your property 24/7 visibility.

The addition of seasonal color creates an updated image for your property. Your Houston landscaping services company needs to have a creative skill with plant choices, color and texture that make your property memorable.

What about ongoing maintenance?
An important partner for you as a property manager is a commercial landscape maintenance provider who can work efficiently and effectively without continual oversight, as Exterior Worlds does for our clients. Your maintenance contract should cover duties such as mowing, edging, fertilization and disease treatment. Bushes, hedges, small trees and ground cover need to be trimmed so that they conform to the original design’s intent. Large or mature trees deserve special treatment such as regular deep-root feeding and aeration (to promote healthy roots). Plant materials and trees are susceptible to pests and diseases and therefore need systematic observation and treatment.

You also want a commercial landscaping partner who handles preventive maintenance. For instance, proper maintenance and regular inspections of the irrigation system will detect such problems as broken lines and heads. This service is absolutely critical for commercial properties. We have saved some of our clients as much as $5,000 to $10,000 per month because we early on caught problems with their irrigation systems.

Landscape Design Ideas

If you have visited our website, or frequently read home and garden magazines, you probably already have several landscaping design ideas in mind at the time you contact Exterior Worlds. You may have seen homes in your neighborhood that were professionally landscaped, or you may simply have a personal passion for certain cultures like the French, the Italians, or the Japanese. Working in close partnership with a Houston Landscaping Service enables you to fully explore and develop your landscaping design ideas in a way that will better compliment they way your home looks and more effectively extend its living space into the outdoors in a manner that more ideally suits your lifestyle.

It is important that you work with your consultant to make your entire property appear as a virtual, organic extension of your home’s structure and aesthetic. If reputable, trained, and adequately experienced, your landscaping architect will help you to develop the core essence of your landscaping design ideas into something that compliments the entirety of your house. Regardless of how small or large your home actually is, it is, for all intents and purposes, the most predominant feature on your landscape that simply cannot be ignored. All other structures built outside like arbors, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, patio fireplaces, and special walkways must work with its basic structures, never against them. If you are planning on building a swimming pool, let our swimming pool construction team subcontract the actual pool contractor for you in order to ensure that your pool harmoniously blends with the surrounding property and respects your home architecture. If you already have a pool that is terribly clashing with its surroundings, let our swimming pool remodeling team have it rebuilt in a more suitable design that can then be augmented with patios, outdoor ornamentation, fountains and spas, and unique plantings of vegetation that more effectively blend it into the landscape.

When working out a landscaping plan, do it along the principles of “form follows function.”
Your landscaping design ideas should materialize into that fulfill a practical as well as an aesthetic purpose. This is because of the simple fact that you are not going to simply want to look at your new landscape from your living room window. You are going to want to get outside and do something in the midst of all that grand, new design. The activities you pursue should therefore be supported by the features of the landscape we help you develop. If you intend to entertain outdoors on a regular basis, we should build you outdoor structures whose special environments support the specific activities that you and your guests especially enjoy. If you want to devote a portion of the landscape to creating one or more special play areas for the kids, let our Houston professional landscapers help you by subcontracting specialists who can design fields and ball courts under the careful management of a landscaping plan that will remain true to the overall landscaping design idea originally envisioned by the master plan.

Have your landscape decorated in a way that creates space as well as beatifies it.
Consider the possibility of something that is normally stereotyped as purely ornamental being used in a very special way to create a special space or delineate a subtle boundary between one part of the landscape and another. Landscaping design ideas often originate as a desire for a certain type of fountain, sculpture, or special garden and end up becoming a secluded, private space for the homeowners to enjoy quiet time alone away from guests, children, and relatives. . Your Houston landscaping company can build unique patio and seating areas that are apart just for such a purpose. Custom fountains and outdoor sculptures can be placed in key locations to function as markers between such intimate, private space and the surrounding public space at large. Landscape lights placed around these keynotes can then maintain these boundaries after sundown, so that residents can enjoy their own special part of the yard any time day or night.

Houston Professional Landscaper

What tips can Exterior Worlds give us on choosing a professional landscaper?
Begin the process by distinguishing between a professional designer who can capture your vision for your landscape and an off-the-shelf landscaping design service. Your goal here is to hire a professional who can design a landscape that reflects your lifestyle and works well with your home’s architecture.

During the preliminary research, visit company websites and review the different portfolios to determine which design firm has a stylistic sensibility that complements your own. In the early discussions, be specific about what you want in the end product. Maybe you would enjoy hardscapes, like eye-catching gates, interesting pathways, or a well-thought-out patio design or pool design. Perhaps you like to entertain and so would like an outdoor kitchen. Understanding these landscape elements, their relationships to each other and the open space, and interpreting them well is the mark of a true landscape professional.

What steps should we expect in working with a professional landscaper?
After selecting a landscaping professional and having the initial exploratory discussions, the next steps involve site analysis, the program of uses, and application of the design professional’s expertise. During the conceptual phase, your landscape professional will develop an overall design and commit it to paper. The resulting documents will show such specifics as plantings, lawn areas, areas of general use and their sizes, landscape lighting, irrigation systems, drainage systems, and the projected budget.

Once you have agreed to the designer’s overall proposal and made your material selections—both plant and non-plant—it is time for the construction phase. This phase comes with its own set of landscaping documents:
• To convey final design intent and material selections for the installation contractors.
• To specify materials and how they are to be installed. These papers are also known as construction documents.
• For permitting.

Regarding permits, each governing body has its own set of requirements for landscape plan approvals. This point illustrates why it is important to hire a knowledgeable professional—because they will know how the permit process works.

What other advice does Exterior Worlds have for us in working with a professional landscaper?
When interviewing Houston landscape designers, look for design firms who do the design work, perform project management and actually install the landscaping. We make this recommendation because you want someone who not only has great ideas, but who also knows the local contractors and their methods of construction, the best use of materials and their availability, and overall budget development and containment.

In the end, though, we think you are more likely to achieve your landscape design goals by hiring a landscaping professional. A creative and well-trained Houston landscaper will take into account not only your aesthetics, but the unique challenges of this region: dense soil, weather conditions of the Gulf coast, drainage issues, and likely insect infestations and plant diseases. And this is important whether your project is a small garden design that only involves landscape planting or a complex construction project or a themed garden, like an English garden design or a Mediterranean landscape design.

Houston landscape architects

Houston landscape architects can offer you so much more than gardening and yard maintenance. They offer you the expertise gained after years of formal education in include botany, irrigation science, construction, and outdoor lighting techniques. This knowledge enables them to bring sophisticated strategies and designs to the table that can magnify the aesthetics of your yard and unify the architecture of your home with the surrounding greenery.

Houston landscape architects begin each project with an in-depth meeting where they get to know you as a client, and where they gain a clear understanding of your expectations. You may be simply looking to improve the way your yard looks with some new garden designs, a fountain, and a few outdoor sculptures. On the other hand, you may have dreams of creating an outdoor entertainment realm that rivals the interior of a River Oaks mansion. Or, you may be a couple with children looking for a way to integrate sports and childhood activities into the natural world. Regardless, it is the job of Houston landscaping architects to learn as much about your personal tastes and lifestyle as possible to best meet the objectives at hand.
Once the consultation is complete, a thorough assessment of your property’s terrain is in order. Houston appears deceptively flat. Topography can vary in subtle ways that affect many elements of landscaping. Architects often work on properties that lie close to flood plains and bayous that pose significant challenges to water drainage. They have to come up with water management plans that will provide effective drainage without diminishing the aesthetic of the property. Sunlight is another major concern these professionals pay close attention to. Both the amount of light and the duration that certain areas of a yard remain in the light play major roles in determining which plant species can be added to the landscape. Finally, if adjacent homes, buildings, or yards are too blatantly visible from a client’s locations, steps will have to be taken to create a more self-contained aesthetic that provides the homeowner with a more unique and personal experience.

The goal of this analysis is to help the landscape designer come up with a plan to shape the terrain to meet the objectives of the Houston homeowner. The true landscape architect always works with Nature, never against it. Areas that lie in shaded areas under trees, for example, can be developed into summer gathering areas. Portions of the back yard that are near to quiet corners make excellent locations for patios, custom fountains, and Zen gardens. Other places along fence lines and the walls of the home itself are often ideally suited to linear garden designs such as French or Italian forms. Designers often take very careful measurements of open spaces in the yard in order to find the very best locations for a pool, an outdoor kitchen, or a natural play area.

Due to Houston’s warm climate, it is easy to grow almost any kind of vegetation here. Landscape architects can offer you your pick of garden species, shrubbery, hedges, and trees. Keep in mind that your choice of vegetation should ultimately compliment your home architecture and fully developing the green spaces of your yard. Both the size and type of vegetation can play a significant role in how a home looks to visitors. Specific garden styles add very distinctive elements to a landscape that are more suitable to certain forms of architecture than they are to others.

Finally, keep in mind that one of the most important advantages you have when you work with a degreed Houston landscape architect is the veritable litany of specialized services they can subcontract from multiple specialists in related disciplines. You do not want to deal directly with companies who prefer to subcontract simply because a general contractor can more effectively communicate with subcontractor, and because it is almost impossible to get all the many different specialists to work together without the comprehensive objective of a master landscaping plan. Such elements as swimming pools, outdoor buildings, special walkways, and landscape lighting represent very unique niche disciplines that must be carefully integrated into a unified whole to really work for you. It is best to let a professional manage these services because it will result in a more harmonious blend of individual parts to the whole at the end of the day.

Houston Landscaping

Houston residents can expect a wide range of landscaping options when it comes to beautifying their properties. Houston’s near-tropical climate provides an ideal growing environment for a plethora of seasonal and perennials that can make any yard vibrant and colorful. Different styles of landscapes can be developed in each of Houston’s main areas that reflect both the architecture of neighborhood homes and the lifestyle activities of its residents.

West University, Southside Place, Southampton, and Rice Village and Bellaire
These areas are definitively urban neighborhoods characterized older homes and strict codes. Most of the lots in these areas are smaller than lots in other parts of the city. Houses are consequently much closer together and require innovative designs to differentiate them from surrounding properties.

The best way to accomplish this is to make homes and spaces look bigger by using smaller hedges, symmetrical patterns, and shrubs with smaller leaves. This helps to magnify the actual size of the house, and it helps make the home look more set apart from the street. Backyards can be made to similarly appear larger by screening off neighboring properties with hedges and/or alleys of trees.
A similarly older, but very different part of the city is the Tanglewood area.
Homes here were built in the 50s-70s on large-scale lots. Space is not an issue here, so there are many different opportunities for outdoor design in this part of Houston. Landscaping can range from a series of gardens and alleys to creative motorcourt and flower garden designs. Most residents here want their properties to feel park-like due to the size of their lots, so an equal blend of outdoor structures, trees and hedges, and flower gardens is typical for this neighborhood.

In the Memorial area of Houston, landscaping takes on a very definite feeling of countryside.
With all the large oak and pine trees that line Memorial drive, it is easy to forget sometimes that you are driving through an urban environment. People living in this part of Houston prefer landscaping that emphasizes outdoor living as an experience equal to that of indoor living. Outdoor structures and swimming pools that are designed to host gatherings of family and friends are very popular in this area. Shade-resilient gardens underneath towering trees are very popular in these neighborhoods, as are custom and modern garden designs.

River Oaks is the most exclusive and wealthy neighborhood in Houston and it is also one of the oldest. Homes began to be built here in the early 1900s.
Landscaping here is characterized by very formal forms that mirror the Old World architecture of the houses. French gardens and Italian gardens are very popular landscaping styles in this part of Houston. Property borders are commonly decorated with linear gardens and hedgerows, and lawns and flower beds are painstakingly manicured to maintain a formal, aesthetic presentation. These Houston landscapes are further magnified with ornate outdoor structures such as custom fountains, unique patios, and highly custom and innovative swimming pool construction.

Excavating any River Oaks yard can sometimes feel like an archeological dig because of the many layers of landscaping history. Structures uncovered are often intertwined with tree roots, so removing old pipes and buried cables should only be done by a professional with tree-friendly experience and equipment.

Houston landscape

The Houston landscape today is very amenable to growing a plethora of both exotic and indigenous plants. Because of its hot and humid climate, and very mild winters, it will support a wide range of Mediterranean and tropical plants. This makes it possible for the professional landscaper to offer an eclectic range of garden styles to the discriminating homeowner. Houston landscapes are also very colorful as a general rule, and almost always have flowers that can bloom at any time of the year.

The downside to the Houston landscape is the heavy rainfall which we can receive at virtually any time of year. When it is very hot, heavy rainfall can produce outbreaks of mold and fungus sometimes in as little as 24 hours. Landscaping professionals have to take steps to minimize the impact of mold and fungus on gardens by altering irrigation methods and sometimes chemically treating gardens with anti-mold and fungal agents. Such treatment should never be attempted by anyone other than a trained botanist who knows the effects of such treatment on each species of plant within the garden, and who will be able to anticipate the impact that irrigation changes may have on the garden as a whole.
The Houston landscape is also characterized by heavy clay soils that present all sorts of challenges to gardeners and landscapers. Houston soil often holds a great deal of water when it rains. Special drains have to sometimes must be constructed beneath gardens in order to keep standing water from accumulating around plants and killing more sensitive species. One way we do this is by aerating the soil so that water will percolate in far enough and be absorbed by plant roots. Aeration also allows water to filter below the harder layers of clay near to the surface. At times, it may also be necessary to take the clay out to some degree and replace it with bedding soil. Very large gardens or more elaborate Houston landscape projects may require routing water to retention ponds and curbs.

Because rain water will not always easily filter through clay soil, plants may not always get the nutrients they need. Depending on the species of plants we use to populate the garden, we may need to amend the soil to ensure it properly supports the diversity of life it hosts. The inconsistent moisture content of the earth here can also cause the ground to shift and move. During summer months, soil dehydration reaches the point that cracks begin to appear in the ground. When rain later falls, water fills these cracks and causes the ground to shift. Structural foundations are strained as a result, even in the largest of buildings and outdoor decorative structures.

We use several innovating construction techniques to protect your investment in exterior design. We build patios and pool decks using piers and beams concealed underground. We make pools and coping out of thicker concrete and thicker rebar. While these materials and techniques do not stop Nature from following its own will, they do provide enough stability to prevent natural forces from ruining the ornamental and functional keynotes for which Houston landscapes are renowned.

Houston Texas Garden

The owner of Mediterranean-style home near Houston’s Memorial Park asked us to develop a garden and landscaping theme that would mirror the architecture of his home. This house was located on a very large lot of several acres and was characterized by a symmetrical, linear form that in spite of its two-story height appeared much longer than it was tall. .

To create a Mediterranean garden that would accentuate this structure proved a bit more complex than you might assume. Because the southern coasts of Italy and Greece are mountainous areas where homes and gardens are built on hillsides, gardens are often area where homes and gardens are built on steep angles and sharp vertical rises. Gardens and fields are often planted on terraces that wind around the Limestone mountains. The blend of white stucco walls, stark limestone cliffs, and abundant greenery have all become iconic symbols of this region.

However, as we are all aware, the Texas Gulf Coast is very flat, and offers us little or no three dimensional landforms around which to build a terraced Mediterranean garden. Instead, what we had to do here was to add vertical elements to symmetrical forms and areas of vertical movement. This would create the illusion of more than simple flat space, and it would help suggest a number of aspects of typical European coastal terrain.

The first of Mediterranean garden element we added was a circular knot garden located between the sidewalk and the motor court, centered on the front door. We used boxwoods to create the circular rows that were reminiscent of terraced hillsides. In the center of the knot garden, we planted a bright purple shrub called Loropatalum that catches and draws in the eye. To give the entire garden a vertical element that would then move the eye upward to the front entrance of the house, we planted a Crinum lily that centered both the vegetation and the door frame on its stem.

Next, we created a parterre garden centered on the window of a large glass room on the west wing of the house. This garden consisted primarily of low-growth roses whose colorful blooms a made them stand out from multiple vantage points throughout this Houston neighborhood. We made the borders of the garden out of boxwoods, and then used Mediterranean limestone gravel for the garden pathways. To add a three-dimensional element to this reflection of the Riviera, we planted a small shrub called dwarf yaupon which bears a curious resemblance to clouds. This alluded to scenes we have all seen of clouds rolling in from the sea and passing over beautifully landscaped hilltops.

We then extended the Mediterranean garden theme all the way to the back of the property, where a 50-foot ravine overlooked a wooded area along one of Buffalo Bayou’s main tributaries. We planted an alley of crepe myrtles to draw guests out to this scenic location, and we built a walkway out of limestone aggregate that match the color of the home and limestone gravel in the garden.

Paver Patio

We need to put down new flooring on our patio. What suggestions can Exterior Worlds make for us?
Because of their various shapes, sizes, colors, patterns and designs, patio pavers bring versatility to any patio. These pavers—or concrete pavers—have become increasingly popular among U.S. homeowners because of their durability and strength. Our clients use them in small garden designs, outdoor rooms, formal and informal spaces, entryways, and in deck designs.

A professional landscaper, landscape designer or landscape architect can help you create the perfect patio design project. They can help you coordinate and integrate the look with your home’s architecture and other hardscapes of your landscape design, such as driveways, motor courts, pathways, retaining walls, outdoor kitchens, and decking around a luxury swimming pool.

If you’re interested in a green garden—“green”, as in ecologically-sensitive—you can find patio pavers that are designed to let plants grow through them, an innovative design that allows water to filter naturally into the soil instead of running off.

What are the different looks of patio pavers?
It’s a long list that includes the look of natural stone, flagstone, cobblestone, Roman stone, octagonal, square, hexagonal and rectangular brick. This variety and versatility accounts for much of their popularity.
Can patio pavers be laid in different patterns?
That’s the fun part of working with pavers—the creativity they afford. Some projects we’ve done use two or more different colors of concrete pavers. Sometimes we even bring in different textures. One idea: for the main part of the patio, use a cobblestone square look in a creamy earth tone. Then for the edge, lay the classic look of hand-hewn stone in an octagonal shape in a light brown shade. The geometrics of the two shapes played well against each other while the two color tones naturally complement and enhance each other.

Other patterns we have used and can recommend for their timeless and classic looks:
• Flagstone. This design, also called “random”, uses different sizes of pavers within a single application and is a good choice for paths, walkways and driveways. When putting it down, it tends to feel like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
• Herringbone. For this design, pavers are laid down at either a 45 or 90 degree angle with the angle rotating in direction with each sequence. It also is a commonly chosen pattern for patios because it is a tasteful and ageless style.
• Circle design. Due to the degree of difficulty in creating curves, this challenging pattern makes a memorable impression. It is most often done with the stone or rectangular brick shapes, although other shapes can be used.
• Running bond or stack bond pattern. These patterns alternate each course of pavers back and forth in the pattern commonly seen on most brick houses. Running bond is one of the most practical patterns for outdoor patios. Stack bond works well in areas with lots of foot traffic, such as walkways.
• Basket weave. A popular choice for patios, the basket weave pattern has pavers laid in a checkerboard pattern. It is also known as parquet.

River Oaks Landscaping

What kind of landscaping services does Exterior Worlds offer to River Oaks?
Exterior Worlds offers a full range of landscape services, starting with installation and running all the way through lawn maintenance. Our reputation has been earned through the expertise and creativity of our people. Our landscaping crews are the best in the business. They are well-trained, experienced and detail-oriented, traits they bring to each task, whether it is a simple change of seasonal color or a sophisticated construction undertaking.

Throughout our two decades in business, we have developed long-term partnerships with top artisans and contractors in the greater Houston area. What that means to a River Oaks landscaping project is that you get the benefit of these solid working relationships. If we undertake a construction project for you, you can expect logical scheduling, creativity, problem-solving and the use of proven construction standards, all made in a cohesive progression. And you can see it in the final product, with the kind of landscaping discriminating clients expect: the artistic details, ingenuity, and innovative solutions, all delivered with a personal touch.

What is your experience with River Oaks landscaping?
River Oaks brings to mind upscale, discriminating, high quality, impeccable taste, and attention to detail. These qualities also describe the River Oaks landscaping services supplied by Exterior Worlds. With more than 20 years of experience in landscape design, project management and maintenance contracts, we understand the needs and desires of a discerning clientele. We strive for the highest integrity, creativity and quality work in each landscaping project and use only experienced contractors. And we are committed to customer service. Our mission is to meet and exceed our clients’ expectations.

Exterior Worlds requires that all our designers be experts in the tools of the trade, such as plant materials, stone and other masonry products, and yard accessories. Our tenure in the business provides us with connections that give our clients trustworthy and proven products—ones that will create outstanding landscapes. Further, we will not lower our standards even if it is more cost-effective to use sub-par materials.

What are the special permitting issues associated with River Oaks landscaping?
An important, add-on value of professional Houston landscape designers, such as Exterior Worlds, is a complete knowledge and understanding of local codes and permits. For example, if you are building a new house or remodeling your present home, you need to consider the permitting requirements for lot coverage, drainage systems, storm water retention, tree preservation and removal, pool design, landscape lighting, fencing and gates. Exterior Worlds stays up-to-date on this region’s frequently changing codes, rules, regulations and procedures to make sure your landscaping project goes as smoothly as possible—with no negative impact on your budget.

Where are you located?
We are centrally located within minutes of the intersection of Interstate 10 and the 610 loop. This location enables us to quickly reach all the close-in neighborhoods like River Oaks, Bellaire, West University and the Memorial Villages. Additionally, we service clients in remote Houston suburbs and nearby towns such as Sugar Land, Katy, The Woodlands, Carlton Woods, and Richmond-Rosenburg.

Houston Swimming Pool Remodeling

Professional landscapers routinely renovate swimming pools as part of their master landscaping plan. Often, new residents will move into a home that already has a pool. In most cases, the pool was built many years prior to the move in by a pool specialist hired directly by the original owner. This contractor worked to construct a swimming pool that reflected the immediate recreation and entertainment needs of the client. Little consideration was given to choosing a style that directly complemented home architecture and landscaping.

Because of this, most people who buy a home almost immediately notice that their swimming pool is going to require at least some amount of renovation if the landscape is going to be developed beyond its current state. This is because many outdoor structures and landscaping elements will simply not work with the typical standard pool designs of 20-30 years past. More often than not, the swimming pool will clash with newer outdoor elements unless it is remodeled in a fashion that reflects the architectural features of the house and the basic forms and linear movements of the surrounding landscape.

Because we want our clients to have as many options to consider as possible when choosing options for their new landscaping design, we routinely offer pool renovation services as part of the overall project we propose to Houston residential clients. We study both the house and the yard to get a sense of how to reshape the old pool structure into something that will harmoniously blend into the landscape. Once we have the basic design sketched out on paper, we subcontract a reputable and established swimming pool remodeling company to handle the specifics of renovation.

Sometimes the swimming pool needs only a small amount of remodeling to look completely brand new. Adding a spa or a waterfall fountain is often all it takes to create a sense of elegance or luxury. In other instances, replacing drab concrete patios and standard concrete coping with more ornamental materials can also create a more amenable environment for outdoor gatherings and summer parties. Anything that uses stone, as a matter of fact, provides a natural complement to vegetation due to stone’s prevalence in nature side by side with plant life.

Swimming pool renovation is sometimes more complex, however, and requires careful coordination with the landscaping team and the subcontracted pool specialist. In very old swimming pools, plumbing and electrical systems that were once in compliance with regulatory codes no longer can operate in their present form. Any renovations we make must be done in full compliance with new codes. If the shell is still good and the basic shape and size of the swimming pool is congruent with our overall objectives, we can simply replace plumbing and electrical systems and build a new, more cosmetic structure around the original basin.

If the swimming pool was designed too large and too ostentatious for its environment to begin with, then we will have to rebuild it from the ground up. For example, there was a time about 30 years ago when lagoon style pools were a very popular symbol of wealth and upward mobility. This was because the lagoon style was the most common style found at many resorts around the world, and homeowners felt that having such a swimming pool created a sense of vacation in their own back yard. This was fine for the 50s, 60s, and early 70s when home design was often much more basic and the swimming pool was the center of attention in the back yard.

These days, however, homes, yards, and outdoor structures are all constructed to blend together in a more unified and complex aesthetic. A swimming pool may stand off to the side unobtrusively as a private getaway, or it may function as one of several “hubs” of entertainment and outdoor gathering. To effectively create such an experience for today’s eclectic homeowner, swimming pool remodeling requires much more than just the expertise of the pool contractor. It requires several teams of people managed by a landscaping professional who can coordinate specifics without losing sight of the big picture of the overall design.

Garden Gazebo

What is a garden gazebo?
As a focal point, a garden gazebo gives the viewers of your yard a place to visually rest—the mind can go there and take a breather, even when the body is running out the door to the next appointment. At Exterior Worlds, we think a garden gazebo is one of the ultimate outdoor structures within your landscape design, whether your property is all about urban landscaping, is a small garden design, or is multi-faceted.

What materials are used in the construction of garden gazebos?
Your material choice for gazebos runs the gamut from sturdy to whimsical. When making your choice, you can always turn to Exterior Worlds for advice. We’ve been building garden structures for more than 20 years. Popular choices include:
• Treated wood. Whether painted or left natural, treated wood is one of the most traditional options for gazebos. Nothing looks more pristine and wholesome than a white, wooden gazebo, especially when combined with a garden arbor covered in roses or wisteria. These elements work particularly well within an English garden design.
• Hardiplank™. A proprietary product made by the James Hardie Company, Hardiplank™ has become very popular in Texas in the last decade. It is made of stone, quartz, sand and fiber, materials that can withstand our fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels. Its planks come with a 50-year limited warranty.
• Stone or brick. A robust material like stone or brick makes a beautiful gazebo. Stone and brick gazebos look especially fitting in an Asian-themed or Japanese garden, since what we now call “gazebos” have been a core feature of Asian gardens for centuries.
• Metal and painted aluminum. Wrought iron, steel and aluminum are good choices for gazebos. Their properties make them a durable option for the Houston climate—resistant to decay and able to endure our coastal weather.

What are the dimensions of garden gazebos?
When choosing a shape, let the architecture of your home and the topography of your property be your guide. The traditional eight-sided gazebo is pleasing to the eye and to the imagination. And while the octagon is the classic shape for a gazebo, other geometries work, too. Square or rectangular gazebos speak of simplicity and elegance. An oval gazebo appears soft and inviting.

What else do I need to know about building a garden gazebo?
You may think that you want to act as general contractor when building a gazebo—or for any other landscaping project—in order to save money. Unfortunately, this choice can be expensive. Misunderstandings can arise about scheduling and coordination issues, terminology, permitting, unique job peculiarities due to selection of materials, installation techniques, construction methods employed and material availability. A subcontractor will respond much better to a seasoned general contractor, like Exterior Worlds, who understands the work to be performed and with whom they have a good relationship based on past experience. As one of the best landscape service and design companies in Houston, Exterior Worlds has years of experience to make sure the end results exceed your expectations.

Deck Design

We think a deck in our backyard would really enliven our landscape design. What does Exterior Worlds think?
Decks add form, texture and interest to your landscape—and also value. Because of our topography, the most common deck design in Houston attaches the deck to the house. However, freestanding decks can be quite dramatic. The deck designs of today come in all shapes and sizes, from a small garden design to an unexpected urban landscaping project overlooking a bayou.

What materials are your clients using in their deck designs?
Within the world of landscape design, the term “deck” refers to both a deck around the house and the decking around a swimming pool. Materials used vary with design considerations, your desired budget and personal preferences. We find that the most popular choices are wood, stone (cut stone, flagstone, limestone, slate), concrete (colored or textured or both), pavers and brick.

When choosing wood for a house’s deck, pressure-treated pine is the go-to option. Another good choice is an engineered product like Trex. The original financial outlay is a bit more than with wood, but, if maintained properly, engineered wood’s longevity is one to two times that of wood. For pool decking, surfaces like stone, brick and concrete are practical and beautiful choices. Our clients value them because they can be roughed up and made to be non-slippery, which is essential for the wet areas around a pool.

Is there a material that we can select that will keep down maintenance?
Our climate is hard on everything, including decks. Your landscape service company can perform regular deck checks for any cracking or splintering. You can also request that your landscape maintenance contract covers regular deck cleaning.

In general, wooden decks can be cleaned with a special cleaner, which will remove the gray mildew, and then rinsed thoroughly. Concrete, brick and stone are relatively maintenance free. If your deck is deeply shaded, mildew can grow on these surfaces. A deck cleansing product or a mild bleach solution will take care of most problems.

What other design choices will we make?
You may want a complete outdoor kitchen. You will want to decide whether to include outdoor fireplaces or fire pits and outdoor water fountains. You should also consider deck railing and built-in seats. Decks present a great opportunity to enhance your landscape lighting. Given Houston’s infamous rainstorms you may want to cover the deck and also tie it into any existing drainage systems using French drains or decorative drains.

How do we find a designer or contractor?
The long list of decisions you will make concerning your deck design includes choosing who will build it. Fortunately, you have a wide choice of landscape designers and landscape architects to choose from here in Houston and Exterior Worlds will be happy to make referrals.

Here are some tips for finding someone suitable for your project:
• Ask friends for referrals.
• Ask for references and then follow up on them.
• Spend time interviewing the designer. Discuss the types of projects they’ve done and how long they’ve been in business.

Outdoor Rooms

We are new to Houston and have just realized that, in this climate, we can enjoy the out-of-doors year ‘round. What does Exterior Worlds suggest to make that happen?
An outdoor room is a wonderful way to make Houston’s climate work for you. You can use it to bask in our mild winters. And you can construct it so that you can still enjoy the outdoors even in the heat of summer—by covering it, installing overhead fans, screening it in to keep out the bugs. An array of creative solutions can be used.

The most enjoyable and functional outdoor rooms use the basic design principles so that your interior space and exterior space harmonize beautifully. To achieve this affect, most people benefit from the services of landscape professional and landscape architects with a project like an outdoor room. We remind our clients to keep in mind that the more complex the project—the more sophisticated the design—the more important your designer and contractor become. Design professionals will put the principles of good design to work and help you integrate the room with your home’s architecture, address permitting issues, and make the best use of available space.
What are some of the elements we should consider for this outdoors room?
Here are some ideas for you to use:
• Outdoor kitchens are also hugely popular, whether you entertain extravagantly or host family gatherings. They create a natural gathering spot. Plus they let you slow down and enjoy family and friends by putting all the ingredients for outdoor cooking and dining close by.
• An uncovered patio can be transformed into a year-round sun room by adding an outdoor fireplace, a roof, and sliding walls that can enclose the room during inclement weather.
• Or you can define a space simply by covering it. Pergolas and garden arbors help create lovely settings and are especially attractive when covered with vines.
• An outdoors room doesn’t have to be attached only to the house. You can use other structures, too, such as a pool cabana or detached garage.
• If you have a small backyard, you can use a small garden design and turn the whole space into an outdoor living room.
• Outdoor water fountains add visual and auditory pleasure.
• Don’t overlook your front entryway. The front of your house can make a lovely out-of-doors room—using such landscaping features as a tall fence or dense hedge for privacy and a water element to camouflage street noise.

Give us some ideas about ways to coordinate our new outdoors room with the other elements of our landscape design.
Luxury swimming pools, which have become an expected feature of high-end homes, are often the next logical step beyond an outdoor room. You can tie your outdoor living space into your drainage system with attractive French drains, which aid, in a subtle way, in defining the space.

You can integrate pathways leading to and from the outdoors room with your material choices. Retaining walls can double as built-in seating.

Home Landscape Design

How does home landscape design effect you project?

Landscaping design for you home or “exterior home design does matters. A study commissioned by the Professional Landcare Network states it in monetary terms: Homes that have been professionally landscaped bring 15-20 percent more upon resale than those with no home landscape design. From an aesthetic perspective, it delivers pleasure. “The significance of home landscape design is that it creates an experience and evokes emotion as you come up to the house,” says Jeff Halper, home landscape design specialist with Exterior Worlds. “Additionally, it supports and enhances the architecture of the home.”


Here are some steps to starting you home landscape design phase:

• • Planning. This phase is where you get to dream. While you dream, you want to factor in how you and your family live in the space. Will your landscape design fit your desires, whether that means a swimming pool for the children, an vegetable garden or seating space for lots of guests? Would you like a outdoor kitchen for entertaining or the visual and auditory pleasures of a water feature? What qualities do you want to bring to your landscape—do you prefer lots of color, variations on one color theme or the more subtle effect of different textures of green? Perhaps you own an outdoor sculpture that you want to spotlight or have a garden type in mind, such as a Japanese garden design or an English garden design. Professionals, such as landscape designers and landscape architects, can help you make the best decisions.

• Financial. During this phase, the scope of the work is defined, including phasing in the different landscape elements. Cost elements include the hardscapes items like patios or decks; surfaces (cement, stone, brick) and walkways; fences, gates and arbors; outdoor kitchens; swimming pools and other water features. Also night lighting; irrigation systems and landscape drainage systems; and types of grass, shrubs, trees, perennials and seasonal color.
• Installation. The installation of your home landscape design is critical and takes into account the features you want to preserve and highlight—and those you don’t. In particular, tree protection is crucial. It involves constructing barricades around trees you want to keep so that roots don’t get damaged during construction. “Trees are large organism and don’t die immediately from the stress caused by construction. It may take them several years to die and many homeowners don’t realize that the damage actually happened during the construction phase,” explains Halper. Other aspects of the landscape installation involve setting up temporary drainage, preparation of the soil and garden beds, and installing irrigation, drainage and lighting. Then comes planting the trees, shrubbery, groundcover and any seasonal color. The final step consists of mulching and cleanup.
• Landscape Maintenance. From mowing to watering, regular landscape maintenance protects your investment, preserves the quality of the space and enhances your enjoyment of a lush, healthy landscape. It includes regular lawn mowing and trimming, shrub and tree pruning, fertilization, putting down rye grass, and management of pests and diseases. Exterior Worlds offers a menu of home landscape maintenance services: full service (52 or 42 visits a year), monthly or quarterly. “Our standards go way beyond most homeowners’. You don’t have to micro-manage it or worry about it. We do everything for you,” says Halper.

If you are interested in any high-end landscape services, Exterior Worlds has been providing the excellent residential landscape services and garden design services discussed above for the Houston and the surrounding areas including The Memorial Villages, Tanglewood, River Oaks, West University and the greater Houston (Hou), area since 1987. Contact us at 713-827-2255

Professional Landscaping Maintenance

Do I really need a professional landscaping company to handle the simple elements of maintenance I can do myself?
You do not have to pay anyone to do the genuinely simple if it is indeed genuinely simple. The problem people run into when they try to maintain their own landscaping features is they mistake symmetry, order, and form as something easy to maintain. Harmony has a way of concealing its complexity behind the façade of deceptively simple appearance. In many ways, a landscape is a mirror into reality itself—there is always more to it that what meets the eye at face value.

Professional landscaping maintenance will definitely cost extra money. However, it is the only reliable way to manage the growth of your landscaping elements that organically evolve the intended forms through natural processes. We do not interfere with Nature’s directions and designs—we simply direct them gently toward intended outcomes.

There is a pickup truck driving around my neighborhood advertising gardening services. Is that what you mean by professional landscaping maintenance?
It depends on what types of gardens these contractors specialize in maintaining. Flower beds and plantings of monkey grass are equivalent to do-it-yourself landscaping that a basic knowledge of plant life in general is sufficient to maintain.

More elaborate garden designs need much more than simple yard work know-how to maintain. The best rule to follow is: take it back to the source. IE: if a professional landscaper painstakingly designed and installed your garden, then you are investing in its possible destruction if you hire an unknown or an amateur to maintain it simply on the basis of short-term savings.

While expensive gardens share the same basic needs as simple gardens for water, sunlight, and fertilizer, the commonality ends here. The more complex and diverse a plant population becomes, the more it will need an expert knowledge of particular plant species and what cultivation and fertilization techniques will benefit the system as a whole as opposed to only one or two individual plants.

Investing in a professional landscaping maintenance agreement is your best hope of ensuring that you will preserve what the original landscaper intended. Ideally, it is best to contract your original landscaper as your as the “gardener on call,” so to speak, because the person who installed the garden knows best how to maintain it.
Why not hire tree trimming contractors to handle tree overgrowth?
You may be assuming that a large tree is more indestructible than it actually is. The reality is, the tree has many vulnerable points that can damage or kill it if it is damaged or struck in these places. Roots that appear minor may actually be the equivalent of major arteries. Branches that appear to be useless may actually cause other portions of the trunk and neighboring branches to die if excessively trimmed or removed outright. Bark, which looks dead to us, is actually very much a living and vital covering for the interior wood pulp of the trees trunk. Scarring the bark opens up the tree to infection by disease and infestation by parasites.

Exterior World’s professional landscaping maintenance crews are trained in tree preservation and bound by a strict set of company guidelines to never compromise the health or safety of a tree to create a temporarily pleasing scene. In the long run, a dead tree ruins a landscape and tragically ends a beautiful life of one of Nature’s most perfect forms.

Any landscaping maintenance you need done at the bottom of a tree or anywhere close to shallow root systems needs to be done by an expert. If you take a shortcut and accidentally end up with a dead tree, the cost of tree removal will cost you a small fortune on top of a diminished property value.

Can I install my own tree lights or have a freelance contractor do it?
No. You need a professional lighting design firm trained in tree friendly lighting techniques who will use commercial grade lighting fixtures in your trees which you will not be able to obtain through retail channels or get from the back of an unmarked pickup truck offering you a “free trial.”

Never trust a questionable source that is obviously questionable for a reason. In fact, ask us to find you a lighting company that we are confident will work with, never against, the health of your trees and the beauty of your yard.

Are landscaping maintenance contracts expensive?
To be honest, they are neither free nor “cheap” in the colloquial sense. However, they are the equivalent of insurance that save you money in the long term by preventing pay as you go hourly costs from overtaking your budget prematurely and unexpectedly. Also, they guarantee specific services in writing and specific intervals at which you can expect said services to be rendered. Best of all, they spell out in plain brass tax, with nothing to hide, what you need to spend, and what you can expect to gain from your financial investment.

Professional Landscaping Design

What makes professional landscaping design, as you call it, different from yard service companies?
First and foremost, professionals work to create a sense of expansiveness in the yard. Property is always worth more when it looks larger than it actually is. Whereas the yardman trims vegetation to create more open space, the professional landscaper actually fills space with structures and forms that make the property look more occupied, more livable, and thus larger as a result. Much more than vegetation and gardening is needed in order to do this. Landscaping companies will often truck in large trees to help extend the view, or to create a natural barrier between the homestead and an adjacent lost. Other structures such as outdoor rooms, fireplaces, fire pits, special patios, and arbors can make a yard appear up to 2 or 3 times its actual size. A sense of fluidity and motion can then be integrated into the landscape through the installation of walkways and driveways. This fluidity helps to unite the many elements throughout, and to harmonize architecture with Nature and human living experience.

Who benefits the most from professional landscaping design?
Most of our clients are owners of custom homes valued at a million dollars or more. However, it is not uncommon for us to work for clients living in homes valued between half a million and a million dollars. Many of these individuals purchased their homes when they were valued at less than $500,000 dollars, and they are now looking to make improvements both to their houses and to the surrounding properties that will maximize the resale value of their property.

Certain features, such as custom gardens, special landforms, ornamental water fountains, and exterior structures can only be added effectively under the management of a professional landscaping design firm. If these things are done by a yard services company or an amateur contractor(s), then they most often will not work harmoniously together. The money will be wasted, and the resale value of the home will subsequently be diminished.

Do I need professional landscaping design for pool installation or renovation?
Absolutely. If you hire a swimming pool company directly, more than likely you will get a great looking pool that does not look so great in respect to the rest of the landscape. Swimming pools are a symbol of a luxury lifestyle, and as such must convey an aesthetic that extends beyond themselves. This means that the pool must be built in such a way that it reflects the architecture of the home and the surrounding keynotes of the landscape. Think of the pool as the mirror, and the professional landscaping designer as the maker and polisher of that mirror. The pool contractor can provide better results for you if the landscape professional first designs a master plan into which the pool fits like a central hub with many spokes of functionality and aesthetics leading to and from its central position.

What type of patio should I have installed around my pool?
Concrete is a good and affordable material to use for building a patio, but plain concrete lacks the aesthetic to do justice to a truly high-end property. It makes better investment sense to have your landscaping professional upgrade its appearance through staining or coloring. This makes it more noticeable to the eye, and it will still have the same reliable, durable qualities it has always been known for.

However, if you really want to go all out in upgrading the look of your property, consider investing in a more sophisticated material. Professional landscape design experts frequently lay pavers over a concrete base that provides the same hard, reliable surface, but have a much more Old World look reminiscent of cobblestone. They can also create a patio out of almost any type of stone, including limestone, sandstone, quartzite, and slate, just to name a few.

What questions should I ask a professional landscaping design company to determine if they are legitimate?
Ask to see a business license, and make sure they are bonded. Written references are to be expected as standard protocols, and pictures of case histories either online or in print media should also be made available to you.

Equally important is the questions that the professional should ask you. Do not work with anyone that tells you what you need without asking you what you want. Work with someone that asks you to express yourself, listens, then asks you more questions to clarify your expectations. More than likely you “feel” what you want more than know how to say it. Part of the job of the designer is to help you put your feeling into words, and your words into form.

Southern Garden Design

Were else can you have your favorite beverage on the porch during Thanksgiving or Christmas in shorts?
Houston is a distinctive manner of southern gardening because of our location to the Gulf coast. Our climate is a mixture of the hot humid south and the tropics of Mexico. This gives us rich year round possibilities for gardening. Even in the Carolinas were gardening might be 9 months out of the year, Houston is 12 months out of year gardening with freeze possibilities only lasting from January 15-February 15th. As hot and miserable as Houston can be in the summer months, there are opportunities for outdoor living just about every month of the year. Your southern garden is about creating a link to the horticultural past while creating the use of spaces for today spiced with the tropics.

In addition to creating stunning southern beauty, the Houston tropics can add fun and visual coolness during the hot summer months. In creating your southern garden be sure to include year round colors, textures, and scents from both the southern garden traditions and the hot tropics.
What is Southern Garden Landscape Design in Houston Texas?
In creating your southern garden landscape design, decide if want to create a formal patio or an informal woodland garden. Add in tropical flavor were you feel it is appropriate or to your liking. In creating the year round color garden the traditional southern garden plants bloom in Houston starting with azaleas and spireas around February, spring includes red buds, star jasmines and Carolina jasmines and camellias. As summer continues to heat up around June, tropical plants can really help to provide variety and color through the hot summer months: Bottle brush, plumbago, Ruessellia, Katie Ruellia, bulbine, salvias, knock out and nearly wild roses. Be sure you have excellent drainage systems and irrigation systems as well as proper bed preparation as southern garden plants require lots of feeding, healthy soils and excellent drainage.

How do I enjoy my Southern Garden in the heat of the summer?
The key to creating a landscape design in your garden is to plan for hot humid weather so you can enjoy the garden year round. Deck and patio areas for entertaining need to have shade. Patio covers, awnings or large trees can extend the use of patios through June. If there is no way around having a full sun patio due to the orientation of your house, create multiple outdoor rooms for sitting. Use lawn areas in the shade to enjoy a hot summer beverage. With careful planning and landscape design to accommodate 100 degree weather your garden can be a place of retreat even in the heat of the summer.

Great plants for the southern garden
Trees for the Tropics: Meditteranean Fan Palm, Canary Palm, Medjool Palm Shummard Red Oak, Nealy Stevens Holly, Tuscarora Crepe Myrtle, Japanese Maple, Angel Trumpet, Saucer Magnolia, Live Oak, Japanese Blueberry Tree, Bottle Brush, Japanese Yew.

Tropical Plantings: Bottle brush, Pineapple guava, Philodendrons, Gingers, Ixora, plumbago, asparagus fern, lantana, Australian Tree Fern, Angel Trumpet, Bamboo, Foxtail Fern, Leopard Plant,

Accent Plantings: Saw Palmetto, Flax, Agave, Yucca, Bird of Paradise, Dianella, Century Plant, Crinum Lily, Crotons.

Shrub Plantings: Azalea, Viburnum, Boxwoods, nearly wild roses, knock out roses, Camelia, Philodendron, Gingers

Flower Plantings: Russelia, Angelonia, Coleus, Mealy Sage, Plumbago, Bottle Brush, Salvia Coccinea, Cross Vine, Star Jasmine, Buddlea

Tropical Groundcovers: holly fern, foxtail fern, Mondo Grass, Asian Jasmine, Ardisia, Agapanthus, Ajuga

Southern Garden Color: snap dragons, pansies, petunias, geraniums, begonias, caladiums, cyclamen, pentas

Green Garden Design

We have become interested in environmentally-sensitive landscapes and want to know Exterior Worlds’ ideas on “green gardens.”
Like everybody else these days, we’re putting a lot of thought into “green” green gardens. At Exterior Worlds, we believe “green gardens” make a lot of sense. Not only from the viewpoint of being ecologically helpful, prudent and sustainable, but also in terms of beautiful landscapes, the impact on your budget, and time and energy savers.

With a design for a green garden, your goals are basically the same as for any other landscape design project, with a shift in focus toward using those materials, both plant and non-plant, that reduce the ongoing maintenance for watering, trimming, weeding and mulching.

Here are some ideas for your home landscape design to get you going on a “green” garden. And, as we’ve already mentioned, we think you will be pleasantly surprised by the positive side benefit of making your pocketbook greener, too!

Watering—
For grass, consider installing drought-tolerant lawns. Or you could use a variety of grass that grows slowly and thus doesn’t require mowing on a frequent basis.

Choose drought-tolerant and disease-resistant varieties of vines, bushes, trees, and ornamentals. Some plants in this category include pampas grass, spring bulbs, and black-eyed Susans. If you like roses, we recommend that you choose older rose varieties, which are hardier than modern large-flowered hybrids. In general, this type of garden reduces both the water requirement and the number of chemical treatments needed to fight diseases. Many of the Houston landscape designers we work with will be able to provide more ideas and suggestions for other plants that grow well in our climate’s rainfall.

Boost your irrigation system by adding French drains. We can also refer professional drainage contractors who can design drainage systems that allow storm water to be retained on your property. This design reduces the run-off into the city’s system and keeps the water on your property to recharge the soil.

Trimming—
For ground cover, use the varieties that need little to no trimming, such as Mondo, Ardisia, or Liriope. These types of ground cover work perfectly for your “green” garden because they are beautiful and colorful, and still reduce the need to mow, weed and mulch.

Weeding and Mulching—
To reduce regular mulching, mowing and weeding, consider using gravel as a ground cover. It’s another way to add interest and texture to your garden landscape and, at the same time, cut down your maintenance cost.

What other suggestions does Exterior Worlds have for us?
With your material selections for hardscapes, choose dark or earth tone colors that require minimal upkeep to look good. For all your hard surface areas, such as your patio design, use durable products like concrete, stone, engineered wood or pressure-treated pine, all materials with a long life span and a low maintenance requirement.

Another idea is to reduce large flower beds and instead use planters and urns for your annual flowers. This practice reduces the cost of replanting, allows you to keep the flowers fresh looking, and reduces the cost of your maintenance contract.

Landscape Garden Design

We have been gathering new ideas for our landscape garden design and want to know what Exterior Worlds has to offer.
If you’re thinking about some new ideas for your landscape garden design, Exterior Worlds has plenty of good ones for you.

Perhaps you want to start with building an outdoor kitchen. These spaces become a natural gathering place, similar to the kitchen inside the home. They also create a focal point for your yard. It is essential that you design a good layout so that all your appliances are convenient to use and fit properly.

Also consider adding or enhancing other hardscapes—the term used in landscape design to describe the non-plant material of your landscape—such as pool decking, entry walks and pathways, gates, garden structures, decks, garden arbors, retaining walls, driveways and motor courts.

We may decide to go with an overall theme for our landscape garden design—what do you suggest?
Many homeowners prefer a theme for their landscape architecture. One beautiful choice is an English garden design, noted for its informal approach to gardening. Think vine-covered arbors, glorious rose gardens, colorful azaleas and beds of seasonal color. This theme is hugely popular in the United States and well suited for Houston’s semi-tropical climate.

Another popular choice is classical landscape design, a sub-category of formal landscape design that uses well-defined lines to develop an orderly look. You can draw these “lines” with well-trimmed hedges, rows of trees or built-in seating in a retaining wall. Use green plant material to soften any harshness.

If your home’s architecture allows it, think about a modern landscape design. This style is noted for its undefined boundaries between areas of color, textures and shapes—or conversely, sharply defined boundaries. Dramatic geometric shapes convey a point of view that is both elegant and natural.

Any suggestions for an environmentally-sensitive garden?
Exterior Worlds is all for “green” green gardens. With a design for a green garden, the goals are similar as for any other landscape project. Plus the additional focus on making a garden that is ecologically helpful, practical and sustainable by reducing the ongoing landscape maintenance of watering, trimming, weeding and mulching.

Who can we get to help us with the planning and installation?
Landscape designers and landscape architects will help you during the planning phase.
You can hire them to help with, say, your patio design. A patio is a great place to start with a new landscape garden design since it is the transition space between the house and the yard. Patios run the gamut from an open-air greenhouse to an elegant outdoor room.

Or we can help with your landscape lighting. Expertise is essential in the design, planning and installation of landscape lighting since about 50 percent of the technical work has to do with placement of the light fixtures. You don’t want to see the system’s hardware—you only want to see the beautiful effect.

After more than 20 years in the landscaping business, we have a long list of highly skilled professionals to recommend.

Swimming Pool Construction

You may be tempted to ask why we would recommend you hire a landscaping firm for swimming pool construction. Wouldn’t it make more sense to go directly to a pool contractor for this, because pool specialists know what materials and design options work best with their own creations? On one level this may be true, but on a broader scale, you can run into trouble very quickly proper attention is not paid to home architecture and the surrounding landscape.

Swimming pool builders work hard to combine the basic elements of swimming pool construction into designs that look attractive and work dependably on a functional level. However, because they are specialists in only their discipline, pool contractor often lack the knowledge of residential architecture and outdoor design. If a pool is built that fails to complement these other elements, it will often clash with the aesthetic and possible evidence some functional problems as well. For example, if a pool has elevations that are constructed too high, then drainage problems can quickly result that can ruin significant portions of a yard or garden, plus accrue even more expenses when the pool has to be remodeled after the fact.
We want to make it clear that we are in no way blaming pool contractors for any of these problems. Specialists of all kinds are essential to professional landscaping. However, each one sees only a piece of the puzzle, so to speak. It takes the expertise of a team of specialists, managed by a landscaping expert who can see the big picture, to ensure that swimming pool construction is done in a way that complements all surrounding elements and better respects home architecture with both its size and general design features.

We always ask our clients to envision what type of pool they would want to see behind a home they purchased if they were just now moving into the area. What type of swimming pool construction would be so appealing that there would be no need to renovate it upon move in? Extrapolating this same thought into the present moment with what our general contractor services are really all about. We want our coordinative efforts to contribute to the overall value of a property. We go to great lengths to develop complex landscaping plans and to find the right subcontractors to fulfill their details. Swimming pool construction is one of these specialties that can be coordinated in a way that reflects the unique architectural elements of the home, compliments other outdoor structures, blends with vegetation, and reflects the lifestyle of the homeowner.

Exterior Worlds always develops such a master plan where many specialists are called in to fulfill specific tasks in construction, drainage, and lighting. We know how to communicate with contractors, and how to manage these many teams and see that each specialty service combines with all the others in a unity of aesthetic and a continuity of function.

Residential Landscaping Architect

Does Exterior Worlds think it is worth the investment to hire landscape architects—and if so, why?
Landscape architects are the professionals that help you turn your landscape into a dreamscape. We believe it is a good investment as explained by a January, 2007 study from “Total Landscape Care”: Landscaping is one way to increase a home's value. The general rule of thumb is that you get back 100 percent to 200 percent of what you invest in landscaping when you sell your home.

What work will landscaping architects perform?
Typically, they begin a project by studying your landscape as a whole. They will interview you to understand your objectives and the available budget. They will look at the natural elements of your property, such as soil, trees and the slope of the land. They also take into account the surrounding area—the neighboring homes and buildings, streets and utilities.

With these studies and note, landscaping architects then draw up a preliminary design. They will bring in other landscape professionals who may be involved in the project, such as civil engineers or residential architects. This prelim phase takes into account any last minute changes that you may want, as well as unforeseen requirements made by different governing bodies.

A proposal is then prepared, detailing what the landscaping will ultimately look like. This final proposal may include sketches, written reports, photographs, models, and cost estimates. At this point, your residential landscaping architect will most likely move into a supervisory role, monitoring the project as the various landscape contractors and their crews carry out the plans.

What do we need to know before starting the interview process?
The American Society of Landscape Architects (www.asla.org) offers these tips to help find the best landscaping architect for you:
• In your “wish state,” be sure to think about your hardscapes, such as garden arbors, an outdoor fireplace, an outdoor kitchen, landscape lighting or luxury swimming pool.
• Consider how you will use your landscape and what will help your achieve those needs. Also reflect on your preferences regarding a theme for your yards—would you like an English garden design or perhaps a Mediterranean landscape design?
• Prepare a realistic budget. One rule of thumb is that your landscaping should run 5 to 10 percent of your home's value. If that amount seems too much, remember that homes with professional landscaping can bring 15-20 percent more at the time of resale than homes without landscaping. (Source: a 2004 study commissioned by the Professional Landcare Network.)

How do we find such professionals?
The Texas Board of Architectural Examiners’ website provides a link to find a registered architectural landscaper: (www.tbae.state.tx.us/Professions/Landscape.shtml) The ASLA is one of the industry’s leading groups and its website also offers a “firm finder” link.

What does it take to get your degree in architectural landscaping?
To become a landscaping architect usually requires a bachelor’s or master’s degree in landscaping. Currently, 61 U.S. colleges and universities offer undergraduate and graduate programs in architectural landscaping that are accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board of the ASLA.

Residential landscape Design

We have decided to invest in ourselves this year by improving our landscape design. Where should we start?
If you’re making plans to change your residential landscape design, a good place to start is with landscape designers and landscape architects. Exterior Worlds works with some of the best in the Gulf coast area. These competent professionals take you through the entire design development process, which includes consultation and program development, analysis of your property, conceptual landscaping design, construction documentation and permitting. And then on towards turning the vision in your mind into a reality, no matter if it’s an understated Japanese garden, a condensed small garden design, or an airy Mediterranean landscape design.

What are some of the elements that we should be considering for our residential landscape design?
• Pool design. Swimming pools are an expected amenity for any upscale home these days. Various shapes and material selection can be used to create the style that suits you. Just to name a few examples—a water work of art, an Olympic-sized pool, a cocktail pool or a water-park for children.
• A green garden. That is, an ecologically-sensitive garden that is sustainable. With a “green” green garden, the goals are basically the same as for any other landscaping project with a special focus on reducing ongoing landscape maintenance—watering, trimming, weeding and mulching.
• Outdoor water fountains. Water elements make a pleasing statement about any home by creating a welcoming focal point. They are especially beneficial as camouflage for all the noise of modern life, such as traffic, air-conditioning units and helicopters.
• Landscape lighting. Landscape lighting can be a relatively inexpensive way to boost your property value. It allows you to showcase garden elements, while at the same time leaving some things dark. From a practical urban landscaping standpoint, the right landscape lighting provides security.
What can Exterior Worlds tell us about the infrastructure of a residential garden design?
Well-designed drainage and irrigation systems have a big impact of the health of your residential landscape design. Irrigation and drainage contractors can develop a whole-system approach so that the nuts and bolts of both systems are hidden as much as possible—and that will increase your enjoyment of them.

Drainage systems are an important part of any Houston residential landscape design and include channel drains, catch basins, and French drains. Drainage systems impact your residential landscape maintenance by preventing standing water that can create soggy landscaping, slick surfaces, and mosquito breeding grounds. A proper landscape drainage system is important for the care of your lawn as it allows your maintenance crew to perform their regular lawn service duties.

Irrigation systems deliver the correct amount of water to your various plants. They allow your landscape to be separated by zones into lawn, bed and color areas that require different watering conditions. By using computerized technologies, they let you set a regular schedule for your landscape watering needs while, at the same time, allowing you to switch to manual during unexpected weather conditions.

Xeriscaping Design

Xeriscaping is a landscaping technique that uses slow-growing, drought-resistant plant species for ground cover and gardening. Indigenous vegetation can also be used either as a supplement to imported species or a deliberate reintroduction of specific native species that grow very slowly and maintain their color and vibrancy year round. They are already adapted to the cycles of annual rainfall and do not need additional watering or fertilizer to thrive. Furthermore, they need far less cultivation and trimming due to fact that they are slow-growth plants.

Xeriscaping with indigenous plant life offers benefits beyond water conservation. In cities like Houston where rainwater can wash pesticides and fertilizers into a system of bayous and pollute park and wildlife areas, carefully chosen indigenous plants can end this type of pollution on several levels. For one thing, native plants already have a resistance to native pests and do not need our help in repelling most insects. Secondly, it is possible to create new lawns and gardens that do not need to waste city water or use artificial fertilizer to maintain healthy growth.

Many Houstonians may not realize the potential for Xeriscaping our Gulf Coast region has to offer. The city grew so quickly that much of the native beauty of the region has been covered up. The bayous of Houston are home to a tremendous diversity of plants and animals life that can play major contributing roles in our landscaping projects while they benefit in turn from Xeriscaping techniques that are adapted to our unique corner of the world.

While many people may hesitate to consider such a shift in landscaping design, it makes sense for a city already moving in many new progressive directions to consider taking a very aggressive environmental stance. There are countless drought-resistant species native to Texas that can grow hardily in our environment almost no human pampering. Houstonians do not have to give up their French Landscapes, Italian Gardens, parterre gardens, or knot garden designs. In fact, all of these traditional landscaping forms can take on an entirely new aesthetic when Xeriscaped with native plants that directly correlate with those of our immediate surroundings, but are also placed deliberately in accordance with our sensibilities.

Such a change would no doubt help the local wildlife greatly by removing toxins from the food chain that kill not only insects, but the fish, birds, amphibians, small reptiles, and small mammals that eat them. Since it has probably been years since you saw a living box turtle or bullfrog in your back yard, would it not be wise to consider Xeriscaping as a means of creating not only a new look on your property, but also inviting back some old neighbors who belong here just as surely as we do?