Landscape Retaining

What are they?
Retaining walls are walls that function to level slope or retain a grade. This creates a more vertical appearance to the landscape and is very important to grade, drainage, and irrigation work. Landscape retaining walls perform the same function, but they also contribute aesthetic value to the Houston landscape by working to magnify key structures and special points of interest.

Where are they built?
Landscape retaining walls are often built in front of arbors, near trees (as part of tree preservation work), or near a patio or driveway that requires extra support to maintain its grade.

What do you use to build landscape retaining walls?
Native stone and timbers are two materials that come directly from Nature and compliment any backyard landscape with a sense of untamed freedom. Many manmade materials can also be made to look natural and do the same job. Decorative concrete brick, for example, comes in many colors and patterns and is a relatively inexpensive building material. A mixture of stones, varying three to six inches in height, can be mortared together to create a mosaic pattern. Traditional mortared brick, of course, is always an option, too. It is more expensive and normally only used when complimenting a very formal hardscape such as a bluestone patio.

How do you build make landscape retaining walls decorative?
There are several things we can do to make these functional elements look attractive. To begin with, we design a landscape retaining wall with a deliberately informal look. Wall materials are placed by hand to mimic either a haphazard pattern or a natural earthwork. Natural stone is the best material to use for this. Dry laid stone can literally be stacked to look like a natural rock formation, with larger stones at the end and smaller stones toward the middle and top. Stones of many different kinds can also be randomly arranged and mortared together, either to each other or to a concrete wall concealed behind the stone façade.

Another technique we use is to build a landscape retaining wall with a secondary function. This could be anything from the base for a fence, a seat wall, the entryway to an arbor or summer kitchen, or the base for a fence or architectural wall.

How do I know if I need a landscape retaining wall?
If you have a slope in your yard, you will probably need at least a small retaining wall to create a level area for hardscape design, outdoor architecture, or garden design. If you have children, you may also want a retaining wall to create a practice field or play area for the kids.

If I have children, what safety features do you build into landscape retaining walls?
We either build a planting bed, or we build the wall against another structure like an outdoor room or outdoor building. Only the decorative side of the wall faces the landscape. The other side of the wall is blocked off by either softscape or architectural elements. This prevents people from falling off the wall and injuring themselves.

Yard Landscape Design Ideas

Plan, plan, plan—the beginning of any good yard landscape design. The end result will be a beautiful a vista that gives you daily pleasure. And it comes with a big pay-off in that attractive landscaping provides a return on investment when it comes time to sell your home. At Exterior Worlds, we think of this time, effort and money as the big three of a yard landscape design project.

One early decision on your part needs to be whether to hire a designer such as the ones you’ll find at Exterior Worlds. While you will find a range of fees for landscape designers, bear in mind that the artistic talent that they bring to the table can turn your place into a showcase. Trained in principles of design and best horticulture practices, these professional planners of yard landscape designs pay big dividends.

Early discussions will also center around which elements to add to your landscape and how to enhance what you’ve got. To begin with, you need to understand your environment. In general, your Houston landscape benefits from a relatively mild climate, nutrient-rich native soil (even though it does need amendments) and a variety of indigenous plants that are naturally lush and verdant. Also, landscape design tree elements cannot be over-valued. Trees give your yard height, shade, color, movement and interest. With consistent and reasonable maintenance, we have seen trees increase in value by as much as 400 percent over a 5-7 year period.

Water elements are another prized element in Houston landscaping. We have found that luxury pools are an expected amenity for upscale homes. Pools provide hours of fun (at any time of the year, but particularly in our hot summers), are a perfect setting for entertainment and delight the senses even when you’re not in them. If you own an older home, perhaps a pool renovation is in order, a project that requires considerable effort, but creates real value for your property.

A water fountain, such as a garden wall fountain or contemporary garden fountain is another visual and auditory treat. It gives a focal point to the eye and soothing sounds to the ear. Fountains are extremely versatile in landscape design. You can place them in front yards, back yards, in small, odd-shaped plots and at entry ways.

Masonry hardscapes unite your architecture with the landscape by projecting out into the yards, thus linking these two disparate zones together. Masonry that rises from the ground also adds a vertical element to your design. Examples of Houston masonry run the gamut from a minimalist brick planter or stone wall to an elaborate pool and patio area with an outdoor kitchen.

However, your ideas and schemes don’t have to be elaborate. At Exterior Worlds, we believe that some of the best yard landscape design ideas are simple and elegant. When we plan and execute a landscape design, we focus on the concept that the landscape is the framework for your house and, just like with artwork hanging on your wall, the frame serves the main attraction.

Masonry Design

What is masonry design?
It is the design of structures that are built with any number of masonry elements. These structures take on a life of their own. They add vertical impact the Houston landscape. They create unique aesthetic structures which can function as the boundaries of unique gathering places like courtyards and morning gardens. They can be used to create perspective in the form of architectural walls so that small yards look big and big yards look less intimidating because they are subdivided into zones of special interest.

Who does masonry design?
Ideally, it is done by professional landscapers who can integrate the many different types and forms of masonry into a more complex landscape master plan. The reason we recommend doing it this way is because landscape professionals will see to it that masonry forms are drawn to scale in proportion to the home and surrounding landscape elements.

Do professional landscapers also build the masonry forms themselves?
We build some of them. Most often, however, we find masonry contractors who specialize exclusively in construction. We bid out our master plan to these experts, and then subcontract them under our supervision. This way we can ensure that our plans our carried out as we intended, and that the physical aspects of the labor are handled by the appropriate specialists.

What are the forms you create with masonry design?
A hard stone, brick, or concrete product that contributes aesthetic to organic elements like lawns, flower beds, gardens, or copses of small trees is something you can consider a masonry form.

Is vertical impact really that important?
Yes. The Houston landscape is routinely criticized by people from all over the world as being too flat. Most people who were not born here come from places where there is at least some variation in the grade of the terrain. Some come from rolling hills; others from mountainous regions.

Many Houstonians who travel may have lived here all their lives for work, but secretly wish Houston had the mountains of Los Angeles, the hills of Tennessee, or the curved and winnowing grades of the Mississippi Valley States. While we cannot make mountains out of ant hills in Southeast Texas, we can alter your properties grade and add vertical impact with masonry design that lifts the terrain upward into multiple degrees of ascent and descent.

The end result of this is more variety for you and your guests, and more curb appeal for your home.

What should I think of first when I think of masonry design?
Think about the possibilities of stone. There is no structure on a landscape that cannot be built with stone. Keep in mind some types of stone cost more than others though, so be realistic about how much you can afford to invest in each particular landscape element you want.

Prioritize and choose other elements like concrete and brick for structures that are less prominent than others.

What are some popular masonry forms?
We can build you retaining walls, patios, walkways, courtyards, planters, and outdoor fireplaces, just to name a few. Because there are so many different materials we can work with, we can customize any of these basic design elements into structures that support the specifics of your home and landscape design.

Houston Pool Remodeling

When is pool remodeling required?
If your pool clashes with your home’s appearance, or it is too large our small for your yard, you need pool remodeling. Remodeling should also be done when the pool is beyond the scope of basic service and repair work.

If I wanted a complete pool remodeling, what am I looking at in terms of the basics?
We have to change the shape, depth, and style of the pool to match your home and surrounding landscape master plan. New patio design will be required too, consisting of custom tile, stone, brick, or masonry. Amenities like diving boards, diving rocks, or kid slides may also be built into the new structure. We also resurface and lay new tile.

What are some options for pool remodeling Houston homeowners should consider?
We strongly recommend that you consider adding additional water features. A spa is one of the most popular and useful features. It adds dimension and luxury to the swimming pool, and it can be heated and constructed with water jets that offer therapeutic conditioning for muscles and injuries.

Spa jets, heating, and lights can be manipulated with digital controls that provide the homeowner with the ultimate in convenience.

Another water feature you may want to add to your pool when remodeling it is a waterfall. Waterfalls create unique areas of interest. They can be designed to pour down steps to lend a sense of drama and formal effect, or they can be created to pour over rocks to look like natural elements that soften the stark geometries of human architecture.

A rock wall rising up at one end of the pool can also host a waterfall, creating both an endpoint and a focal point that frames activities in and out of the water around a central gateway of illuminated fluidity—almost like a monolith rising up out of the Houston landscape.

What unique structural changes can you incorporate into pool remodeling?
To create a sense of perspective, have our team build you a pool with a negative edge. A negative edge makes it look like the water is mysteriously disappearing over the side with no apparent boundary around the pool.

Rock formations are an excellent way to lend a sense of nature to certain pool designs. For those who prefer something more resort-like, tanning shelves, swim-up bars, spas, and benches are ideal.

Another thing we do in pool remodeling is custom mosaic work. Many different patterns and scenes can be created with expert tile workers creating the mosaic by hand.

Is lighting a part of pool remodeling?
Yes. People cannot enjoy their pool at night without illumination, nor is it safe to use without lighting. Lighting creates decoration and interest. Many different types of lights can be installed in a remodeled pool, including colored underwater lights and fiber optic lighting that can punctuate the details of waterfalls and spas.

Garden Pergola

What is a garden Pergola?
It is a garden feature that provides a shaded walk through a passageway of pillars. The pillars support cross beams and sidewalls of lattice that give you a place to train vines that will provide additional shad and greenery.

How will a garden pergola compliment my residential landscape design?
First of all, it will give your home curb appeal by creating a bit of extra character. People always love the blend of architecture and greenery these remarkable structures add to a property. It will be an excellent way to add dimension to your patio or garden outdoor courtyard and make it into a major point of interest.

What are some other benefits of a garden pergola besides curb appeal?
The first thing it does is add a vertical dimension to your garden design. Climbers make it look as the garden was reaching upward from the ground. The blend of pillars, cross beams, and vines now create a partly shaded area that gives you a place to sit. If you are looking to turn one of your gardens or courtyards into a central outdoor focal point, then having a pergola built will definitely establish its significance.

Does a garden pergola have to be built only over a garden?
No. Sometimes it is built this way, much like a gazebo, when a small garden in the yard needs added appeal. However, many pergolas are built along walkways. These walkways can lead to any point on the landscape where a sense of entryway is desired. One very popular way to use a garden pergola like this would be to build it between a patio and a courtyard to help transition the mind from a predominantly hardscape environment to a much more organic and lush setting.

Can these structures be customized in size and style?
Yes. The geometry can be either angular or curved, depending on your residential landscape design and the elements of your yard we are building the structure to enhance. There is a famous pergola in Salzburg that looks almost like a tunnel of pure green, with just enough light filtering in to guide your path.

Are garden pergolas ever used as entrances to outdoor rooms?
Yes. In fact, this is often the best way to build an outdoor room, because the tunneling effect of the structure focuses the senses on a new realm of experience that waits just on the other side of the passageway.

Can you decorate a pergola?
Absolutely. Plant-friendly outdoor lights can be installed in the interior if you want low-level ambient lighting at night time. You can also hanging plants and flowers from the crossbeams, and outdoor artwork can decorate the interior side walls. Any wood in the structure can be stained and finished to give it a high-end look.

Yard Landscape Design

What is yard landscape design?
It is the transformation of the front yard into an aesthetic realm that adds curb appeal to the home, and it is the transformation of your back yard into personalized outdoor living space.

Exactly how important is front yard landscape to curb appeal?
It is considered the most important aspect of Houston garden and landscaping. Visitors see your front yard before they see anything else. Some may see only that. It needs to be designed in such a manner that sets the theme for all of your outdoor space and draws attention to your house.

What are some good front yard landscape designs?
The possibilities are endless, provided they fit your home architecture, lot size, and create a sense of warmth and invitation to guests. If you are planning on selling your home in the next few years, you need to create a sense of vibrancy as well so as to suggest an emerging, dynamic lifestyle.

Some of the things we like to focus on are Houston driveway design, custom walkways, plantings of ornamental trees along the property line, and custom garden design. Many larger homes often have a walkway and/or a custom fountain leading up to the front door. Such walkways are very important to Houston yard landscape because they suggest a sense of movement and a call to action that invites the visitor to explore what is yet to be discovered in the back yard.

One thing we definitely strive to create is a feeling that your front yard is more than it actually is. Fountains and decorative sculptures play a big role in creating focal points that put the rest of the property in very unique perspectives. Curved lines in garden design—even small gardens---an non-linear plantings and pathways go a long way toward creating a sense of expansiveness.

Arches and gates are excellent frames for Houston driveway design, and create a sense of differentiation for your yard without making others feel shut out.

What kinds of features can you add to my back yard landscape design?
The backyard is going to be your Houston outdoor living space. It should be as comfortable and amenable as the interior of your home, and yet it should also have an organic sense to it as well.

Points of interest here are based upon two things: intended outdoor events and aesthetic preferences.

Most Houstonians like having swimming pools in their back yard, so swimming pool design is one of the main elements to most of our yard landscape master plans. The reason for this is simple. Pool contractors do not know what else we plan to do in the yard, so it is better for us to develop the schematics of the pool and then find you a company who can actually build it in relation to your house and surrounding yard.

Back yard garden design needs to reflect any clearly evident themes in your home architecture. (You wouldn’t want to put a contemporary garden right behind a traditional Colonial house). Other than that, however, much can be done in Houston garden design that is of a purely customized nature that reflects individual sentiments and taste.

Outdoor activities such as cooking and conversation can be supported by outdoor rooms like courtyards, outdoor kitchens, and outdoor fireplaces.

Are walkways also important in back yard landscape plans?
Yes. They lead you from point to point, and in very large properties, help subdivide the yard into areas of special interest.

Outdoor Water Features

At Exterior Worlds, we pour all our years of experience, skill and passion into each landscape design, especially outdoor water features. Their forms and uses are many, like water itself. Here are a few examples of ones we’ve designed and installed:

• Custom fountain designs. Custom fountains are dynamic and functional outdoor water features, especially when made using highly personalized and luxurious signature designs. By providing sound and movement, these works of art extend the pleasure of your landscape design by engaging the senses.
• Garden wall fountains. With a touch of elegance, wall fountains enhance your garden by turning it into a delightful and tranquil space. If you have a theme garden, such as a Tuscan garden or modern courtyard design, they can expand that idea.
• Disappearing water fountains. The disappearing water fountain is characterized by the absence of a basin. The water seems to dissolve into the ground, when in reality it goes into a camouflaged pit and then re-circulates. This unique landscape element is a favorite of secluded areas, such as a yoga retreat or reading area.
• Reflecting pools. Reflecting pools, known for their tranquil surfaces, are most often located near taller edifices to serve as a mirror and magnifier. Through the use organic and non-organic components, they link elements together in a mesmerizing focal point.

• Koi ponds. Eye-catching, ornamental, enchanting—these are just a few of the adjectives used to describe koi ponds. Even while providing a home for its fish, these ponds give you tremendous variability, design-wise. For example, naturalistic ponds recall the wilderness. If constructed in a rectangle or circle, they contrast with amorphous shapes found elsewhere. They are as adaptable as nature itself.
• Garden waterfall designs. Using elements found in nature, such as rocks, streams, boulders and elevation, waterfall designs recreate one of the natural world’s more memorable features. Even though they are relatively expensive to install, homeowners love waterfalls for their dramatic and impressive appeal.
• Custom swimming pools. Using both new and classic concepts, a custom pool is one of the key elements in your master landscaping plan. Your relatively large financial outlay is repaid with a high level of functionality and aesthetic appeal as it works perfectly with your lifestyle, extant architecture and topography.

In considering any outdoor water feature within your landscape design, we are very cognizant of how your chosen water element blends with other elements on your property, specifically the architectural style of your home. We work for seamless integration because we want the beauty to shine through—with no jarring distractions. Our planning and designing are further defined by sophisticated style and sumptuous materials. This singular style works whether our clients’ preferences are for the simple or grand scale.

In the end, luxury in your Houston landscape design is communicated in many ways. The sense of luxury is conveyed with hardscapes, softscapes, material choices and attention to detail. Over the years, we have come to believe that an outdoor water feature is one of the most impressive landscaping elements. Water is magic. It soothes, energizes, delights. It can be playful or peaceful, inspired or inspiring. So, go ahead—indulge your aesthetic sense with the art of water.

Residential Sprinkler System

Our clients find that a residential sprinkler system is an excellent way to protect their landscaping investment. Sprinkler systems improve the health of all plantings because of the consistent delivery of water. They help you manage your water usage, something that is much appreciated each month when the water bill arrives. In short, these time-saving systems immensely ease the burden of lawn care.

Residential sprinkler systems, like so many other aspects of modern living, have gone technical. The typical high-grade system from Exterior Worlds uses controller technology which serves as the brains of the system. Within the controller, you’ll find such automatic sprinkler system features as water delay options and rain sensors that prevent over-watering during rainy days. They also can come equipped with a pressure vacuum breaker (PVB), a safeguard against contaminates being suctioned back into the city’s drinking water when water pressure drops.

One of our quality sprinkler system installations typically uses different heads for the different zones of your landscape. For instance, pop-up spray heads, recognizable by the fan-shaped pattern of water they produce, are suitable for smaller or irregular spaces, such as landscape beds. As their name implies, rotor heads are the sprinklers that operate by rotating streams of water back and forth over the landscape. They work well in large areas such as turf-covered lawns.

Most often a part of a garden sprinkler system, a drip irrigation system works by means of drip emitters (also called inline drippers and micro spray heads) and high-grade hose materials that water plants in a gently soaking manner that is very beneficial to plant life and also significantly reduces the loss of water caused by evaporation. Drippers are perfect for narrow and raised beds, around retaining walls and in hanging baskets.

When installing a sprinkler system, it is highly recommended that you work with professionals who are experienced with your particular water source and pressure, planting materials, soil type and climate conditions. Knowledgeable irrigation contractors such as Exterior Worlds take all these factors into consideration and design a system specifically for you and your landscape needs.

We can regularly check your residential sprinkler system as part of a monthly maintenance contract. The periodical inspection of your sprinklers ensures that everything functions properly and allows us to discover problems quickly. One clogged head or torn line can misuse costly water and unnecessarily damage your landscape.

Items on our sprinkler checklists would include:

• Monthly checking of and adjustments to sprinkler heads.
• Unclogging sprinkler heads, as-needed.
• Adjusting the levels of the heads to ground level, as-needed.
• Regular adjustments to the settings on the timer.
• Manually operating all valves, approximately four times a year.
• Cleaning the mainline filter (if any).
• Checking wire-nuts and wires for damage, on a regular basis.

The end results are worth it because your residential sprinkler system has such a positive impact on your landscape and lawn and garden services. Your plants are healthier because of the regular and proper delivery of water and that means fewer re-plantings. Plus—and maybe most importantly—you get the lush and verdant landscape you dreamed about when you started your landscape project.

Planting annuals in your Houston landscape

Planting annuals in your Houston landscape is a visual treat, the “fresh air” that a landscape design regularly needs. With each new season, they give you and all who travel past your property a renewed appreciation of the exterior landscapes. Annuals put color, texture and liveliness in your gardens. Purple pansies, orange daisies, pink begonias and red geraniums delight and captivate us when used as seasonal color because the human eye is naturally drawn to what is new.

Exterior Worlds uses the basic design philosophies of unity, repetition and balance when planting annuals, principles that are foundational to planting gardens of all types, shapes and sizes. There are many ways we accomplish these goals:

• We limit the color choices to those that work well together.
• Sometimes we may plant a single specimen throughout the gardens.
• Conversely, we may repeat a color across several different plant types.
• Always we consider the whole so that the overall scheme stays in balance.

Garden pots, containers and urns are perfect vessels for your seasonal color. For instance, potted annuals make a courtyard garden design really come alive. They add an architectural element to the ambiance. We have used a combination of pots and color to define a garden space or frame a view. By planting annuals in large-sized containers overflowing with color, we have also used them to create a zone, and, when you tire of that arrangement, we can always reconfigure the pots into another design.

We also recommend that you supplement the color that annuals bring to your yard with blooming trees, bushes, vines, grasses and other plant material. We like to mix up the blooming phases of your choices so that you get different spots of color throughout the year. For instance, native grasses provide movement and subtlety. We also use colorful, variegated foliage and berry-bearing bushes to bring variety without extra expense. In particular, planting roses is a prized way to add exquisite color to your gardens.

One note to the wise gardener: installing a drip irrigation system is a smart way to deliver water to your annuals, especially if they are in small or difficult spaces. Examples for their uses include beds between sidewalks or along a driveway, rose gardens, and containers such as decorative pots and hanging baskets. Drip systems let you to water the root systems instead of the flowers, something your annuals will truly appreciate.

When to plant annuals is a question we get a lot. The first consideration needs to be which annuals are appropriate for the current season, and by that we mean specifically the Houston climate. Attention must be paid to our mild winters, hot and humid summers and tendencies toward monsoon-like rains. The same answer is true for the question when to switch out to next seasonal color. In general, you’ve most likely waited too late if the current plantings aren’t surviving.

Make your Houston home and garden pop by planting annuals. In yards of all sizes, in garden beds, in wall planters, in pots, on patios, near the pool and spa, and at entryways—seasonal color breathes fresh life into your landscape design.

Garden and Landscaping

What goal am I trying to achieve in garden and landscaping?
You are looking to have your property transformed into a work of art that speaks of luxury Houston outdoor living and increased curb appeal. You already have a sense of vision as to what you want to see. Our job is to come in and develop a landscape master plan around that vision and literally paint your landscape in three dimensions for you.

What type of grass works best with garden and landscaping design?
There are all sorts of grasses that can be added in place of the all-too-common San Augustine grass that dominates so much of the Houston landscape. San Augustine is a convenient grass to use in yards, but its aesthetic value and tactile comfort leave much to be desired. In dry summer months, entire patches of it will turn brown and die.

Even when it doesn’t die, it is rough to walk on with bare feet. Perhaps you might want to consider a greener, softer grass like Zoisa. It adds a superb emerald quality to large open parts of the yard that previously were interrupted by dry patches.

What role do patios play in garden and landscaping design?
They play a major role. Hardscapes like patios are built to draw crowds. Sometimes these crowds are very large and congregate to celebrate special occasions outdoors. Gardens are very important along the edges of these patios. They frame the inorganic surface with a sense of life, and they serve to unify the manmade with the natural.

What role does the house itself play in this process?
It serves as the visual and thematic centerpiece for all garden and landscaping design. Both the size of the home and the architecture of its geometry help determine the style of landscaping design we ultimately shape the surrounding property with.

How important are trees in garden and landscaping design?
Trees provide opportunities for small gardens and flower beds. In a large yard, such plantings help create zones of interest that minimize the overwhelming feeling of a large lot. In small lots, flower beds can be planted in such a manner around trees as to make the yard look bigger than it is. It is all a matter of perspective.

Does swimming pool design play a significant role in garden and landscape design?
It does not play a direct role in garden design, but it is crucial to the success of the overall landscape. A swimming pool should always be designed by a professional landscaper who can draw it to perspective with surrounding outdoor elements and home architecture. The landscape contractor can then subcontract a pool specialist to do the actual labor. This way, the pool is both proportional and aesthetically complimentary to all inorganic and organic elements alike.

What types of outdoor architecture work will with Houston garden and landscape design?
Outdoor kitchens are a favorite throughout the Houston area. Courtyards and outdoor fireplaces are also very popular. Custom outdoor rooms around lighted fountains are yet another popular structural element that combines masonry with vegetation.

All of these examples involve blending hedges and flowering plants into a very complex and carefully constructed landscape that may have up to 80 percent of its surface area covered in hardscape. The skillful planting of vegetation and smaller trees helps ensure that a sense of vitality and dynamic experience clearly differentiates the quality of life outdoors versus indoors regardless of the level of creature comforts we build into our structures.

Masonry Fireplace

What is a masonry fireplace?
It is an outdoor fireplace that is built out of brick, natural stones, or blocks of some sort. Many older homes do not have indoor fireplaces, and it is much easier to accommodate the owners of these residences with an outdoor masonry fireplace that offers all the amenities of indoor equivalents. You can even have one build that runs off natural gas or propane so you do not have to deal with smoke, sparks, ashes, or the cost of firewood.

Why would I want to build a masonry fireplace?
Several reasons could motivate you to have us build you one of these structures. You may want a warm spot on the patio on one of Houston’s colder nights. Even though are winter’s are technically mild, the humidity in the air can kill you at night here when it’s only a little chilly outside. A warm fire creates heat and dispels humidity.

You may also want to consider the sheer aesthetics that a masonry fireplace can contribute to your yard. The Houston landscape is very flat, and adding vertical impact to your particular portion of it can make your entire property stand out on your block and add significant curb appeal to your home.

It will also add a definitively classic touch to any garden or swimming pool, and it becomes the immediate focal point of any patio or outdoor courtyard.


What does a masonry fireplace look like?
That’s where the fun starts. It can look like almost anything you want it to look like. Because we do not have to deal with the presence of interior home walls, all we really need to build is the flu and the chimney. The geometry can be expanded from their in many directions, provided the integrity of the structure is sound and its form is appropriately complimentary to the home and surrounding landscape design.

What are some of the materials used?
All kinds of materials are used to build masonry fireplaces. Sometimes they are built out of decorative bricks. The multitude of brick colors and types makes this a very common material suitable to a variety of home architectural and landscaping design styles. Other fireplaces are built of stone or cement blocks made to look like a stone façade. Bluestone is another popular material. Stones are always hand-fitted and secured with substances that make the flue and chimney strong and sturdy. Stones can be uniform in appearance, or they can be deliberately asymmetrical to compliment avant garde or contemporary landscape designs.

How much does a masonry fireplace cost?
If it is a small fireplace in a courtyard or an entry garden, it will cost the price of materials plus the labor required to build it. Provided it is relatively small and simple in design, it should not represent an exorbitant expanse per se.

If, on the other hand, you ask us to build an outdoor fireplace and patio to serve as a major focal point in your yard, and the structure is by nature large and complex in design, it could end up being the most sizeable investment in your property.

The good thing about working with Exterior Worlds is that you have a choice in determining the scale and scope of your investment within the parameters of your landscape master plan.

Design A Landscape

The first thing to do when you sit down with one of our people to design a landscape is to list your priorities. Do you want to host events outside? If so, you may want a backyard landscaping plan that caters to high-end Houston outdoor living, and you will probably also want a front yard landscaping plan that extends a sense of warm invitation to guests.

Then again, you may just want to relax and be alone with the sights and sounds of Nature. Think about what plants and garden designs will make you feel most at home and most at peace. If something crosses your mind that sounds “crazy” or “unrealistic”, do not hesitate to share that with your landscape designer. Nothing is crazy or unrealistic to us. It may need to be altered or customized, but never thrown in the trashcan of design altogether.

Be realistic, too, about your budget when you design a landscape. Not everything you want has to be done all at once. One thing you can count on from Exterior Worlds is honesty. If we think it is going to cost you too much money to implement all the desires you have simultaneously, we will help you budget out the project in phases based on your priority list.

In fact, a good many of our most renowned landscaping projects were implemented in phases. You can read about some of these in our Case History section. When we work on such a project in phases, we build the hardscapes and garden elements that are essential to the basic theme and aesthetic of your landscape master plan. If more sophisticated structures like outdoor kitchens are planned for the future, we can designate in the plan where these structures will go, and we can earmark a follow up date to construct them when funding becomes available.

This way you don’t have to wait to enjoy your landscape, and you also still have something to look forward to when the next phase of your plan comes on the horizon.

Something else that is essential when we design a landscape for you is some sort of lot survey or topographical map of your property. This will help us determine such things as slope, grade, and the location of some buried utilities. The Houston landscape is very flat and can flood very quickly. Rainfall is either extremely heavy or too absent for large portions of the year.

To compensate for these extremes, we have to create innovative, concealed, and highly effective drain and irrigation systems. We also have to work around things like tree roots and buried utilities in order to avoid doing any costly damage. That is why we need as much documentation on your property as possible whenever we sit down to design a landscape for you.

Finally, bringing pictures of any home or garden are a great way to design a landscape with an Exterior Worlds professional. Sometimes a photograph simply speaks to you in a way that you cannot explain. However, an expert can see immediately where key details of that picture can be extracted, customized, and inserted into the framework of your landscape master plan.

Driveway Landscape Designs

What is driveway landscape design?
Driveway landscaping can consist of both hardscape and softscape. Hardscape options include walls and fences, while your softscape driveway landscaping can consist of flower beds, ground covers, trees or shrubs.

What is the best style of driveway landscape design?
That depends on your home and your yard. The direction and shape of the driveway will always draw the eye toward other landscape elements of interest. If the home is characterized by a very orderly and symmetrical architecture, a straight driveway that runs to a side motorcourt and entry garden can lend itself well to a sense of majesty. If the home appears lower to the ground, and more spread out on the sides, then a circle driveway is an excellent way to keynote the entire property around a central focal point, such as a water feature or contemporary garden.

If the home is set far back from the street, then the driveway can be built to accommodate parking in the front, and a walkway can be built to link the parking area to the front of the home. This is a nice touch that adds a sense of grand entrance to homes in private neighborhoods.

What types of softscape can be combined with driveway landscape design?
Any type of hedge or shrub can be planted along a drive to decorate it with greenery. In most cases, it is best to use more than one shade of green in order to create fullness and dimension.

Flower beds are very popular addendums to driveway landscape design. You can choose to have flowers of a single color to compliment the color of your hardscape and home, or you can you have a layering of different colors designed by our gardening specialists.

An alley of trees is also a good way to ornament your driveway. Many different types of ornamental trees, including Red Maple, Pear, and Myrtle, work well with Houston landscape designs. Larger shade trees are very popular for longer driveways.

What kinds of hardscapes can be used with driveway landscape design?
Masonry walls and ornamental fences are two common hardscape elements used to augment the appearance of a driveway. Small walls add vertical impact to the sides of the driveway. They also help keep vehicles on the pavement and away from delicate plants. An ornamental fence or stone arch can be built at the entrance to the driveway to generate presence and formality.

What type of materials should be considered?
Popular materials range from concrete to asphalt, concrete pavers, brick and natural stone. Concrete is surprisingly more popular in Houston landscaping than you might assume. Thanks to today’s technology, what was once a rudimentary, practical building material can now be rendered highly decorative. Concrete can be stained with a wide variety of colors, and it can be treated in a number of ways to create very interesting textures and patterns in its surface.

Concrete pavers are a great way to create the look and feel of real stone and save a considerable amount of money on your driveway. Brick always lends itself to traditional, Colonial, and Old World themes, and asphalt is a great driveway landscape design to use in conjunction with modern and contemporary landscaping.

Should I light my driveway?
Yes. It is much safer to pull into a lighted driveway at night. Also, outdoor landscape lights are a great way to show off any flowers, shrubs, or trees that you have planted along your drive. These lights will also help increase visibility in your yard and improve the security of your property.

Landscape Design Service

Why is a landscape design service important?
An experienced professional knows the principles of landscaping and will be able to create an outdoor living experience for you that is unique to your property and complimentary to your home. This will go a long way toward expanding your lifestyle beyond the boundaries of your home interior. It will also add curb appeal to your house should you ever consider listing it on the market.

Could I save money by hiring a lawn services company?
Yes, but your yard will not look nearly as good. You need a professional landscape design service who understands principles like unity, symmetry, balance, scope, and scale. Developing a new look to your property requires more than simple gardening and lawn trimming services, as important as those things are. It requires an understanding of construction, advanced garden design, tree-protection, swimming pool design, and outdoor room construction.

What makes the services of a professional landscaper so much better?
First of all, we will take the time to study your home and property lot. The basic architecture of your house and the topography of your land often provides something of a template we can build upon. We also take the time to get to know you and understand your lifestyle. Getting a good picture of how you plan to spend your time outdoors helps us know what structure and hardscapes to build, and how to use garden design to add vitality to these forms.

Do we have any say in what goes into a plan?
Yes. Landscape design services are best accomplished in partnerships with the client. Try to think of all the many ways you plan to use your outdoor environment and write down the key points for our first consultation. Functionality will actually determine the size and scope of many outdoor structures, so planning ahead a bit is always a good idea.

Where can I get ideas on the decorative aspects of landscape design?
Any images that you find appealing can be used as raw material in a brainstorming session with our landscape design services team. You can cut out pictures from magazines, check out books from the library, or even bring photographs of neighbor’s yard. You can also check our case history section and look at previous projects we have done. You may find several items of interest there that could serve as inspiration for your home and yard.

When searching for inspiration, what should I keep in mind?
The most important thing to remember is simplicity. Isolate the geometric shapes, plant types, basic colors, and design patterns that appeal most to you. The good thing about working with Exterior Worlds is that you can hand us a collage of images and ideas that we can then weave together into a more complex, intricate, and truly custom design for your home.

Bush Planting in your Landscape Design

At Exterior Worlds, we think the hard-working bush is one of the gardener’s best friends. The taller, evergreen bushes create the backdrop against which colorful plants stand out. At the mid-level, or filler, range, shorter bushes provide interest and flowering bushes add color and texture. All of which makes bush planting one of the foundational elements in your Houston landscape.

Bush planting is sometimes called foundation planting, coinage that came about when most houses were pier-and-beam and bushes were planted close to the house to hide the distracting construction. Unfortunately, foundation planting is often static and too narrow, a single row of shrubs in lockstep with the lines of the house. This problem has a quick fix: just layer the bushes front to back, from shortest to tallest, making sure none of the new bushes loom above the established ones.

One tip on garden landscape design when planting bushes: the wider the beds, the more freedom of expression. A wide bed lets you combine seasonal color, native grasses, evergreen bushes, flowering shrubs and graceful trees, which are more attractive. The wider width gives you more planting opportunities for a lush, layered look.

With bushes, you want to go with evergreens to create a year-round structure. However, you also want to use deciduous shrubs and perennials that provide ornamental value all year. Planting roses is one way to add bushes and color to your landscape. Rose bushes require specific and meticulous care, but the pay-off comes with that bowl of fresh roses from your very own garden, sitting on the dining room table and sending out waves of pleasure.

Planting azaleas is an often dazzling choice for our region. In addition to azaleas, choose plants with staggered bloom times so that you have spring blossoms, colorful summer flowers, bright fall foliage, and winter berries and fruit.

One ally in your bush planting endeavors is a reputable lawn and garden services provider, such as Exterior Worlds. We can do the inspection for insect infestation required feedings and pruning. And speaking of pruning—you need to be mindful of choosing varieties of shrubs that will grow to the size you want. It saves on your landscaping budget because it means the landscaping crew spends less time trimming.

Bushes thrive on proper mulching, as do all the plant material in your garden design.
We recommend that mulch installation be done as soon as new bushes are planted and then checked regularly to see where it needs to be re-applied. For superior results, garden beds should be mulched twice a year. Mulch should not run up the trunks of bushes—or any plants—as this over-application harms them and invites disease.

Finally, when planting gardens, plan before you plant. A good starting point is with an enlarged photo of your house from which you can trace its outline onto paper, including any features, such as mature trees, that you plan to keep. Then draw in your preferred plants, including bush plantings, at their mature shape and size. Exterior Worlds employs professional landscape designers who can aid tremendously in this important step.

Landscape Patio Design

Is landscaping the patio important?
Yes. Landscaping patio design has the ability to transform the entire look of your house and create a transitional space from the house to the greater portion of the yard.

What are some of the more important considerations when it comes to landscaping patio design?
We want to make sure that the grade is right in order to guarantee proper drainage during times of heavy rain. This will involve leveling off the earth or building retaining walls to keep a portion of the landscape back. Once the grade and elevation are right, we work very hard to create a foundation that will not shift in the soil of the oftentimes unstable Houston landscape.

Concrete makes a great foundation, and it can also be concealed to support more attractive materials like rocks, stone, tiles, and bricks.

How do you determine what materials to use in patio construction?
We base material choices on home aesthetic, surrounding outdoor architectural elements, overall theme of landscaping design, and on client budget. Materials should fulfill a practical purpose of providing a reliable surface on which to place furniture, stand, and sit. They must also be attractive enough to make a major contribution to residential landscape design.

How important are details?
Important enough that you need a landscaping professional to develop your landscape patio design. Since patios are focal points for gatherings and entertainment, even the smallest details offer opportunities to thematically connect to other points of interest in the yard. It is never a good idea to hire masonry contractors to build a patio that is has not been planned in relationship to both the home and surrounding outdoor forms. To do so is to create an island of hardscape that risks looking at odds with other creations.

Is space an important consideration?
Yes. We want to create living space that generates interest, comfort, and opportunities for exploration. If your yard is exceptionally large, we want to use landscape patio design to divide it into zones of activity. Several patios of different sizes may be needed to do this. Typically they are larger in size in order to match the vast space of the lot itself.

In smaller yards, we want to create the illusion of more space. This may involve building patios out of very small stones or bricks in order to emphasize the circumference and surface area of the form. Certain tricks of the eye can also be achieved by adding items like custom fountains or small masonry walls contribute to the impression that such patios are larger than they actually are.

Are plants important to landscape patio design?
Yes. Plants link hardscape to the yard itself and lend a sense of vitality that emphasizes the patio as a focal point of outdoor life. Even in contemporary landscape design, where vegetation is minimized, there is still a very great need for some kind of vegetation to add emerging presence to form.

A patio landscaping design that features plenty of lush green plants and vibrant colorful flowers breathes life into any space. You can install a mass of perennial plants, which require little maintenance. Spruce up your patio with bright potted annuals.

What are some other features to think about?
Water features are also pleasant addition to your patio landscaping design. Consider building a small pond or adding a waterfall if your space will allow it. There are small construction kits for these features available at popular building supply stores.

What type of furniture should I buy?
Find something that is weather proof first and foremost. Choose styles and colors that fit your lifestyle. Base your size selections on the amount of room you actually have on the patio. If you have limited space, aim for comfort and a nice look rather than extravagance.

Landscape Pool Design

The first thing to consider in landscape pool design is the size and shape of the pool. It must be constructed in the complex of a larger and more comprehensive landscape master plan. Home architecture must be respected above all things. Next, softscape elements and outdoor buildings must appear appropriately complimented by the pool’s appearance.

What is my first consideration in landscape pool design?
You want to decide on the size and shape of the pool. It is always better to talk to a professional landscape designer about this than the pool contractor. This is because the pool itself is going to fit into the context of a larger landscape master plan. The geometry of the pool must respect the architecture of the home and proportionally compliment the hardscapes and softscape elements of your yard.

How large should my pool be?
Think about your lifestyle and your plans for future events. If you have children, or if you plan to host parties around the pool, you will need a larger swimming pool than you will if you only plan to use it as a couple or entertain a handful of close friends.

Where should I have the pool built?
Landscape pool design is all about relationships to other points of interest. You not only want the pool to look good when you look at it from the home, the arbor, the outdoor kitchen, or the morning garden, but you also want these same features to appear unique and clearly visible when you look out into your yard from the vantage point of your swimming pool patio.

Should special safety features be included in my landscape pool design?
If you have children, yes. If you plan to invite elderly guests or people with disabilities to your home, handrails and special steps that lead down into a shallow part of the pool need to be built into its design.

What recreational features can be incorporated into landscape pool design?
One of the most popular features that we often build into our pools is a spa. Spas are normally heated and lit so people can feel a blend of comfort and luxury when reclining within them. Spas can also be designed with special jets that will help those with arthritis or other physical challenges get safe and healthy water exercise.

If you have such a physical challenge, get your doctor to describe in detail what you need in terms of water exercise and share it with our design staff. We have all sorts of custom designs we can adapt to your needs.

Do you recommend special water features?
That is a matter of personal preference, but the decision to incorporate special water features needs to be made at the onset of landscape pool design. Waterfalls add excitement and vertical impact to pools, and when lit with underwater lights, a sense of magic. Water jets can also add drama and impact to both daytime and nighttime pool activities, as well as giving children something to play in.

What type of patio should I have built around my swimming pool?
You can have anything from decorative concrete to something as elaborate as cut stone that is hand-laid and made to imitate something in the natural world. The shape of your patio should aesthetically compliment both the pool and the surrounding landscape. The size of your patio should reflect your anticipated number of guests for planned outdoor events.

Planting Azaleas in the Houston Landscape

Of the multiple items that work well in a Houston landscape, planting azaleas definitely tops the list. Azaleas provide the heart-stopping beauty that heralds the arrival of spring. At Exterior Worlds, we have long thought that all landscapes benefit from such loveliness.

There are thousands of azalea varieties, with blossom colors that run the spectrum from white to red. (However, even the large garden centers will carry only a fraction of that quantity.) Planting azaleas in a butterfly garden design or shade garden design enhance all the other decisions you’ve made for these styles. Azaleas are a great choice for foundation planting, too. Some bushes grow less than 12 inches in height and provide good mid-range filler in a layered bed or serve as a spreading groundcover, while other varieties grow quite tall and tend to spread with age.

Planting azaleas is a relatively uncomplicated procedure. They prefer good drainage in a slightly acidic soil with partial shade. We advise starting with the planting soil since heavy clay soil, as is found in Houston, benefits from added fibrous material and sand. We recommend a ratio of 1/3 loam (or soil), 1/3 sand, and 1/3 organic matter. In good soil, the hole should be at least a few inches wider than the rootball and as deep as the rootball. Because of this area’s clay content, we position bushes so that the tops of the rootball are several inches above the ground level. We then mound the recommended soil mixture around the rootball. Lastly, we mulch the newly-planted bushes, being careful not to place mulch up the trunks. The last step is to slowly and thoroughly water.

For an additional way to add color to your landscape, planting annuals is a viable option. Seasonal color complements any blooming bushes and trees and adds freshness to the yards. Pots and containers are perfect for annuals since they help define your garden spaces. Small- to large-sized containers can frame a view, create a pathway, or enclose a garden zone.

Masses of blossoms make for garden beds with eye-popping beauty while beds filled with one of this and one of that merely look like a mishmash. When planting azaleas, in general we plant them in groups, to underscore the theory that more is more. At the same time, we are careful to give each plant room to grow. In the spacing of the bushes, we take into account their mature size and shape.

As for garden designs, the ones that express unity are more pleasing, an objective we accomplish by choosing only one or two colors, grouping bushes in series of three or five, and by repeating these groupings across your landscape. This repetition achieves continuity, unity and balance. A residential landscape designer from Exterior Worlds can help you make the best choices for the conditions of your particular property. We understand the Houston topography and natural elements and work hard to incorporate the architecture of your space and your personal style.

In Houston, your garden landscape practically require azalea bushes. Their colors bewitch us. The names alone are lyrical: Pink Cascade, Serenade, Silver Sword, Marvel. Let them work their magic in your gardens.

Foundation Planting That Works

Foundation planting is a term that started when many homes were pier-and-beam construction and homeowners needed landscaping to hide that visual distraction. It refers to the plantings—usually bushes—that are arranged up close to the house. However, these plantings can be an elegant part of your Houston landscape. Foundation planting doesn’t need to be a grim grouping of bushes hugging the house.

As mentioned, bush planting is the most common choice for foundational plantings, but other selections are appropriate—even luscious. For instance, we can create interest in your landscape master plan by incorporating layers into the garden beds, with taller plants along the back and moving forward with shorter and shorter plants down to groundcover. Small, flowering trees also add height and color.

In all foundational plantings, we are cognizant of yard drainage, an issue of particular importance with Houston’s terrain and weather. Since you always want water to flow away from the house, one method to consider around the foundation is the raised bed. Your plants will love it because it helps keep their “feet” dry.

At Exterior Worlds, we recommend that the best place to start in planting gardens of any type or location is to plan first. We can choreograph the layout on paper to best determine how much to plant and where. We want to take a thoughtful approach to your landscape design, including foundation planting, that truly enhances your home.

The pre-planting planning session is particularly helpful if you use a landscape phasing approach to your landscape design. Landscape phasing lets you add elements over time, sometimes during the course of several years, using incremental steps with the more expensive undertakings spaced out to help manage your cash outlay. When we use landscape phasing, we usually do greenscapes first which allows the most time for plants to develop to their mature shape and size.

During the planning process, we are careful to incorporate the architecture of your home. If your home is formal and symmetrical, such as a Federal, Georgian or Colonial Revival, then we employ formal aspects in the landscape design—perhaps neatly trimmed shrubs at the front door. As another example, a contemporary home could benefit from a more organic approach.

We always think in terms of plants at their mature size and scale. It is a common mistake of the amateur gardener to forget to take into account a plant’s ultimate size. Making the right choice in this area helps keep pruning to a minimum. We also consider the features of the surrounding area because we want to design foundational plantings that are appropriate for the entire site. These elements include the sidewalks, driveway, streets, adjacent bayous and woodlands, large trees, fences and hedges.

Exterior Worlds uses the most current landscape techniques to give your foundation planting the look of a professional landscape. We create luxurious, highly personalized signature designs in which green plantings are unified with the home. From the curb to the front door, your property conveys a warm and welcoming impression.

Planting Soil

When planning your Houston landscape, your not-so-secret ingredient is the planting soil. It is the proverbial foundation from which all the glorious plant material—blooming vines, verdant bushes, flowering trees and seasonal color—will spring.

In the excitement of dreaming about planting gardens, many people make the mistake of skimping on the unseen items, like planting soil. However, at Exterior Worlds, we have seen that proper site preparation is a sure formula for lasting success. If you are planting azaleas, the condition of your soil is particularly important. These magnificent plants that herald spring in Houston thrive best when the soil is healthy. Good soil prep is also necessary if you are planting roses.

Soil is a mixture of rock particles, minerals, organic matter, micro-organisms, oxygen and water. The dirt component is usually one predominant element of sand, silt and clay, with a mixture of the other two. We have a high concentration of clay in Houston, which presents special challenges. Clay soil is rich in the mineral-based elements and nutrients that plants need, but it can easily become compacted, especially with regular use, such as foot or vehicular traffic. Additionally, it can also quickly become waterlogged, which causes air pockets to fill with water and kill off soil organisms. The end result—injury to plant roots.

Exterior Worlds advises adding fibrous material and sand to heavy clay soil. Organic matter, such as leaf composts and pine bark, breaks up the small tight-sticking mineral particles to create larger pore spaces that drain more easily and hold oxygen better. For the best planting soil, we recommend a ratio of 1/3 loam (or soil), 1/3 sand, and 1/3 organic matter.

It is also a good idea to avoid working the soil or walking on your garden beds when they are wet, which is another issue with high-content clay planting soil, especially in combination with our Texas coastal weather that is subject to torrential rains. Observing this good practice will decrease the possibility of more soil compaction.

You want soil that retains moisture, but doesn’t remain wet. So we encourage our clients with low-lying areas or zones with drainage problems to use raised beds to keep the root systems of their plants from sitting in water for long periods. Also, after the soil is properly prepared, we recommend that new beds lie fallow for a few weeks to allow them time to settle.

In addition to good soil prep, the next best bet in dealing with clay soil is mulch installation since mulching keeps the clay soil from forming a crust. Because you really can have too much of a good thing, we are always careful not to apply mulch up the trunks or stalks of plants as it will hinder their health.

As one of this region’s premier professional lawn and garden services providers, Exterior Worlds can do the labor-intensive and proper soil preparation as well as the regular application of mulch. You’ll be amazed at the long-term benefits.

The journey of 1,000 steps begins with the first one and, with garden beds, that first step is the soil preparation. Your dream landscape garden design is just waiting.

Garden and Landscaping

What goal am I trying to achieve in garden landscaping?
Garden and landscaping services transform your property into a work of art. Like any work of art, there are key points of interest, unique variations of color, and calculated interplays of light and shadow. This makes your yard look multi-dimensional in its expression of beauty. It also provides you with more opportunities for Houston outdoor living, because the many elements that evolve from garden and landscaping services ultimately become hotspots for entertainment.

How important is my lawn in all of this?
Your lawn is like a canvas. It serves as the backdrop of your garden and landscaping design and establishes the degree of openness that your back yard or front yard communicates to guests. The more grass in your yard, the more a sense of vastness. The more hardscape and conscious cultivation of softscape elements, the more isolated points of interests become.

How many gardens should we have in a big yard?
It is not the number of gardens, but rather the way in which they are designed and arranged. When we work in a big lawn, we divide it into zones where different garden and landscaping designs can be developed.

There can be a garden pergola in one zone that leads up to an arbor, while in another zone, a hand-laid stone patio can overlook a lighted natural swimming pool nestled beneath forest-like trees. In still a third zone, a swimming pool with flagstone patio and lounge furniture can function as a transition area between the house and the rest of the back yard, while in a fourth zone, a small garden courtyard can surround a lighted custom fountain for special gatherings and conversations under the stars.

If my lot is very small, does that mean I can only have one garden in the back yard?
No. We also have garden and landscaping designs that work to make a smaller property look much bigger than it is. The key here is to use smaller hardscapes and smaller physical garden sizes to emphasize the grassy parts of the lawn. In places where shade trees may have killed patches of grass, we can plant shade resistant grass and flowering plant species to extend the greenery up to the bases of the trees. This goes a long way toward enlarging the perceived size of the property.
Can you plant trees near my gardens?
Yes, but only if we plan your garden with shade-resistant species. On a larger lot, you can have a veritable forest of large trees toward the back of your yard and still have plenty of room left over for formal garden and landscaping work. In smaller yards, you have to be choose between limited your softscape options to shade-resistant plants or planting a few trees in key locations where they will not interfere with garden growth. You may also want to consider smaller tree species like Japanese Yew or Japanese maple.

Outdoor Kitchen and Pool

A family named Pesek decided that their swimming pool had too much of a “1970s look.” They wanted an entirely new swimming pool designed for them, and they wanted an outdoor room built that would allow them to enjoy a view of the surrounding Houston landscape.

After carefully surveying their yard, we recommended a design based on classical geometry and proportional right angles. This would add a touch of elegance that would uphold the conservative design of the home and distinguish the property as a unique keynote in Houston landscaping design.

The house itself spoke of a simpler, more absolutist time in history. The fixed constants of the 1950s were clearly evidence in its architectural motifs, which provided us with a template of linearity and deliberate movement true to Classical design principles.

We began by rebuilding the swimming pool near the rear entrance of the house.
We completely abandoned the original lagoon-pool design. Not only did had it clashed from the beginning with the architecture of the home, but it looked cliché, to say the least, in relation to the greater Houston landscape in general.

The new swimming pool was built as a perfect rectangle distinguished with an innovative type of coping that raised perpendicular to the stone patio surface. We used the natural surface of the Houston landscape to create another perpendicular right angle at the end of the pool, where we installed a waterfall that spilled into a heated spa.

The spa was built with something of an optical illusion in mind. Though the water came from within the spa itself, it appeared to be coming from within the pool. This generated a new sense of visual “ebb and flow” that causes the earth to appears to rise up first into an illuminated pool, then onward into the steps of the home.

We built an outdoor room at the end of the pool opposite the home. We followed the same principles of simple conservatism and right angles that distinguished the home and the pool. This is not to say that we abandoned modernity by any means. Within the conservative linearity of its framework we created a fully functional outdoor kitchen complete with a smoker, a refrigerator, an ice maker, and a water heater

There was even special seating with a flat-screen plasma TV that provided state of the art fun for adults and children alike. When we were finished, there was never any need for the Peseks to return to the house once the party begins. Every amenity is available in a simple, yet also very sophisticated outdoor building. Pure luxury and a serene view of the Houston landscape are just a few steps away in a luxury pool and spa.

Contemporary Garden Fountains

What is a contemporary garden fountain?
By definition, it is a custom water feature characterized by stark geometry, superior construction materials, and mechanical sophistication. They operate on remote, silent pumps that circulate water silently so that all you hear is the water itself.

Contemporary water fountains are highly customized to fit the unique parameters of an individual residence. Designs are based on linear forms and radial arcs. Decorative flair is deliberately minimized out of an eclectic passion for the abstract.

Does the presence of a contemporary garden fountain add any curb appeal to my landscape?
Yes. If you have a fountain like this build in the front of your yard, it will draw the viewer’s gaze directly in line with your front door. If you add a fountain to a backyard landscape, it will suggest a sense of outdoor living to prospective buyers.

What functional contributions can a contemporary garden fountain do for my yard?
One thing it will definitely do for you is drown out the sounds of the city with the peaceful sounds of running water. Contemporary landscape design is all about Mentalism. Adding an island of tranquility to the challenging geometry of the landscape is an excellent way to balance sense and sensibility throughout your yard.

A contemporary garden fountain is often built as the centerpiece in a courtyard garden of some sort. When lit with underwater lights, it can illuminate the immediate seating area around the fountain and serve as a focal point for conversation.

What aesthetic contribution does a contemporary garden fountain make to the landscape?
For one thing, it adds a very unique and dynamic form of vertical impact to a contemporary garden. Water suggests the essence of life but is non-organic in its own right. Its lack of form is ideal for a landscape shaped by abstract conceptual that challenge the comfort zone of the five senses. However, since water is the foundation of life itself it paradoxically works to soften a contemporary landscape just enough to make it appealing.

What materials are used to construct contemporary garden fountains?
Any material that catches the eye and provides a stable structure will work, really. Cut, finished stone is a favorite among many contemporary Houston homeowners. Resin and fiberglass also make excellent building materials for smaller fountains used to decorate small courtyard gardens or private patio gardens. This is done to emulate stone or concrete in an environment that cannot support a great deal of weight.

Another very popular construction method is to blend either copper or steel with some kind of stone. The combinations of texture and color that result from such blends are nearly infinite.

How large are these fountains?
They can range in size from very small, simple structures surrounding by a few stepping stones and boxwoods to sizes large enough for children to play in. Contemporary design is one of our favorite styles of landscaping, period; because it is so subjective by nature that customization is never a problem.

Whatever you want your fountain to look like, we can build it to order, and we can make it work with your landscape master plan either as the central hub of attraction and outdoor living, or as a supportive, minor element in a more complex and grand design.