Garden Care

Garden care looks simple, but it involves a great deal more than you might think. Quality garden care should always be done by a trained professional, because it involves so much more than weeding and watering plants. It is a sophisticated science of cultivation—many aspects of which must be attended to prior to planting of the garden itself.

One of these aspects is developing effective drain systems in and around the garden. Drains are much more difficult to install than you might think. It is one thing to create a method of water removal, but it is quite another to build it effectively without letting it be seen. Professionals have to do this so that pipes, gratings, and any holes in the ground are concealed. Our planning and development team puts a great deal of care and effort into building drainage systems in this manner, and they also work very hard to periodically maintain them to keep them clean and functional.

The engineering of an irrigation system is yet another crucial component of garden care. Houston often will see several months with no rainfall during the hottest time of the year. The majority of exotic and tropical species that we cultivate cannot survive these months without some type of irrigation. We strongly advise all of our clients to avoid using garden hoses to water these plants. This is because plan leaves, when wet, become vulnerable to fungal growth. Plants remain much healthier and look much more attractive when they are irrigated beneath the leaves close to the ground and the root system.

Still another important part of garden care that must be done in the very beginning is soil preparation. Many of our first time clients have already planted some type of garden that has since become unhealthy or unsatisfactory in appearance. When we go out to visit them, we often discover that the problem began in the beginning with improper soil preparation. Store-bought fertilizer is often the root cause. Not every type of fertilizer will work with every type of plant, and many people fail to read the labels on the bag that tell them just what types of plants the fertilizer is intended to nourish. Most are manufactured for popular species of flowers and plants and may not work very well at all with more exotic or tropical species that people may decide to add to the garden later. It takes knowledge of botany and what nutrients each type of plant specifically needs to create just the right soil mixture required for a diversity of plantings that may otherwise not be able to grow together at all.

The aesthetic aspects of garden care are also important. The basics of clipping, weeding, and trimming even the simplest of flower beds have to be done no matter how large or small the garden is, and no matter how simple or complex it is. Again, we recommend that people not try to do this themselves. Some plants are very sensitive and require very special trimming methods. Furthermore, specific garden designs like parterre garden, the knot garden, the English garden, the Italian garden, and the Japanese garden have to be trimmed by people who know these forms—preferably by the people that planted them.

For these reasons, and many more, we always recommend that garden care be managed as a line item on a landscaping maintenance agreement with Exterior Worlds. This allows the team who designed the garden to consistently and cost effectively maintain its vitality and health.

Flower Garden Design

One of the hardest aspects of flower garden design is the limited lifespan of flowers themselves. While many flowering plants in and of themselves can live for many years, the flowers that they produce nevertheless do not. In order to design a flower garden that will truly honor the landscape year round, landscape architects have to plant different flowers at the beginning of each new quarter. The colors they recommend are normally chosen as representative of associations we make with the seasons themselves. Bright red, pink, and blue flowers are favorite colors for the new life of spring. In the summer, when the sun is at its hottest and brightest, yellow flowers are consistently popular choices. In late fall and winter, when bad weather often obscures visibility, white flowers stand out very well on even the muggiest of Texas winter days.

Professional landscapers help you select the very best color choices that will specifically match your home and yard. They will then further extend the benefits of these choices by selecting the hardiest plant species that have the best chance of making it through some of the rather extreme weather conditions we sometimes experience in Houston. At any given time, we may be facing anything from a dry-cracking drought to a constant torrent of semi-tropical rain. We cannot always predict what the weather is going to do next, so it is essential that we choose species known to have the best chance of survival in a worst case scenario.

While climate can pose a challenge to flower selection, it is not an insurmountable barrier. An otherwise delicate species of flower can be strengthened against certain environmental extremes by the right garden design specialist. Plants that need more water than a particular season typically provides can be enhanced by aesthetically sensible irrigation systems. For plants that can be damaged by too water can conversely be protected with any number of drain systems.The biggest challenge, believe it or not, is the availability of light. Some types of annual flowers simply cannot live without a certain level of light and therefore can only be planted in certain areas. In such instances where a highly popular flowering species is discovered to be incompatible with its environment, Exterior Worlds will help to develop a workaround even to this. Such workarounds may require creating new pathways for light by altering nearby structures, or they may require using advanced botanical knowledge to locate very similar species that thrive under very different lighting conditions. Regardless, the only way to maximize your chances for lasting satisfaction and return on your capital is to have your flower garden designed by a professional. While yard service companies and gardening magazines are all full of good suggestions that have merit and application to a point, it is essential that you also work with professional landscapers who can apply those ideas in the context of practicality and workability.

Houston Rose Maintenance

I am crazy about roses and have decided to put in a rose garden this year. Can Exterior Worlds help me get started?
Yes! We have been helping our Houston clients with their roses and rose maintenance for more than 20 years. It begins with selecting the best site: roses thrive where they get at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, with morning sun and afternoon shade preferred.

Proper soil preparation is essential for healthy roses and ease of ongoing rose maintenance. Houston’s heavy black clay is slightly alkaline and roses prefer a slightly acid soil. An ideal soil mixture consists of 1/3 loam or soil, 1/3 sand, and 1/3 organic matter. Good sources of organic material are pine bark, leaf composts, composted manures, peat moss or a combination of these materials. Beds should be elevated for good drainage.

What can Exterior Worlds tell us about the planting process?
January and February are the best times to plant bare root roses in Houston. Potted roses can be planted throughout the year, while transplanting is best done when bushes are dormant. Before planting, soak roots briefly. Dig a hole about 12 inches deep in a prepared bed, forming a cone in the planting area to support the roots. Place the bush over the soil cone so the bud union (where the rose is grafted to the roots) is 2-3 inches above the soil. Cover the roots with soil mixture and water thoroughly.

After settling has occurred, finish filling the bed, being sure to mound additional soil over the bud union to conserve moisture. After new growth starts, carefully pull back excess soil so that the bud union has full sunshine. This procedure results in healthier bushes.

What about ongoing rose maintenance?
You have five areas to focus on with rose maintenance:

• Watering. For the Gulf Coast area, roses require at least one inch of water per week and more during periods of hot, dry weather. Water thoroughly and deeply about twice a week.

• Feeding. Roses thrive on regular, light feedings, so start your feeding program when new growth begins in the spring. Continue every 4 to 6 weeks during the growing season. Follow the directions carefully, being careful not to overfeed.

• Pruning. Springtime—or for Houstonians, spring-like weather, whenever it occurs—is the best time to prune Houston roses to encourage new growth and development. Trimming maintains size and shape of your bushes. Cut non-productive and dead wood. Also trim twiggy growth.

• Pest control. Houston roses suffer from two principle insects—aphids and thrips. Aphids, or plant lice, are sucking insects that damage new growth. Thrips bruise and discolor blooms, particularly lighter colors. Several insecticides, such as Mavrik, Orthene and Malathion, are popular choices here in Houston and provide effective, safe control. Use only when infestations are obvious and follow product directions carefully.

• Fungus control. With fungus, blackspot disease is the major enemy of Houston roses. It greatly weakens the bush and retards growth. Blackspot can be prevented through regular use of a fungicide, products that are readily available, safe and easy to use. You should begin a preventative program when blackspot first appears and continue every week during the growing season. Humid, warm weather encourages blackspot; dry periods less so.

Maintenance Contracts

Why do I need a maintenance contract?

A beautiful yard says something about the owners. Whether a small garden design, a formal landscape design, subtle and simple, or made dramatic with landscape lighting, a well-kept landscape sends a special message. Just as important—from the street, a landscape that is meticulously maintained makes a home stand out, which is important when it comes time to sell it. After spending a lot of money, time and energy on your landscape design, it makes sense to protect it and ensure that it develops as planned. And that’s where landscape maintenance contracts come into play.

Tell me about your landscape services.

In business since 1987, Exterior Worlds provides residential landscape maintenance to properties in the greater Houston area. Our basic maintenance contracts cover regularly scheduled visits, in increments of 42 or 52 weeks per year (weather permitting), in which your landscape is tended to with immaculate care. Additionally, we provide commercial landscape maintenance, as well as high-end landscape design services.

What do the Exterior Worlds’ basic maintenance contracts cover?

• Lawn Maintenance. The lawn areas are mowed and edged and all debris caused by maintenance is removed. Any diseases are identified for which the homeowner is presented with an estimate for treatment.

• Flower Bed Maintenance. Beds are weeded as necessary and mulch is turned regularly. Roses and annual flowers are also tended to with rose maintenance including dead-heading and fertilizing every six weeks during the growing season. Annual flowers are dead-headed and fertilized as well.

• Shrub, Ground Cover and Vine Maintenance. Hedges, shrubs and ground covers are trimmed to conform to the intent of the landscape design. Vines are pruned to maintain desired appearance. Beds are edged to maintain neat appearance. All debris will be removed with each service.

• Annual Flowers Maintenance. We can develop a separate estimate for seasonal change-outs at your request. Once a program is begun, seasonal flowers are fertilized and pruned for optimal growth and color.

• Tree Maintenance. Exterior Worlds understands the value of trees and are big believers in tree preservation. We inspect them for disease and insect infestations. As a part of regular maintenance, small trees are trimmed as necessary. Fallen leaves and limbs will be removed regularly. For taller trees, a service estimate is provided as needed.

• Fertilization Program. We think lawn areas benefit from fertilization four times a year. Azaleas and gardenias will be fertilized in April or May—and acidified in February. Shrubs, ground covers and vines are fertilized quarterly. Fungicides and insecticides are applied two to four times per year. Exterior Worlds is licensed and regulated under the Texas Structural Pest Control Board, License # 12015. For your information: Texas Structural Pest Control Board, P.O. Box 1927, Austin, TX 78767-1927. 512-305-8250.

• Surface maintenance. We clear and clean all surfaces at the end of a service call. Additionally, the surfaces of any swimming pools, ponds or outdoor water fountains will be skimmed to collect accumulated debris.

If you are interested in any high-quality landscape services, Exterior Worlds has been providing the high-end residential landscape services and garden design services discussed above for the Houston and the surrounding areas including memorial villages (Piney Point Village, Bunker Hill Village, Hunter Creek Village), Tanglewood, River Oaks, West University and the greater Houston (Hou), area since 1987. Contact us at 713-827-2255

Houston Landscaping

I want to find a Houston landscaping company to help with the design and installation of my gardens.

In large cities like Houston it can be difficult to find landscape companies that deliver wide-ranging landscape solutions. Exterior Worlds has been serving the greater Houston (Hou) area for over 2O years, installing landscape projects and providing landscape maintenance in River Oaks, Memorial, Bellaire, Tanglewood and West University were selective clients have impeccable taste. Our solution has been a 20 year commitment to delivering creative quality work with experienced contractors that have integrity and know-how. We are centrally located minutes from the Memorial Villages, I-10 and 610 loop so we are quickly able to reach and support remote Houston suburbs in an hour or less and have also done work for clients in the Woodlands, Katy, Carlton Woods, Sugarland, New Ulm, Belleview, Chapel Hill, Brenham and Richmond Rosenburg.

We have created solid partnerships with top contractors throughout the city of Houston and the gulf coast region. These long-term working relationships generate a smooth construction process were scheduling, creativity, problem solving, and proven construction standards manifest themselves as a cohesive progression of the construction process.

Don’t under estimate the experience! For landscape design to be truly effective a firm must have an eye for a design as well as complete knowledge of local codes and permitting. Exterior Worlds stays update on these regularly changing codes, rules and procedures to make your project go smoothly. We frequently do work in; Piney Point Village, Bunker Hill Village, Hunters Creek Village, Hedwig Village (also known as: The Memorial Villages), Bellaire, South Side, West University and River Oaks. In any of these areas if you are increasing or building a new home you will need to consider permitting requirements for lot coverage, tree removal, storm water retention, pools, landscape lighting, fencing and gates.

Houston landscaping companies foreign to these permitting requirements can bring your construction to an abrupt halt. Increased cost from fines and penalties, reinstalling or changing things to meet with codes or exposing infrastructure for inspections can become very costly. Knowledge and experience in the best sources of Houston landscaping materials, plants, stone, European tile, antique pottery and planters, is a requirement for all designers at Exterior Worlds. Few of our competitors hold themselves to such a standard, as they find it more cost-effective for them to use sub pare materials to increase. Lowing final design standards seldom brings the client an expected level of benefit.

Our Houston landscaping crews are some of the best in the business. From simple annual flower plantings to complex construction techniques our crews are detailed, trained and experienced. Not only will we install a garden for you but we can assist you with the maintenance of an existing landscape installed by our competitors as well. Call today to schedule an appointment with one of our designers or consultants!!!

Residential Landscape Maintenance

Why should I hire a professional landscape company to maintain my yard?
First and foremost, proper landscape maintenance is the best way to protect your outdoor investment. After investing a lot of money on your landscape installation, it only makes sense to protect it and make sure it develops as intended. And that’s where a landscape maintenance program comes in.

Landscape maintenance begins with the proper lawn maintenance. In Houston, lawns typically need mowing weekly through the summer and bi-weekly in the winter months. In addition, most Houston lawns need aeration twice per year, but since you really can’t aerate enough, the more often the better.

Over seeding with rye seed is a great addition to a landscape maintenance plan by keeping your lawn gorgeous throughout the winter. The local temperature range normally dictates that winter rye seed can be spread in early to late October. It is imperative to know, however, that rye grass has some real disadvantages. For example, the rye grass can compete with the St. Augustine grass (typically planted in Houston) for space and nutrition, which makes it very hard on the St. Augustine in the spring. This struggle is particularly apparent in shaded area where grass already has a difficult time growing.

Other Elements Landscape Maintenance Programs Typically Include:

• Shrubs, Ground Cover and Vines. As part of a meticulous landscape maintenance program, hedges as well as other shrubs and bushes should be trimmed frequently to maintain the desired contours. Ground cover and vines should be edged to maintain a orderly appearance. This regularly-scheduled attention will make certain that all elements conform to the overall plan of the landscape design.
• Tree Maintenance. All small trees should be pruned as necessary. It is also a good practice in your landscape maintenance scheduling to do a deep root fertilization of these trees annually.
• Flower Bed Maintenance. Flower beds need to be weeded frequently. It is also a good idea to turn the mulch every two weeks so that you keep the exchange of air and water flowing into and out of the soil.

Fertilization and chemical treatments are the next important step in a landscape maintenance program as they provide a boost to healthy plants and prevent diseases and infestations common to the Houston area.
Optimally, lawns need to be fertilized four times per year. All shrubs, ground covers and vines should be on a similar schedule. Azaleas and gardenias need to be fertilized in April and May, and acidified in February. Roses require fertilization in the spring, which needs to be continued every four to six weeks during the growing season.

Even in Houston, Texas, it can get cold enough to require covering your outdoor plants. Jeff Halper with Exterior World encourages his clients to be proactive when the thermometer starts dropping. “When the temperatures get below 32 degrees for an extended period of time, you need to cover your delicate plants and tropicals,” he says. “Remember not to use plastic. Instead use proper freeze cloth, which allows light, oxygen and water to pass through so that you can leave the plants covered for a few days without suffocating them.”

They will also be mindful of surface maintenance: walkways, driveways, patios and outdoor kitchens should be blown or raked free of debris during the landscape maintenance service. Swimming pools, ponds or outdoor water fountains that accumulate debris during trimming of shrubs or lawn should be cleaned as well.

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 custom maintenance program.

Traditional Garden Design

What is Traditional Garden Design?
Rustic classic garden design. Arcadia was a legendary place in Greece known for its quiet garden beauty were Virgil, the Roman poet, described as the home of pastoral simplicity. Natural woodland trees weaving into weathered stone columns and colonnades covered with Wisteria vines and English ivies is the rustic beauty of the classic garden. These ideal and romantic garden settings of the past are a cross between Formal garden design forms, English garden design and have an arid feel likened to Mediterranean gardens.

Classic Garden Design in Houston.
We can look for inspiration in the painters of the 18th century -Ruins of Greek and Roman architecture with garden statues, grottos, temples, water, winding paths, and the surrounding land. The look is natural yet the positioning of every tree, rock, and planting element was placed to present a balanced, harmonious and timeless mood. First, set up the axial paths and open spaces that create structure in the garden. A rustic patio of limestone gravel, step stones, and groundcovers for relaxed entertaining and European contemplation. Elements such as an antique concrete bench weathered or chipped with moss or ferns on it for nostalgia or concrete plinths that terminate at a Texas mountain Laurel or Olive tree in a rustic Gardiner. A natural effect utilizes plants such as Wisteria, agapanthus and lace ferns. At its smallest scale create a weathered vase with a sphere of dwarf yaupon and creeping rosemary and fig ivy covering its curves.
The Rustic Pool-an understated square pool with a Tuscan tan shell. At the waters edge; a simple mixed tile of greens, blues, and browns accented with a bold coping of thick chiseled stone.
Outdoor Water Fountains of Antiquity-An 18 century stone trough that catching the water from iron spout, is a perfect touch for an old world landscape design. Vines can be trained up its edge, which can echo the Italian centuries of long ago.
Arbors, Pergolas, Colonnades and Grottos- similar to English gardens is the opportunity for an arbor or pergola. Concrete pillars covered with a wood pergola, rambling wisteria and star jasmine vines.
Landscape Lighting- Tradition gardens did not have landscape lighting, however given the opportunity to illuminate their gardens, we can be reasonably sure they would. Landscape lighting is a fantastic opportunity to add ambiance and accent statuary for evening drama.
Landscape Maintenance- classic garden maintenance will be critical in keeping the natural yet orderly feel of your garden in check on a regular basis. Regular trimming of vines, fig ivies, and dead heading of roses is a weekly necessity in the classic garden.
Elements of good landscape maintenance:
1. Lawn service
2. Rose maintenance
3. Annual flowers
4. Irrigation inspection
5. Mulching

If you are interested in a traditional garden designs discussed above, Exterior Worlds has been providing high-end landscape services for upscale homes throughout the Houston (Hou) area since 1987. Specializing in Memorial Villages landscaping (Piney Point Village, Bunker Hill Village, Hunter Creek Village, Hedwig Village), Tanglewood, Bellaire, River Oaks and West University. Contact us at 713-827-2255

Houston Annual Flowers

Were should you plant annual flower beds?

To make the greatest impact, annual flowers in the residential landscape could be planted at the door entry, in bowls or at the street. The emphasis is more on the size of the color grouping rather than exact location although you do want to create a balanced look throughout the yard. In a commercial landscape the obvious is at entry signs although sometimes the color interferes with seeing the simplicity of the sign, so one suggestion is planting groundcover directly beneath the sign and color in large groupings at the edge of marques.

There are so many possible color combinations, how should I choose?

In choosing annual flower colors, keep the color palette simple and contrast colors rather than planting riots of the same color. For example, you may be planting all pansies in a full sun winter bed in which you could choose blue and yellow or blue and white. Just by simply alternating two colors you create wonderful visual excitement. If you are alternating two different color plants, referring to our example above, use snapdragons for height and blue and yellow pansies for the lower level. Also, make the snapdragons all pink or one color to create a “base” color or foundation. Remember less color generally creates more orderly beauty in arranging a color plant bed, the eye will pick up a mass of red cyclamen as having much more impact than one white, one pink, one red so keep it simple, bold and powerful.

What annual flowers will do well in the sun or shade and for how long will they last?

Annual flowers and perennial flowers will perform consistently for about a 3 to 4 month period depending on seasonal weather conditions in Houston. This means consistent blooms with no decline in performance. Here are a list of annual color plants that will do well in the sun and plants that will do well in the shade. Whether a sun or shade garden, it’s important to have excellent drainage:
• Flowers for the sun: Petunias, pansies, strap variety caladiums, plumbago, lantana, dianthus, snap dragons and salvias.
• Flowers for the shade: caladiums, begonias, cyclamen and violas.

Is there anything special I need to do to the ground so my annual flowers grow well?

In order to be successful and get the most out of your annual flowers keep these items in mind:
• Bed preparation to include incorporating organic matter into the native clay and tilling until it’s easy to work with a small trowel and contains no clumps.
• Good drainage and water coverage have an irrigation system that has even coverage. You may also need a drainage system to ensure oxygen getting to the roots.
• Regular fertilization about every six weeks to insure constant blooming cycles
• Dead heading or pinching off the flowers that have died should be done to encourage profuse blooming.
• Prune back plants that get rangy and stop blooming.
• Ensure that the flower beds are weeded weekly.
• Till the mulch every two weeks so that you keep the exchange of air and water flowing into and out of the soil.

Being successful with annual flowers takes some knowledge and experience of color combinations, seasonal color plant section, and bed preparation as well as a regular landscape maintenance program to be successful in our difficult climate. Call today to schedule an appointment with one of our Exterior Worlds’ designers or consultants!!!