Outdoor Kitchens

Exterior Worlds was contacted by a client with a unique landscaping challenge. Between one wing of their home and their garage, there was pie-shaped area of the yard that had never been used. This area was too large to ignore, but it was also too small to build a structure of any considerable size. At first the challenge was a bit perplexing. What were we to do with such a unique and difficult space? Fortunately, thanks to our in-depth consultation process aimed at finding out as much as possible about the client’s interests, we learned that this couple loved to host dinner parties at their home. We asked them if they would be interested in having an outdoor kitchen built in this spot. To this they heartily agreed, excited at the possibility of combining outdoor entertainment with the very best in culinary experiences.

In order to make the outdoor kitchen both aesthetically sensible and fully functional, we had to make the most of the limited space we had available. Following the example of interior architects, we decided to build the outdoor kitchen along the side wall of the garage. It stretched from the side door all the way to the corner of the garage. A smaller segment was built at a right angle to this, creating both a sense of enclosure around the patio area, and offering additional surface area for use as a wet bar or food storage area. Cabinets and drawers were then installed in both segments, and a granite counter top was added to provide a durable, and also very ornamental, surface area upon which to work.

The intent was to make this outdoor kitchen a completely self-sustaining area that would never require the owners to run back inside to retrieve or prepare anything. A number of high-end appliances that are standard to custom indoor kitchens were installed to make cooking outside convenient and quick. There was a freezer and a refrigerator which could be used to store food for indefinite periods of time, just as indoor models can do. We also installed an ice maker to keep drinks cool on hot summer afternoons. For cooking, we built our clients a stove with a special side burner that they heating up sauces so the homeowners when cooking spaghetti and chili for their guests. To keep smoke from annoying our clients’ neighbors, we also installed an overhead exhaust vent. All of these appliances were designed for electrical operation on dedicated circuits. The only exception to this was a small, gas-powered grill we installed to allow the homeowners to cook hot dogs, hamburgers, and barbecue in the same area they prepared other foods outside.

We then added a travertine patio to the outdoor kitchen, and used the remainder of the space adjacent to it for a few organic touches. To liven up the appearance of the wall, we built a custom iron trellis with suspended plants growing in the middle. This added a nice contrast of green and black to the white backdrop of the white brick wall. The plants were individually lit as well, so at dusk and nightfall they appear to rise out of the wall and create a superb three-dimensional, organic presence. Near the smaller segment of the countertop, we planted a small herb garden and framed it with a lemon tree and an orange tree on either side. This garden not only added a more robust aesthetic to the area, but it also allowed our clients to grow the herbs they normally cooked with and pull them straight from the garden when preparing meals.

We then enclosed the entire garden area and trees with a special fence made from pressure treated pine framed by iron around the edges. This had the effect of enclosing the patio area with a sense of life and growth that gave the outdoor kitchen a much greater sense of life and vitality than many kitchens of similar design builds found indoors.

Hunters Creek Village Landscaping

One of the most desirable neighborhoods in the greater Houston area, Hunters Creek Village is well-known for its upscale homes, wooded lots and comfortable lifestyle. Hunters Creek Village landscaping, which serves as backdrop to these compelling features, has been aided by a city government that completed construction and infrastructure enhancement projects in 2008, including drainage and pavement improvements.

At the individual level, homeowners have taken on Hunters Creek Village landscaping projects of their own. They often begin by installing drainage systems in their yards. After more than 20 years in the landscaping business, Exterior Worlds knows the benefits of a good drainage system. It avoids drowned plants. It prevents standing water that can turn into mosquito breeding ground. It keeps your maintenance crew from stalling out when they show up for their regular lawn service duties.

Standard elements in an Exterior World drainage system include: channel drains, catch basins, and gutter downspouts and tie-ins. These components typically carry water out through the landscape drainage system by way of a PVC main drain line.

We have found that French drains can offer a reasonable solution. Their value can be found in the way they prevent surface and ground water from causing damage to your home’s foundation. French drains are also excellent when we use them behind retaining walls to relieve ground water pressure.

We often find ourselves talking about irrigation systems in the same breath as drainage systems. When you have too much of it or too little—water is a problem. A quality irrigation system can be every bit as important as a quality drainage system and we believe Hunters Creek Village landscaping benefits from both systems. Our clients find that an irrigation system, when properly spaced and laid out, helps them more easily care for their lawn and gardens in the absence of natural rain as has happened in the summer of 2009.

Developing a comprehensive drainage solution can help address your overall watering needs. While draining water off your property may seem like the most direct solution, an alternative is to dig a retention pond. It keeps water on your property to be eventually used by your garden beds, trees and lawn.

We also like to look at the soil as another drainage solution. The Houston area has a thick, clay soil, which, under normal circumstances, is tough to till. Add to that naturally occurring problem the way the soil has been compacted by years of construction and you have a nearly impervious surface. To address this problem, Exterior World recommends regular aeration.

If people have drainage problems around garden beds, we encourage them to consider raising the beds, a process which lifts the plants out of the waterlogged soil. This solution also avoids the problem of drainage pipes interfering with planting or making the soil unnecessarily dry.

Drainage issues can be addressed at several levels and from many angles. As professional drainage contractors, Exterior Worlds wants to work with you to devise solutions that work best for your Hunters Creek Village landscaping.

Since 1987, Exterior Worlds has provided high-end landscape design and services for the greater Houston area.

Butterfly Garden Design

Who designed the Butterfly Garden at Hunters Creek Elementary School?

Hunters Creek Elementary School is located at 10650 Beinhorn Rd, Houston, TX 77024. This year Exterior Worlds had the great honor of donating a landscape design for a new butterfly garden in memory of Mrs. Kellie Sewell. The children really enjoy watching the day to day evolution of the project. The garden was completed in April 2008 and the teachers and children have begun using the garden for an outdoor classroom.

When challenged with creating a butterfly garden for a public school, one must always consider a low maintenance design. By using durable materials such as gravel, stone, boulders and native drought resistant plants we created a garden that should survive the rigors of drought, require minimal maintenance, and hard play. The final garden composition consists of a circular stone entry beneath a beautiful scenic mural serving as a backdrop to two seated courtyard gardens. Large boulders and long benches create opportunities for two outdoor classrooms as well as intimate seating spaces for teachers and students between classes. Multi-truck trees such as Bottle Brush are planted for vertical interest and shade. Grasses and butterfly attractors such as Butterfly Bush, Butterfly Iris, Milkweed, Hamelia, Russelia and Turks Cap are grouped throughout the garden. The entire landscape is planted in gravel for easy weed maintenance and completely eliminates the need for annual mulching.
We hope the garden will inspire creativity, imagination and be a source of inspiration and renewal for years to come. Special thanks also to the many parents who have donated their time, energy and finances in making the beautifully painted wall mural a reality.

What other low maintenance elements can you add to your garden? Here are some design ideas for low maintenance landscapes:
• Choose drought-resistant plants, like pampas grass, Plumbago, and Lantana. You might even choose older rose varieties, which are hardier than modern large-flowered hybrids. Many times these old varieties don’t require as much spraying.
• Avoid plants that need continuous pruning, like boxwood and dwarf yaupons (often used in hedges).
• Stay away from plants, such as azaleas, that are susceptible to diseases or insect problems.
• Mulching can be eliminated by using gravel, which rarely needs to be replaced.
• The use of gravel instead of mulch also cuts down on weeds and helps retains soil.
• Use ground covers that don’t need regular pruning and will cover the ground so that weeds are controlled. This type of ground cover is another choice that eliminates or reduces mulching.
• Maximize your annual flowers by installing flowers in planters, urns or bowls to lower the costly replacements season to season. Even eliminate the flowers completely and install perennials, which never need to be replaced.

Call the experts at Exterior Worlds—713-827-2255—and get their landscaping ideas for your home. Exterior Worlds has been providing memorial landscaping designs and services for fine neighborhoods such as Memorial, Tanglewood, West University, and the greater Houston area since 1987.