Custom, concealed drainage systems are some of the most important elements of a quality Houston landscape design.  While unseen, they play a critical role not only in the health and welfare of your plant life, but also to the health and welfare of human beings, as we will see in a moment.

By definition, a concealed, custom drainage system is one engineered to address all the drainage needs of a home or a business in such a manner that it does not disrupt the paving or visibly terrain of the Houston landscape with severe slopes.

As complex as this may sound, most custom drainage systems are made with relatively simple components arranged in complex relationships.  The typical system is essentially a network of basins and pipes that is normally concealed by gravel.  Landscape designers prefer to use gravel because it compliments stone, concrete, and garden designs equally well.

With a little creativity and ingenuity, such a system can be constructed without it ever being noticed by the casual eye.  In spite of the flat terrain we have to work with here, we can and do find innovative ways to conceal these basins and pipes within the fabric of the Houston landscape itself.   

Many times we can use special materials or create unique designs in such a manner that ultimately the overall aesthetic of the scene improves as a result.

Lawns in particular need this type of systematic and carefully planned drainage.  The worst thing that we can allow in a yard is the formation of large pools of water collect collecting without the possibility of any kind of runoff.  This can and will kill entire patches of grass, threaten flower beds, and can even harm trees.

Standing water of this nature also poses a significant risk to human health and welfare.  Mosquitoes larvae will quickly begin breeding in such places and take wing before you know it. 

It has always been this way along the Gulf Coast.  Prior to European Colonization, the Karankaway Indians tended to avoid the swampy, wooded areas of the Houston landscape because the swarms of mosquitoes that bred in the bayou systems then (as they do now) made foraging and hunting unbearable.

Considering this, we can see why constructing a network of pipes and drains in a lawn is one of the most important parts of any landscaping project.
 
Concealing drains is not as hard as you might believe when you let a professional landscaping firm like Exterior Worlds design the system.  One of the more effective techniques is to build paving solutions that allow the water fall through slots in the pavement.  This works very hand-in-glove with the flat layout of the Houston landscape. 

If a person does not want slots in the paving, or if we are using special stones or masonry products, we might do something different.  In some patio designs, we can slope the hardscape with an almost imperceptible grade toward areas that allow for discreet, hidden drain basins or troughs. 

Because Houston is almost completely flat wherever you go, all neighborhoods can benefit from custom drain design.