By definition, the term “estates landscaping” refers to the creation of a master landscape plan that involves special materials and landscaping methods.  Generally this form of landscape design is done on very large properties in neighborhoods like River Oaks, Tanglewood, and the Memorial Villages. 

Estates landscaping requires a very great deal of innovation because it often involves working on properties that are more than two acres in size.  A great deal of imagination has to go into making the most of the entire lot rather than concentrating activity in only one or two locations. 

Sophisticated grade changes are often called for, and hardscape design and masonry must be distinguished by impeccable construction in order to rise to the challenge of making a large property look livable and inviting.  Garden design must be exquisite and work to establish a sense that Nature and architecture have united to create a new outdoor realm of human habitation. 

Consequently, special elements are par for the course in estates landscaping.  Motifs are archetypal in essence, being borrowed from significant periods in history and specific cultures that have been emulated and admired worldwide.  Many such periods include the Classical Age, the Renaissance, the Colonial Age, and 20th Century Modernism.  Popular cultures include Japanese, French, English, Italian, and Mediterranean styles. 

These designs can be strictly formal and true to their original form, or they can be customized by Exterior Worlds to fit your particular home and lifestyle.  The choice is yours. 

The size of your home and the nature of your property will determine what types of materials we will need for estates landscaping design.  As a general principle, materials used for larger projects are almost always very unique and high-end compared to those used in smaller, more general yard and garden design services.   

Very large properties give us more opportunities to get creative and more room to build interesting structures.  The larges yards can even have labyrinths that people can use for entertainment during garden parties.  Traditional parterre gardens large enough to walk through are also popular in large estates in the Houston area.  Curved pathways can wind through garden courtyards, wooded areas, and small knot gardens planted with herbs to take visitors on a grand, lighted tour of the property at night.   . 

Topiaries and sculpted shrubs are used a great deal in estates landscaping.  They are ideal for accenting entryways and outdoor rooms.  Entry gardens are very popular points of interest for those homeowners looking to fill an unused space next to a very large home that has nothing between its side wall and the adjacent property line.  An entry garden can be built out of trees and hedges made to grow like a big green wall, and up lights can add charm and mystery to the interior courtyard setting so that the garden works as both a transition space to the backyard landscape and a gathering spot in its own right.

Fountains, statues, and outdoor furniture are commonly used to create exceptional interest in estates landscaping.  They lend an aura of formality and sophistication that suggestsluxury outdoor living to all who visit the residents.  Other forms that contribute a similar sensibility include: 

• Arbors- can be wood or iron, and can have climbing, flowering vines growing around their frames and be lit from within with special interior lighting
• Loggias- These are special, open air living rooms that you decorate with plants, furniture, and outdoor lights
• Garden pergolas- These are structures made of pillars, cross beams, and lattice side walls that support climbing vines.

Of course, these are only a few examples of how estates landscaping can add curb appeal to your residence by developing your property into functional spaces that are also highly unique and aesthetic.