Garden designers who work at the top of their game, like Exterior Worlds, possess high levels of knowledge and discernment when it comes to design principles, plants and ecological systems. As specialists, we typically develop plans based are the two major subsets for garden designs: formal designs and natural designs. We also pay attention to the long-term aspect of our Houston landscape projects, including the costs and requirements of maintenance. Our ultimate goal is to develop a yard landscape design that will meet the needs and goals of our clients—and in the process, create a thing of beauty.

As garden designers with education, enthusiasm and experience, we provide a wealth of knowledge if you desire a special theme for your garden. Zen gardens, for example, have their origins in the desire to represent complex and universal truths in simple forms. Through the use of sand and stone, homeowners find them to be places of meditation and repose. French gardens, another garden theme that works well in the topography of the Gulf Coast, are also popular here. Our coastal plains resemble the parts of France that naturally invite the formal garden beds used in knot gardens and parterre gardens, which are integral to French gardens. We will work with you on what works best for your specific site.

A garden designer is not just about the growing plants, however. We also bring our expertise to the hardscapes of your landscape design. A swimming pool landscape design, for example, can quickly become hard-edged and unforgiving if softscapes are not factored in, something an expert designer will avoid.

Do you have a remodeling project on the horizon? Garden designers are the pros you also turn to when it is time for, say, that backyard remodeling job. We can help you work through the myriad decisions about what to keep, what to take out, and what to re-do. In the long run, it may save you money since we’ll bring a fresh eye and energy to the looks of your property. Something that you thought there was no hope for might only need a touch of restoration.

If your project is particularly comprehensive, we can discuss the possibility of landscape phasing, a process that develops the design over time using incremental steps. This way, you space out your cash outlay but still follow a logical plan. An example of such a plan for softscapes might look like this: in phase one, we concentrate on the plantings by the house. In the second phase, we design the beds in the side yard and, in the third step, we concentrate on specialty plantings, such as a rose garden.

By the way, landscapers don’t always rely on the big, flashy elements. In fact, the really pleasing affects are often small touches. A custom iron wall planter, or series of them, in just the right place can quietly complete the ambiance. Or maybe it is an antique ornamental iron element that adds character and uniqueness to the overall design. Expertise in big and small choices defines the very best landscape designers.