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We were
contacted by a Tanglewood resident who was unhappy with the
appearance of her front yard. The existing drive was nothing
more than a massive concrete slab that left little room for any
vegetation other than small patches of San Augustine grass and a
magnolia tree that was very close to cracking the back wall next
to the house. The landscape had excellent drainage, which in
most cases is a good thing. However, in this instance the
topsoil retained very little rainwater, so for at least six
months of the year the grass would wither and turn brown. Our
client wanted this grass replaced with lush plantings of
vegetation that would feature varying shades of green with
seasonal flowers, and she also wanted a brick walkway that would
add a classic Old World touch reminiscent of horse and carriage
days of past centuries.
Before
 We
began our project by carefully studying a number of late
19th-century photographs of brick roads and sidewalks. We
studied bricklaying patterns used at the time to create streets
that were made entirely of brick, but which by necessity also
had to provide humans and horses with a smooth, sure surface for
travel. We showed the owner one pattern in particular that
caught our eye—a style known in bricklaying as the running bond.
This pattern uses bricks laid only on their sides so that the
narrow parts face upward. This creates a smooth surface to walk
over, but the ends of the bricks do not line up with those in
adjacent rows. When you glance quickly at a running bond brick
walkway, your eyes often trick you into thinking the brick are
racing against each other to a common destination—hence the use
of the word “running” in the name of the pattern. This
unconscious sense of movement is ideal for building a walkway
that leads around a bend, or corner, or through a garden in the
front yard.
A brick walkway of any kind is normally a period or historical
piece, and it should always look as simple as possible so as to
retain its original theme. In the case of this project, for
example, we avoided any visible use of concrete or mortar when
laying the bricks in the walkway. Instead, we laid a concrete
foundation covered then by mortar, and we laid the bricks
carefully, by hand, to make certain that we captured the essence
of a late 19th-century street. We used only sand covered with
paver seal to fill the space between the bricks. This created
the illusion that the bricks were loosely laid together, yet
walking over them, you felt a firm surface as sure as any modern
concrete.
We wanted to really highlight the color and pattern of this new
brick walkway to first time visitors and returning guests. In
order to do so, we planted a line of boxwoods to frame it much
like a picture frame is used to accent a fine painting. This is
a common technique in
formal landscaping, because boxwoods can be used to enclose
everything from flower gardens and shrubbery to fountains and
decorative sculptures. In this case, planting a row of boxwoods
right next to the outer edge of the walkway formed a sharp right
angle of intersecting green and red—just enough to catch the eye
and force it to run along the bricks all the way to the front
door of the home. Surrounding vegetation was planted to mirror
this effect, and selective plantings of dwarf monkey grass were
used at the base of our frame to hide the boxwood stalks and
further accent the structure and pattern of the bricks.
All of this opened new doors for landscaping the remainder of
the front yard and creating a new sense of balance and
proportion on both sides of the house. The first things to go
were the magnolia tree that was threatening the rear wall, and
the patches of San Augustine grass that were drying in the sun.
We planted drought resistant zoysia grass in the front center of
the yard to create a very plush, emerald-green lawn that would
require very little water, and that would retain its color
throughout the year. Zoysia also has a much finer blade than San
Augustine grass, and it is comfortable and safe to walk on
either in shoes or on with bare feet.
To create a border for the south side of the property, we
planted a line of Japanese yew trees that continue all the way
to the wall in the back. This forced the eye to stay within the
front yard and focus on the alternating layers of green and
seasonal floral colors that were laid out in patterns in
symmetrical, curved patterns of motion. We planted plum delight
to add a splash of burgundy that would last throughout the year,
and we introduced caladiums into to provide flowers in the
winter months.
On the north end of the front yard, all that separated the
residence from the neighboring property was what was left of the
old driveway and a thin line of San Augustine grass. We left
part of the pavement for parking, and we replaced the San
Augustine grass with a linear planting of boxwoods and mondo
grass. We then elevated this natural barrier with crepe myrtles
placed to compliment the Japanese yews on the opposite side of
the yard, and we planted a very large tree that we needed as a
balancing point between the house and surrounding landscape
elements.
Exterior worlds is
located in the memorial area. They have been serving the Houston
area including Tanglewood since 1987. Call Exterior Worlds at
713-827-2255 to discuss the creation of your
formal landscape design.
For more the 20 years
Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's
fine neighborhoods.
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